Tokyo

Is Tokyo safe?

Yes. Tokyo is one of the safest cities on our list, at 90 out of 100, level with Kyoto and just behind Singapore. Japan's homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary is about 0.2 to 0.3 per 100,000 people (UNODC), roughly a tenth of New York's, and Tokyo's roads killed 134 people in 2025 in a city of about 14 million. You can walk most neighbourhoods at 2am, ride the last train home and leave your phone on a café table without much thought.

Two things keep it from a higher score. The first is a narrow but expensive nightlife scam. The second is the ground under the city.

The one scam that matters

Street crime against tourists is rare. What the UK Foreign Office warns about instead is drink spiking in the entertainment districts, followed by huge charges on the victim's credit card. People report waking up with no memory of the night and bills from hundreds to tens of thousands of pounds. Most British victims were targeted in Kabukicho in Shinjuku. Roppongi, Shibuya and Ikebukuro are also named.

The pattern usually starts with a tout (kyakuhiki) who approaches in good English and offers a cheap drink in a bar upstairs. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary also notes that some visitors have been arrested after arguing with door staff about their bill. Some practical steps:

• Ignore anyone who invites you into a bar in the street. Choose places yourself.
• Ask for a menu with prices, and confirm any cover charge, before you order.
• Keep your drink in your hand and do not accept drinks from strangers.
• Carry one card with a low limit on nights out and leave the rest in your hotel.

Ordinary pickpocketing is much less common than in Paris or Barcelona. Thefts do happen on packed trains and in Shibuya crowds, so a closed pocket is still sensible.

Night safety and the trains

Tokyo after dark feels much like Tokyo by day. Residential streets are quiet and well lit, convenience stores stay open all night, and police boxes (koban) sit on many corners. Lone women walk home at midnight without a second thought.

The exception is the train at rush hour. Groping (chikan) and secret filming are a known problem on crowded commuter lines, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary mentions both. Many lines, including the JR Saikyo and Chuo lines and several Tokyo Metro lines, run women-only cars in the morning peak. If someone touches you, shout and ask other passengers to call staff. Japanese law treats it as a crime and station staff take reports seriously.

Earthquakes, typhoons and heat

This is Tokyo's weak point. The national Earthquake Research Committee puts the chance of a magnitude 7 quake directly under southern Kanto at about 70% within 30 years. The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake destroyed much of the city. Typhoons hit between June and December, and the low-lying wards east of the Sumida and Arakawa rivers are exposed to flooding.

Japan prepares for this better than any other country. Modern buildings are designed to sway rather than collapse, trains brake automatically when a quake is detected, and phones get early warnings seconds before the shaking arrives. For a visitor, the risk in any given week is very small. Still:

• Turn on emergency alerts in your phone settings and install the Japan Tourism Agency's Safety tips app, which sends alerts in English.
• When you check in, find the stairs and your hotel's evacuation point.
• In shaking, get under a table and stay inside until it stops.

Summer is a more common health risk than quakes. Temperatures above 35°C are now normal in July and August, and heatstroke sends many people to hospital each year. Drink water, use the air-conditioned underground passages, and plan walking for mornings and evenings.

Air, water and roads

Air quality is good for a city this size: about 9 µg/m³ of PM2.5PM2.5Tiny airborne particles 2.5 micrometres across or smaller. They reach deep into the lungs and are the air pollutant most linked to early death.More in the glossary in 2024, according to IQAir, above the WHO guideline of 5 but far below most Asian capitals. Tap water is safe. Hospitals are excellent, though outside the large international hospitals in central Tokyo you may need a translation app.

Traffic is calm. 134 deaths in 2025 works out to about 0.9 per 100,000, lower than London and much lower than New York. Many side streets have no pavement, so cars and bikes pass close. Cyclists often ride on the pavement, which can surprise pedestrians.

Where to stay

There is no part of central Tokyo a visitor needs to avoid. If you want quiet nights, Asakusa, Ueno, Ginza, Marunouchi and the area around Tokyo Station are calm and well connected. Shinjuku and Shibuya are convenient and safe at street level, but you will walk past the touts. Roppongi is the area where foreigners most often report spiked drinks. In an earthquake, newer high-rise hotels are among the safest places to be.

For the wider picture of travel in the country, see our Japan page.

How we scored it

Violent crime (97), night safety (92) and traffic (93) are near the top of our scale. Natural hazards (68) is the clear weakness, because Tokyo is one of the most earthquake-exposed big cities in the world, though also one of the best prepared. Theft and scams (88) loses points for the nightlife card scam, not for street crime.