[samurai007]

Yeah, I always felt quite safe in Japan, even when I was travelling alone with hundreds of dollars in my wallet, or being out at night in a city I hardly knew. Really, only 2 things tend to be "borrowed without asking" very often: bicycles (especially if parked near a train station) and umbrellas on a rainy day, if you leave it in the bin near the front door when you come in a store.