Not long ago most people in Japan felt this was one of the most crime-free nations in the world, but recent high-profile, violent crimes have shattered that sense of security.
True to the saying that necessity is the mother of invention, high demand has led to new technologies to protect people and their property.
According to the Japan Security Systems Association, the domestic market for security systems has been growing in recent years, with sales rising to around 1.2 trillion yen in fiscal 2003 from 838.4 billion yen in fiscal 1999.