With a surge in burglaries — which often also involve assaults — linked to “dark” part-time jobs emerging across the Kanto region since the summer, residents are increasingly concerned about how to avoid becoming targets and how to respond if an intruder breaks in.

Experts advise using security products to delay aggressive intruders, avoiding confrontation and prioritizing personal safety over valuables. Keeping doors locked and having an escape plan are also recommended.

Yuichi Sakurai, a former Metropolitan Police Department superintendent and current CEO of STeam Research & Consulting, emphasized that in an intrusion, the key to safety is buying time, especially as intruders hired for “yami baito” (dark part-time jobs) are often aggressive and should not be confronted.