Regarding Anthony Olsen's letter, "An exercise in self-reflection," which appeared in the Feb. 24 Have Your Say column: Trust me, Japan IS probably the safest, or second-safest after Singapore, country in the world. I spent more then six years in Japan and just over three months in Sydney. In Japan, I never felt insecure about my family or myself wherever I went, and I stayed in three different prefectures.
By comparison, the past three months in Sydney have been like living in a society that came directly from hell. Crime is indeed very high even though the population is less.
As for diversity, yes, there are more Japanese in Japan than Australians in Australia as well as sizable numbers of Chinese, Koreans and Brazilians. The difference is that the Japanese are so cultured and society-driven that most outsiders adapt to the native customs. That's why Japan is still safe.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.