Japanese Crime Wave
Why Japan? Why the Recent Crime Wave and Its Effect on Harmony? And My Research Process
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been told stories about my father's experiences living out his middle school years in Japan. Catching a subway ride to and from school everyday, learning to communicate with the locals, of whom spoke only Japanese, and the complete culture shock of the Japanese lifestyle in comparison to the American: these were the tales my father, his sisters, and my grandparents told me. With every story, my interest in the nation grew. So when I heard the news that my second grade class was producing the play Sadako and the Thousand Paper Planes by Eleanor Coerr, I could not wait to tell my family, as I felt this was one way I could finally connect myself to the exciting childhood stories I had heard. From that point on, I did whatever I could to learn more about the beautiful country and its culture, including learning to make the iconic paper cranes. However, once I heard that Japan was no longer only seen as a harmonious and peaceful country, I was in shock. The tales I had heard were of a carefree, joyful life, and I had to know more about why others did not see the nation in the light anymore. That is why I chose to research the crime issue in Japan for my project.
Before I began researching, I had to refine my questions about the crime rise in Japan. I knew I wanted to research how it affected the people living in the country, but I was not sure what aspect of their lives I wanted to focus on. I contemplated studying how the increase in crime altered the economy in Japan, since I knew it would have been seriously affected because of its shift from having an entirely peaceful reputation. I also considered researching how the crime wave may have influenced the migration of citizens, as many may have sought a carefree environment once again. However, neither of these topics felt as close to home to me as how the everyday peaceful lifestyle was affected by the rise in wrongdoings, as I had heard so much about this growing up. When researching the effect on the harmony of living in Japan, I expected to see that most of the crimes covered were major offenses, like murders or terrorism attacks. I also expected to find that most of these crimes were committed by young- or middle-aged adults. However, what I found bewildered me in both cases. It turned out that the crimes were mostly minor misdeeds, like theft and smuggling. Yet, a majority of these actions were at the hands of Japanese elders, which caught me by complete surprise. Who would have thought that so many newsworthy criminal actions were executed by elders?
Unfortunately, my research process was not an entirely smooth ride, as I came across several obstacles along the way. For instance, when first searching for articles that supported my thesis, I found many that actually opposed it. In the broad spectrum, crimes in Japan have actually decreased in total in comparison to the total count in previous years. However, when looking at the problem more closely, especially on how it affects the average citizens and their daily lives, I found several articles agreeing that it had risen and, as a result, had caused many to emanate fear. While I was not able to incorporate many resources because they were focused on the total crime count, I was able to utilize several articles written by real Japanese newspapers and citizens of the country, which proved advantageous. Being forced to study and focus on the Japanese-based articles introduced me to the mindsets and views of the inhabitants themselves, and this certainly helped me compose my paper in the most ideal manner.
Much to my disappointment, there have not been any new developments regarding the crime wave in Japan since I conducted my research. However, according to "Japan Today", there have been several more crime cases capturing the media's attention, almost daily, including a man's body being found at a Yakuza office in Japan, proving the crime group's presence is still dominating ("Man's"). While a change has not yet been made to resolve the crime wave issue in Japan, there is still extreme potential for action to be taken soon.
Unfortunately, my research process was not an entirely smooth ride, as I came across several obstacles along the way. For instance, when first searching for articles that supported my thesis, I found many that actually opposed it. In the broad spectrum, crimes in Japan have actually decreased in total in comparison to the total count in previous years. However, when looking at the problem more closely, especially on how it affects the average citizens and their daily lives, I found several articles agreeing that it had risen and, as a result, had caused many to emanate fear. While I was not able to incorporate many resources because they were focused on the total crime count, I was able to utilize several articles written by real Japanese newspapers and citizens of the country, which proved advantageous. Being forced to study and focus on the Japanese-based articles introduced me to the mindsets and views of the inhabitants themselves, and this certainly helped me compose my paper in the most ideal manner.
Much to my disappointment, there have not been any new developments regarding the crime wave in Japan since I conducted my research. However, according to "Japan Today", there have been several more crime cases capturing the media's attention, almost daily, including a man's body being found at a Yakuza office in Japan, proving the crime group's presence is still dominating ("Man's"). While a change has not yet been made to resolve the crime wave issue in Japan, there is still extreme potential for action to be taken soon.
Works Cited
“Man's Body Found at Yakuza Office in Tokyo's Akasaka District.” Japan Today, Japan Today, 22 Dec. 2017. Web.
Accessed 04 Jan. 2018.
Accessed 04 Jan. 2018.
Header Borrowed from "Deviant Art"
https://fuzzyzebra.deviantart.com/art/Japanese-Street-62282238
https://fuzzyzebra.deviantart.com/art/Japanese-Street-62282238