Key Takeaways
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Is Japan safe to travel? Yes: Japan’s National Police Agency recorded 6.3 penal code offences per 1,000 people in 2025, and JNTO calls the country “very safe”, though recorded crime has risen for four years in a row (National Police Agency, Crime situation in 2025, PDF in Japanese, npa.go.jp , accessed 2026-09-17; JNTO, Staying Safe in Japan, accessed 2026-09-17). For Indian visitors, earthquakes, summer heat and hospital bills are the likelier problems.
This guide is maintained by Zurich Kotak General Insurance, an IRDAI-registered general insurer in India and part of the Zurich Insurance Group.
Last verified: 2026-09-17.
Is Japan safe? What the crime figures show
Crime in Japan is low, but it rose again in 2025, and fraud grew fastest. The National Police Agency’s figures:
Measure, 2025 | Figure | Change on 2024 |
Recorded penal code offences | 774,142 | Up 4.9%, the fourth rise in a row since the post-war low of 2021 |
Offences per 1,000 people | 6.3 | Up 0.3 |
Theft | 513,931 | Up 2.5% |
Fraud-type offences | 77,473 | Up 25.0% |
India’s government raises no flag: on 2026-09-17, Japan was not among the 11 countries on the Ministry of External Affairs’ travel advisories page (MEA, Travel Advisories, mea.gov.in , accessed 2026-09-17).
Everyday risks: theft, nightlife and your passport
Nightlife districts carry the main street-level risks for visitors.
· Report theft at a koban, a neighbourhood police box. JNTO notes you need a police report to reissue a passport or claim on insurance.
· Watch your drink and your bill. The UK government’s travel advice reports drink spiking and credit card fraud in areas including Kabukicho, Roppongi, Shibuya and Ikebukuro, and advises against following street touts into bars ( GOV.UK , Japan: safety and security, accessed 2026-09-17).
· Carry your passport. Article 23 of Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act requires a foreign national to carry it at all times (Japanese Law Translation, accessed 2026-09-17).
Earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons
Natural hazards are the bigger practical risk: JNTO says Japan “is prone to natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.” The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issues Earthquake Early Warnings, tsunami warnings about three minutes after a quake when it expects damage, and volcanic warnings for about 110 active volcanoes. The Japan Tourism Agency’s Safety tips app pushes these alerts in 15 languages, including English (Japan Tourism Agency, Safety tips, jnto.go.jp , accessed 2026-09-17). Install it before you fly.
Typhoons come closest in August and September. JMA’s 1991 to 2020 normals show about 11.7 typhoons a year passing within 300 km of Japan and 3.0 making landfall, with approaches peaking at 3.3 in each of those months (JMA, typhoon normals, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17). Treat July to October as typhoon season, and keep plans flexible.
What to do in an earthquake
Protect your head first, then stay put unless your location puts you at risk. The Japan Tourism Agency’s guidance, by location (Safety tips, In the event of an emergency, accessed 2026-09-17):
Where you are | While it shakes | Once it stops |
Hotel room | Shelter under a sturdy table | Open the door to secure an exit, follow the hotel’s instructions, do not rush outside |
Station, airport or shop | Protect your head in an open space or beside a pillar | Follow staff; avoid lifts until confirmed safe |
Lift | Press every floor button and get out where it stops | If trapped, press the emergency call button |
Street | Shield your head with a bag; move away from buildings | Go to an open space |
Train or subway | Hold a handrail | Follow staff; never step down onto the tracks |
Coast or riverside | Expect a tsunami, including up rivers | Head for high ground and stay there until the warning is lifted |
JNTO adds: check the evacuation route when you check in, and keep your phone charged.
Summer heat
July and August are hot and humid, and heat illness is a real risk. JMA’s 1991 to 2020 normals put Tokyo’s August mean maximum at 31.3°C, with 74% relative humidity, and Osaka’s at 33.7°C (JMA, Tokyo normals; JMA, Osaka normals, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17).
The Ministry of the Environment and JMA issue a Heat Stroke Alert when the heat stress index (WBGT) is forecast at 33 or higher, announced at 17:00 the day before and at 05:00, from late April to late October (Ministry of the Environment, Heat Stroke Alert, accessed 2026-09-17). On alert days the Japan Tourism Agency advises air conditioning indoors, shade and a hat outdoors, and water and salt before you feel thirsty.
Travelling to Japan? Get covered before you fly. Travel insurance for Japan is not required for entry, but Japan’s Foreign Ministry calls it highly recommended, and treatment there can be expensive.
Safety for women, solo travellers, families and older travellers
Women travelling alone
Japan is comfortable for a woman travelling alone, with one known problem on crowded trains. The UK government’s advice says women on commuter trains have experienced touching and upskirting, and that police recommend shouting to draw attention and asking another passenger to call staff. JNTO notes that you will often see cars reserved for women during the morning rush hour (JNTO, How to travel by train and bus, accessed 2026-09-17).
Solo travellers
Solo travel is straightforward; prepare for the moment something goes wrong. Save the Japan Visitor Hotline, install Safety tips, share your itinerary with someone at home, and note the Embassy of India’s details below.
Families with children
For families, heat and earthquakes matter more than crime. Keep outdoor sightseeing to mornings and evenings in summer, carry water, and walk children through the earthquake table on day one.
Older travellers
Older travellers can visit comfortably, but heat and insurance age limits need planning. Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel plans treat Japan as Asia geography and accept travellers up to age 70; there is no Senior Citizen plan on the Asia geography. Travellers aged 71 or over can read about travel insurance for senior citizens . From age 56, medical cover carries sub-limits, including ICU up to USD 3,250 a day and surgery up to USD 15,000. Pre-existing conditions are generally excluded, though a declared condition is covered in a life-threatening situation up to 10% of the sum insured or USD 10,000, whichever is lower; an optional pre-existing disease add-on covers a condition only when it is declared at purchase, accepted and recorded in the policy schedule.
Hospital bills in Japan: why cover matters
Treatment in Japan can be expensive, and a visitor without insurance may be charged the full amount. The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide for visitors who fall ill says only major hospitals take credit cards, and clinics generally take cash. It cites two cases (Japan Tourism Agency, Guide for when you are feeling ill, accessed 2026-09-17):
Case | Total cost | About, in INR |
Bicycle collision, collapsed lung and broken ribs: surgery, 19 days in hospital, flight home with a doctor | JPY 7,500,000 | 46,27,500 |
Heart attack: surgery, 45 days in hospital, flight home with a doctor | JPY 10,000,000 | 61,70,000 |
Rupee figures are at 1 JPY = INR 0.617 on 2026-09-17.
An unpaid bill can follow you to the border. Since 2021-05-10, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has shared hospital reports of visitors’ unpaid bills with the Immigration Services Agency, which applies strict screening when the person next seeks to enter. For bills arising on or after 2026-04-01, the threshold fell from JPY 200,000 (about INR 1,23,400) to JPY 10,000 (about INR 6,170) (MHLW, notice of 2026-02-04, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17).
Travel insurance is not a requirement for a Japanese visa or for entry, but Japan’s Foreign Ministry says it is “highly recommended” (MOFA, Visa, accessed 2026-09-17). The Consulate-General of Japan in Chennai advises cover with hospital referral and medical interpretation, because “Medical expenses can be very high in Japan” (Consulate-General of Japan in Chennai, accessed 2026-09-17).
Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel plans cover Japan under the Asia geography: Excel, with sum insured up to USD 100,000, and Prime, up to USD 500,000. Call the 24x7 assistance line, run by Europ Assistance India, on +91 22 6734 7863 as soon as you need care. Japanese hospitals are generally not billed directly by a foreign insurer, so most claims in Japan run on reimbursement: pay, keep every report and receipt, and submit your documents within 30 days. A complete claim is settled within 15 days; see the travel insurance claim steps.
Emergency numbers and the Embassy of India
Save these before you fly: 110 for the police and 119 for fire or an ambulance (JNTO, Japan Visitor Hotline, accessed 2026-09-17).
Service | Number | Use it for |
Police | 110 | Emergencies |
Fire and ambulance | 119 | Fires, serious illness or injury |
Japan Visitor Hotline (JNTO) | 050-3816-2787 (from overseas, +81-50-3816-2787) | Accidents, illness, disasters and tourist information; 24 hours, in English, Chinese and Korean |
Tokyo Metropolitan Police English line | 03-3501-0110 | Police help in English, 24 hours |
The Embassy of India is at 2-2-11 Kudan-Minami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0074, telephone +81 3 3262-2397 (Embassy of India, Tokyo, indembassy-tokyo.gov.in , accessed 2026-09-17). Its 24x7 helpline numbers are on its website. Contact it about a lost passport, an arrest, a hospitalisation or a death.
Before you go
Indian passport holders need a Japanese visa before they fly: there is no visa on arrival, and applications from India go in through the Japan Visa Application Centre (VFS Global) for your state, with single-entry tourist visas issued electronically. See our guide to the Japan visa for Indians and check the Embassy of Japan in India’s website ( in.emb-japan.go.jp ) before you book. To budget the trip, see Japan trip cost from India .
FAQs
Q: Is Japan safe for Indian tourists? A: Yes. Japan recorded 6.3 penal code offences per 1,000 people in 2025, and on 2026-09-17 it was not on India’s Ministry of External Affairs travel advisories list. Recorded crime has risen for four years, so take ordinary care in nightlife districts.
Q: Is Japan safe for solo female travellers? A: Yes, with normal precautions. The known problem is touching on crowded commuter trains; police advise shouting to draw attention and asking another passenger to call staff, and you will often see cars reserved for women during the morning rush hour.
Q: What should I do if an earthquake hits while I am in Japan? A: Protect your head, take cover under a sturdy table if you are indoors, and do not rush outside. Near the coast or a river, head for high ground once the shaking stops, because a tsunami may follow.
Q: What is the emergency number in Japan? A: Dial 110 for the police and 119 for fire or an ambulance. JNTO’s Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, helps visitors 24 hours a day in English, Chinese and Korean.
Q: Do I need travel insurance for Japan? A: It is not required for a Japanese visa or for entry, but Japan’s Foreign Ministry calls it highly recommended. Since 2026-04-01, an unpaid medical bill of JPY 10,000 or more can be shared with Japan’s immigration agency, which applies strict screening on your next visit.
