it is incredible how difficult this simple questiion is. Japan indeed is a very safe country. But I don't have a slightest idea that would explain why. But I hope to see some insights here from people who live or at least spent more time there than me.

This one is difficult to explain, these are just my own ideas.

I asked my host father the same question, and he thinks it is partly because of the sense of collective responsibility, and partly because of having a great economy for many years. There is one movie showing the early post-war era, where a robber is being chased by people and he gets in the house of a grandma to hide. The grandma comments "Being a robber is hard, isn't it? You need to be strong and able to run fast, yet you have to keep running away and risk getting in jail. There is plenty of construction and delivery work with decent pay out there, how about trying some?"

I think the high amount of social security helps, too, though we can't beat Europe on this one. I fear that we might have more crime because of the bad economy and poor economic policies resulting in higher economic disparity.

As for safety for tourists, may be it is because the Japanese view foreigners as people who need help (mostly language). Snatching from tourists, something common in many parts of the world, is rare here.

Well, I can't say any good things but I think it is because Japan is a country that doesn't have a gun so Japanese people don't use any gun. ( of course though policemen and hunters have... )

gun control is an important point, but I think there is more to that than just that. Japan has much less violence than many other countries with tight gun control (I can speak for both Russia and France). So in my opinion, it must be something cultural.

Agree. Having less gun crime can be attributed to the gun control laws, but that won't explain the lack of other crimes. In rural Japan, you can find entire neighbourhoods where people don't lock the doors. In the suburbs, people are more careful.

It reminds me an old joke "Why there's no revolution in Germany - Because they are prohibited by Keiser". So, Japan is so safe because doing unsafe rings is prohibited by the Emperor.

It doesn't really answer the question it is paraphrasing it :) If it makes more sense to you, the question is really why the Japanese are so law (rule / emperor / whatever) abiding?

Nope, gun control laws as such doesn't change that much. In Switzerland every man has a right to possess an automatic rifle and though it has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe.

It\s the only answer a normal Japanese can give. Only baka gaijin is not able to understand it))