Safety & PracticalitiesBy Clever Tourists · Published
Yes, Tokyo is safe to visit: street crime against tourists is rare, Japan sits at Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) with the US State Department, and the UK Foreign Office does not advise against travel to any part of the country. Tokyo's real risks are concentrated in a few places and situations: touts, drink spiking and inflated bills in nightlife districts such as Kabukicho and Roppongi, groping on packed rush-hour trains, crowd rules in Shibuya, summer heat, and the earthquake risk that applies across Japan. Strict drug and medicine laws are the other trap. We spent about 9 days in Tokyo in March and April 2023, at the start and end of a month in Japan, and this page covers what matters in the city itself.
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There is no separate advisory for Tokyo; it falls under Japan's. The US State Department lists Japan at Level 1, its lowest level, and Australia's Smartraveller also rates it Level 1. The UK Foreign Office has no advice against travel to any part of Japan, but its safety page singles out Tokyo's entertainment districts, which is where almost all of the city's tourist crime happens. Check the advisories in the week you fly.
For the national picture, including typhoons, bears and the Japan Visitor Hotline, see our Japan safety page.
Japanese police have identified Kabukicho (Shinjuku), Roppongi, Shibuya and Ikebukuro as high-risk areas for foreigners at night, and the FCDO says most British victims of drink spiking and fraud in Japan were targeted in Kabukicho. The pattern is consistent:
• Street touts (kyakuhiki) approach you in English and steer you into a bar or club. Touting is illegal in much of Tokyo; don't follow anyone.
• Drink spiking and card fraud: victims have woken with no memory and found very large charges on their cards. Don't accept drinks from strangers, keep your glass in sight and carry only one card.
• Bill disputes: check the menu, cover charge and seating fee before you sit down, and leave if a bar won't show prices.
These districts are busy and lit all night, and walking through them is not the risk; following a stranger into a bar is. Our Tokyo scams guide has the details, and where to stay in Tokyo lists quieter bases.
Tokyo's trains are safe and punctual, but the morning and evening rush on lines such as the Yamanote, Chuo and Saikyo is extremely crowded. The FCDO notes that women on crowded commuter trains have experienced touching and upskirt photography. Many lines run women-only cars in the morning peak; the platform markings show where they stop.
If it happens, police advise shouting to attract attention and asking other passengers or station staff for help. Groping (chikan) is a crime in Japan and station staff take reports seriously. Travelling outside roughly 7:30 to 9:30am and 5:30 to 7:30pm avoids the worst crowds, and also makes life easier with luggage; see our Haneda vs Narita guide for airport trains.
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Since 1 October 2024, drinking alcohol in the street around Shibuya Station is banned every day from 6pm to 5am, under a Shibuya City ordinance passed after years of trouble at Halloween and New Year's Eve. Reports at the time said there is no fine; patrols ask you to stop and dispose of the drink.
Around Halloween Shibuya and Shinjuku now discourage visitors from gathering at all, with extra police and crowd controls, and Shibuya's mayor has told people not to come for street parties. Seoul's 2022 Itaewon crush is the reason Tokyo takes these crowds seriously; if you are in Tokyo on 31 October, avoid the Shibuya Crossing area at night.
Tokyo is in an earthquake zone, and small tremors are routine. Follow hotel staff and station announcements, stay inside sturdy buildings unless told to leave, and keep your phone's emergency alerts on. Tokyo's metropolitan government publishes a free Tokyo Bousai disaster app and guide in English.
July and August are hot and humid, with temperatures regularly above 35 °C (95 °F); heatstroke alerts are issued when the heat index is forecast to reach 33. Typhoon season runs from June to December, peaking from July to September, and can stop trains. Our best time to visit Tokyo page shows the calmer months; we were there in late March and mid April.
• Medicine: some ordinary cold, allergy and ADHD medicines are illegal in Japan; read our Japan medicine rules before packing.
• Drugs: zero tolerance, and police can hold a suspect without charge for up to 23 days.
• Smoking: smoking on the street is banned in most of central Tokyo, with on-the-spot fines in some wards; use the marked smoking areas.
• Passport: visitors must carry it at all times.
Tokyo is one of the easiest big cities in the world for solo travellers, including women travelling alone; lost wallets are routinely handed in. Dial 110 for police and 119 for fire or an ambulance. The Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, helps in English 24 hours a day. Save your insurer's number too; see travel insurance for international trips. For the sights, our 3 days in Tokyo guide has a day-by-day plan, and if Kyoto is next, see is Kyoto safe to visit.
Yes. Most of Tokyo is safe to walk at any hour. The risks at night are in a few nightlife districts, especially Kabukicho and Roppongi: don't follow street touts, watch your drink and check cover charges before you sit down.
Japanese police name Kabukicho, Roppongi, Shibuya and Ikebukuro as high-risk areas for drink spiking, bill fraud and assault at night, and the UK Foreign Office says most British victims were targeted in Kabukicho.
Not at night. Since 1 October 2024, street drinking around Shibuya Station is banned every day from 6pm to 5am. Reports say there is no fine, but patrols will ask you to stop.
Yes, Tokyo is a common choice for women travelling alone. The main caution is groping on crowded rush-hour trains; use the women-only cars in the morning peak and ask staff or other passengers for help if it happens.
110 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance. The Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, offers 24-hour help in English, Chinese and Korean.
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