TOKYO — Nearly half of Japa-nese polled identified eroding public safety as their biggest concern, surpassing worries over the lackluster state of the economy for the first time in an annual government survey, according to reports.
The Cabinet Office poll, conducted between Jan. 27 and Feb. 6, showed that 47.9 percent of respondents worried about deteriorating safety, while 38.5 percent said they thought economy was getting worse, the national Asahi newspaper said. Respondents also cited rising worries about education and the nation’s finances.
It was the first time safety ranked above the economy as the No. 1 worry since the current survey was devised in 1998, the Asahi and other major dailies said.
Although violent crime has risen to record highs in Japan, the rate remains low among advanced nations. Japan boasted a low rate during the country’s post-World War II economic boom, but it has risen amid an economic slowdown spanning more than a decade.
The government said the perception of declining safety stems from serious crimes such as the 1995 sarin gas attack by a doomsday cult on Tokyo’s subway and the fatal stabbing of seven people in two homes in western Japan in August.
The poll, released on Saturday, was based on responses by 6,586 Japanese aged 20 and older. It did not give a margin of error.
In last year’s poll, 45.5 percent said the economy topped their concerns, while 39.5 percent cited worries over public safety. By contrast, less than 20 percent were concerned about safety and more than 60 percent cited the economy in 1998.
