{"id":95674,"date":"2025-10-18T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savvytokyo.com\/?p=95674"},"modified":"2025-10-23T10:39:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T01:39:05","slug":"self-defense-laws-in-japan-how-can-i-protect-myself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savvytokyo.com\/self-defense-laws-in-japan-how-can-i-protect-myself\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Defense Laws in Japan: How Can I Protect Myself?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019re walking home late at night. Someone is following you. You squirt pepper spray in the person\u2019s face. You\u2019re just defending yourself, right? Not quite. According to the laws on self-defense in Japan, you can quickly morph from the victim into the aggressor if the court deems it necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Japan has been reeling from disturbing stories of stalking and the murder of women in particular. In Kobe, Megumi Katayama<\/a> was stabbed to death in her building\u2019s elevator by a stalker. In Kanagawa, Asahi Okazaki<\/a> was stalked and allegedly murdered by her ex. These stories have led to a spike in the sale of pepper spray as women prepare to defend themselves. But legal experts<\/a> warn that the law may not be on their side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n