Japanese industry council survey finds 60% of detached-home residents worry about break-ins, publishes home security renovation guide

The Five-Organization Council for Promoting Crime-Resistant Building Components, comprising the Flat Glass Manufacturers Association of Japan, the Japan Window Film Industry Association, the Japan Sash Manufacturers Association, the Japan Shutter & Door Association, and the Japan Lock Manufacturers Association, has been working to study and promote evaluation methods for the crime-prevention performance of building components. The council conducted a nationwide survey on home security awareness among 4,700 men and women aged 30 to 69 living in detached houses across all 47 prefectures in Japan. Against the backdrop of increasing robbery and theft cases linked to so-called illegal part-time jobs, the survey revealed people’s level of concern about crime prevention, the actual state of countermeasures, and differences in awareness by prefecture. The council also compiled and published a Home Security Renovation Guide in response to residents who said they did not know what renovations would effectively strengthen security in existing homes. The survey was conducted online from February 24 to March 9, 2026, with 100 respondents from each prefecture. According to the background data, detached houses account for more than 70% of residential burglary damage, making them the main target category. The council also calculated a residential burglary encounter rate by dividing the number of homes in each prefecture by the number of recognized burglary cases. The results showed a roughly tenfold regional gap, with higher rates in Gunma, Ibaraki, and Tochigi and lower rates in Kyoto, Nagasaki, and Akita. When asked whether they felt anxious about burglary such as break-ins or nighttime intrusions at their current detached home, 60% of respondents said they did. By prefecture, Kyoto was highest at 75%, followed by Kumamoto and Tochigi, while Iwate was lowest at 48% and Okayama at 49%, showing a 25-point regional gap. Despite this concern, only 27% said they had considered high-security equipment such as entrance doors, windows, alarms, or security cameras when buying or building their detached home. Ibaraki was highest at 40%, followed by Tokyo and Fukushima, while Shimane was lowest at 15% and Aomori at 16%. Although security equipment consideration at the time of construction was low, 57% said they were interested in collecting information, strengthening equipment, or inspecting home security in daily life, nearly double the share who considered it when building or purchasing. Ibaraki again ranked highest at 68%, followed by Chiba and Yamanashi, while Shimane was lowest at 34% and Yamagata at 36%. The survey also found that 23% of respondents had some unlocked-door or unlocked-window behavior while at home: 9.3% locked only the entrance, 6.4% locked only windows, and 8% locked neither. For short outings of up to 30 minutes, such as taking out trash or shopping nearby, 12.4% locked only the entrance, 8.2% locked only windows, and 12.3% locked neither, meaning 33% had some unlocked-door or unlocked-window behavior. The Home Security Renovation Guide was compiled through the council’s participation in the FY2025 Committee for Studying Crime-Prevention Performance in Existing Homes, chaired by Professor Kimihiro Hino of the University of Tokyo. It organizes effective renovation measures and living practices to improve crime prevention from four perspectives: territoriality, surveillance, resistance, and alarm capability. Published by the Housing Renovation Promotion Council with cooperation from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the National Police Agency, the guide explains key points for improving home security and includes professional advice, checklists, and concrete renovation examples. The council also highlights CP-mark certified crime-resistant building components for openings such as doors and windows. These products have passed tests against intrusion attempts above specified standards and carry the CP mark.