Book 3 Essay
日本は安全な国ですか?
この質問の答えは「安全」の意味により変わります。二種類の脅威があります。目に見える脅威と目に見えない脅威です。やはり、日本では強盗やカージャックは稀にしか起こらない犯罪です。目に見えない脅威はどうですか。
この教科書の中に同じテーマに答える作文があります。 しかし、傘や自転車を盗まれることよりもっと深刻な問題があります。例えば、日本の経済的管理は安全ですか？最近ビジネスウィークと他の国際刊行物に日本の銀行の一般情勢がそれほど良くないという意見を説明する記事がよく書かれてあります。日本で銀行に入れたお金は安全ですか？
次に、日本に住んでいる外国人について、人種間差別を受けている人もいるでしょう。私にはこういった悪い経験は全然ありませんが、これがありふれた事だと言われています。この考え方で、私は日本で目に見える犯罪にあまり心配していませんが、それだけで「日本は安全な国だ」と言えますか？言えないと思います。
アメリカは安全な国ですか？
この質問の答えも「安全」の意味により変わります。日本と比べたら、アメリカでは目に見える犯罪の方が怖いです。目に見えない脅威もありますが、ニュースなどで目に見える犯罪がはっきりしています。アメリカで、私の自転車にもアパートにも車にもいつも鍵をかけておきますが、お金に対しては安心しています。しかし、十年後同じことが言えるかどうかは分かりません。つまり、「アメリカは安全な国だ」とも言えません。複雑です。
This was my essay for the prompt at the end of the third book of the Japanese correspondence course that I’m taking through JET (provided by CLAIR). Book 3 is the first book to ask for an essay, but the rest will, in theory, include an essay question. Anyway, the prompt was “Is Japan a safe country? Is your country safe?” Here’s my response. (English is available on this post’s individual page, so click the more link.)
Is Japan a safe country?
The answer to this question varies based upon the meaning of “safe.” There are two types of threats. They are plainly visible threats and those that go unseen. As expected, in Japan crimes like robberies and carjackings happen quite rarely. But what about the aforementioned unseen threats?
There is an essay addressing the question of whether or not Japan is a safe country included in this textbook. But there are more serious problems to be dealt with than whether or not your bicycle or umbrella are likely to be stolen. For instance, how is Japan’s financial management? Recently, many international publications, such as Newsweek, have featured articles which assert their authors’ opinion(s) – that the general state of Japan’s banks is not very good. Is money held by banks in Japan “safe?”
There are also foreigners living in Japan who have been racially discriminated against. I have never personally had a problem with racial discrimination, but it is said to be a rather common, widespread problem. Thinking in this fashion, I do not tend to worry about highly visible crime in Japan. But does this mean that I can say “Japan is a safe country?” I do not think that I can.
Is America a safe country?
The answer to this question too depends on one’s interpretation of “safe.” When compared to Japan, the crimes commited in public in America are scarier. There are also the unseen threats, but the news makes public crimes very clear. In America, I always lock up my bicycle, apartment, and car, but I feel quite calm about my money. Whether or not I will be able to say the same in ten years’ time is a different matter. In short, I do not think that I can say “America is a safe country” either. It is complicated.
Is this what they wanted? I have no idea. But it’s what I wrote. Boring? Yes. Good for handwriting practice? Ooooh yes. Looking forward to next month’s essay? Do I have to answer that…? 
(And yes, I have noticed a few things that need improvement or correcting in my essay, but I left it true to the one I actually submitted. Ha ha.)
