Therefore, fear of crime is nurtured by observations of dangerous situations in one's surroundings, the crime picture depicted in the media, and personal perceptions of one's own victimization risk and vulnerability. Socially transmitted experiences are rational and useful to some extent if consideration is paid to the disastrous consequences of street crimes. Because of this, fear of crime makes people more attentive and furthers preventive behavior. Alternatively, there is also a dysfunctional aspect in potential fear of crime when subjective perceptions of criminal dangers significantly diverge from social reality. In such cases, fear of crime can decrease quality of life and increase social isolation. Despite research findings, fear, crime, and victimization have not yet emerged as serious social issues in Japan like they have in the United States. 35 footnotes and 2 figures