[donw]

Japan has low crime, by and large, because they have only a single criminal organization: the Yakuza.

They are not nice people, but as criminal organizations go, having one that views itself as the protector of the people isn't so bad.

After the massive earthquake a few years ago, the Yakuza were among the first to offer aid and assistance to the region -- ahead of the national government, even.

And, if you are going to engage in criminal enterprise in Japan, you need their blessing. If you attempt to sell drugs here without their permission, you will quickly find yourself suffering from an acute case of death.

[twblalock]

The Yakuza is far from being a single, unified criminal organization.

Even if there were a single organization controlling all drug trafficking, that would not explain why drug crime, and drug use, are so low in Japan.