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The 2026 Aichi Asian Games have stood out for an unexpected reason: during my visits to competition venues, I have not noticed armed police officers or security personnel stationed nearby.
The visible security presence contrasts sharply with what I observed at the Paris Summer Olympics, the FIFA World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and the Winter Olympics in Milan.
At the media centers and stadiums I have entered, volunteers have handled bag checks and security screening. Uniformed officers have rarely been visible, although the absence of an obvious police presence does not indicate an absence of security measures.
During a recent journey from an unstaffed railway station in a Nagoya suburb, however, a notice on the station board caught my attention.
It read:
“Under terror alert enforcement
To all passengers:
If you find any suspicious articles or behavior, please notify station staff or train crew.
Carrying of dangerous items into the station or onto trains is prohibited.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Meitetsu.”
Meitetsu, a major railway operator serving Nagoya, was reminding passengers to remain alert. The notice offered a visible indication of security concerns in a setting where precautions otherwise appeared unobtrusive.
Beyond that warning, we have seen little overt security activity during our travels, despite moving around at various hours of the day and night.
Since arriving in Japan on August 24, we have traveled through several towns and cities, mostly within Aichi Prefecture, without feeling unsafe. We have neither experienced nor witnessed bag snatching, petty theft or assaults during our stay. These personal observations do not establish the absence of crime, but they have contributed to our sense of security.
Public transport also reflects an emphasis on consideration for others. Passengers are expected to observe decorum and avoid disturbing fellow travelers. Quiet, orderly journeys have been a consistent feature of our experience.
The freedom to move around comfortably, even near midnight, has been reassuring. So has the limited visible presence of armed officers and canine squads, particularly compared with the security arrangements we encountered in France and the three countries that hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
We did eventually notice a police vehicle near the Main Media Centre, although it was parked out of sight of the building where hundreds of journalists have been working.
Another encounter provided a more personal glimpse of the police presence.
Shortly before midnight, while we were trying to arrange a taxi from an unstaffed rural station, a man volunteered to help. He recognized that the language barrier was making it difficult for us to communicate with the person handling the booking.
After helping us secure a taxi, he revealed that he was an off-duty police officer. His assistance left a lasting impression: an officer away from work, taking the time to help visitors navigate an unfamiliar place.
