Public Safety in Mongolia — A Sense of Security That Feels Surprisingly Close to Japan

First of all, I want to make it clear that this is not based on crime statistics or international safety rankings. It is simply my personal impression, based on actually traveling around Mongolia and experiencing everyday life here for myself.

Over the past few days, I have traveled not only around Ulaanbaatar, but also to areas outside the capital and into several provincial regions.

Through my work, I have visited many countries across Asia, including South Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Every country has its own strengths, and of course, the level of safety can vary greatly depending on the city or region.

With that in mind, when I compare Mongolia with the countries I have personally visited, I find that Mongolia gives me a sense of security that feels surprisingly close to Japan.

What I found particularly interesting was what I saw in the countryside.

When traveling abroad, you can sometimes get a sense of how concerned people are about crime simply by looking at the way homes and buildings are designed.

In places where people are highly concerned about security, houses often have tall gates, metal bars or stainless-steel grilles over ground-floor windows, and shops may have heavy shutters or extensive security equipment.

However, in the rural areas of Mongolia that I visited this time, I saw relatively little of this.

In fact, some houses looked so open and unprotected that I found myself wondering:

“Is it really safe to leave a house this unprotected?”

I have also seen people in restaurants leave their belongings at the table when they step away. More recently, I have even started seeing self-checkout machines in stores.

Of course, none of this means that Mongolia is free from crime.

In busy areas of Ulaanbaatar, people should still be careful about pickpocketing, theft, and other risks. As a foreign visitor, basic precautions are necessary in any country.

Even so, I believe the degree to which local people feel the need to protect themselves from others in their everyday lives can tell us something about the general sense of security within a society.

Another thing that has made a strong impression on me is the character of the Mongolian people.

When someone is in trouble, people will often approach them or lend a hand without even being asked.

Sometimes they are so helpful that I find myself thinking, “You really don’t have to go that far for me.”

At the same time, when it comes to personal relationships, I get the impression that many Mongolians have an attitude that could be described as:

“Your life is yours, and my life is mine.”

Rather than interfering unnecessarily in other people’s lives or worrying too much about small differences, people seem comfortable allowing each person to live life in their own way.

But when someone is genuinely in trouble, they step in to help.

That is the kind of balance and distance between people that I have personally experienced here.

Public safety cannot be measured by crime statistics alone.

How much security equipment do people feel they need around their homes?

Can someone leave their belongings at a restaurant table and walk away?

What happens when a stranger is in trouble? Do the people around them ignore the situation, or do they step forward to help?

I believe these small moments in everyday life can also reveal a great deal about how safe and comfortable a society feels.

Based purely on my own experiences traveling through various countries in Asia, Mongolia is one of the places where I have felt such a strong sense of security that there are moments when I almost forget that I am abroad.

And perhaps that sense of security is created not only by the police or security systems, but also by something in the character of the Mongolian people:

“Don’t interfere unnecessarily in other people’s lives. But don’t leave someone alone when they truly need help.”

After actually traveling beyond Ulaanbaatar and spending time in Mongolia’s provincial areas, that is the impression I have come away with more strongly than ever.