Home security?

16 comments

1. [deleted]

2. >there are two large windows (think balcony windows) that are single paned. What are some of your suggestions/recommendations for home security

   Several companies sell “breach resistant” window films made of 8~16 mil thick nano-layered films that test as well as 15 mil standard Mylar security films . The added advantage is that these films offer great safety in typhoons and earthquakes as well as increased insulation R Values and solar control.

   For example, [3M Security Films and Attachment Systems](https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b5005059013/) can resist attack and deter an intruder for as long as 2 minutes.

3. Shutters are better for when your away for a while. Otherwise get an Atom web camera and watch a ton of Chris Pratt movies to scope out the bad guys in the neighborhood.
   From what I can tell most aren’t random junkies looking for loot. They are going to get in and get your shit if they really wanted to. So best home security is good ole Japanese insurance.

4. >What are some of your experiences with choosing home security?

   We once went looking at brand new homes (to see what the prices were like, what you get etc) and not once did anyone ever mention home security.

   I haven’t been in *that* many Japanese homes but precisely *none* of them had home security beyond door locks and (regular) internal window locks.

   Could be wrong but burglary (like muggings etc) seems to just not be a thing here. Maybe the 民度 in Japan is too 高い for burglaries or something.

5. Instead of going with the big clunky and expensive Secom option, you can look into [Arlo](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Arlo-Pro-Wireless-Security-Spotlight/dp/B07X36VWCT) and something like this [one](https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/XM02-JP5004-1TB/dp/B09YRCF943).

6. I think you can set up various options like security cameras or things like that. Personally speaking when I bought a house there was nothing and I didn’t worry about it. My back door is unlocked 100% of the time and I have no cameras or anything, and I’m really not concerned given the neighbourhood. My one friend did have issues with someone stealing kerosene from her tank because she’s close to a main thoroughfare, so I’ve been thinking about getting a lock for mine too. But overall, not really a big concern for me.

7. Adopt a dog. 🙂

8. Recommend getting inner windows put in, for insulation and security purposes: https://www.retirejapan.com/blog/home-improvements-windows/

9. I’ve heard that biker gangs are a major source of home burglaries. You really should watch out for that.

10. Since you are purchasing I would recommend putting real windows instead.

11. I have metal bars on all my windows except the biggest one which has metal shutters that can be locked when I’m away.

    I have 2 cameras on the front door (one outside and one inside, both pointing at the door) and an automatic light that turns on when someone opens my front gate.

    The back door and back gate are by far the 2 weakest points of entry but the back door just leads to a very narrow path that is barely wide enough to pass through empty handed. It would be almost impossible to smuggle things using that path, it’s just too narrow.

    For my wife’s luxury bags and jewelry, I have a safe that weights ~120kg and I could load it with my gym plates for extra weight if I wanted to. For home security, something big and heavy with a medium security rating is more secure than a small safe with a higher security rating. It doesn’t matter if a safe needs over an hour to be opened using brute force if thieves can just take it away and cut it open from the comfort of their home.

    The most important thing to know about home security is that you don’t need to have good protection, you just need to have better protection than your neighbors. Thieves need to act quickly so they will always go for the houses that they believe will give them the least amount of trouble.

    If a thief really wants to get into your home and steal everything you have, there is little to nothing you can do about it.

12. We have “Secom” stickers but don’t have the service. And then I installed motion-activated lights.

13. We built our house recently and I went with multiple security cameras around the perimeter, as well as a video doorbell, and bars on a few windows. I get push notifications on my phone from the cameras and doorbell so I can monitor the house when away if I want. A few windows have bars that have the green CP logo. Most window bars are more for decoration and don’t offer any protection.

    Security film is good. If you look for 防犯ガラス on YouTube you’ll see that the security glass with wires doesn’t offer any real protection. I also looked into Alsok/Secom but I could find better uses for 3000+ yen a month that it costs. A lot of people just put the stickers up but people that actually pay for the service will get a orange/blue light that goes near their front door. Helpful for burglars to know which systems are real, I guess.

    Shutters are good, but if you always close them when you’re out it could be an easy signal that nobody is home. Setting up a basic smart home system to trigger lights on/off can be done.

    My previous apartment was broken into and they took anything of value. Thankfully, everything was covered by insurance but I don’t want to go through that experience again. I also know other people whose places have been broken into, or have had people walk into their garage/yard and just lift things. So although you might not have some meth head break into your place at 3am, crime still happens. I hate thieves.

14. We have a contract with Secom. We have a single family house about a 5 minute walk from a major station, and about a 3 minute walk from a bunch of snack bars/drinking establishments. My wife and I work full-time, and we have 2 kids. There are also stretches of time during the year that we are away from home (visiting family, out of the country, etc.) We also noticed that quite a few homes around us have Secom stickers/lights.
    I looked into which companies operate in my area, and got quotes from all of them. Though I assumed that Secom was the most expensive option, they were very flexible with their pricing and lowered their price to below what Alsok had offered us in a competing bid. Also, their dispatch center was located very close to our home and they would theoretically be able to be at our door within 5 minutes.
    Secom also has an English sales team that I e-mailed with before we had them in to our home to make a security plan/estimate.
    We pay just under 5,000 yen on a 5-year obligation for our security, and that is all inclusive, including the rental of the devices and any visits they make to your house.
    One other perk of using Secom is that they keep copies of your house key on file, and should you lose or forget your key, you can call them and have them drive a key over for you. This is something that they told us when we signed up and I have personally done when I left my keys behind at work.
    If it makes sense for your situation, you should consider it for the peace of mind. We have used Secom for more than 5 years now and we will keep it for the foreseeable future.

15. If you want real home security, this is when you invite your in-laws to live with you. If it’s a geriatric community they’ll fit in perfectly and the local gossip network will keep everyone safe.

16. I ordered a Ring security system from America. On Amazon japan you can get the doorbell and the indoor camera. I can control and see everything from my phone.