Japanese Crime

[megabn]

Things seem to be going to hell in a hand basket here in Japan recently.

There was that shooting of the Mayor in Nagasaki.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=agcE9hhlalHc&refer=japan

Then a gangster in Machida shot another gangster in the same week.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704230056.html

A couple left their baby in a motorbike compartment while they went to play pachinko, the baby suffocated, and they threw it away.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6641446,00.html

A 17 year old boy severed his mothers head, then took it to an internet cafe before turning himself into the police.
http://english.people.com.cn/200705/17/eng20070517_375411.html

In Kofu, a mutilated cat was dumped at a nursery.
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070505p2a00m0na007000c.html

Work related suicides are up 52%
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070517p2a00m0na013000c.html

And there was the foreign teacher who was found dead in a bath tub full of sand. The guy who killed her is still missing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/6660033.stm

And now at this very moment an ex-gangster is holding his wife hostage after shooting his son, daughter, and some police.
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070517p2a00m0na022000c.html

For a country where guns are illegal, there sure have been a lot of violent crimes recently. In fact, there have been 28 shootings already this year, double last year.

So what's the deal with Japan these days? My kids think America is the scariest place in the world, but I just don't know. I'd need more information I think.