This Country Was Just Named the Safest Place to Travel in Asia in 2025

Here's why Japan belongs on your must-see list.

By Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca

Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, and many more. You'll usually find her in an airport. If you do see her there, please say hello. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on January 13, 2025

Close Visitors walking around the Fushimi Inari Shrine or Thousand Torii Gates in Kyoto. Photo:

Courtesy of Andrew Crosby 

If “travel more” is on your 2025 resolution list, then first, let us say we’re thrilled for you. The world is a beautiful place, and we can’t wait for you to see and do it all. And if you’re nervous to get out there and visit new places, that’s OK too. In fact, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has a few ideas for destinations that will totally put your fears at ease. 

In October, the company released its annual report showcasing the “safest” countries. To find out which countries made it to the top of the list, the team used its annual survey, which it has been using to collect data since 2016, from American travelers to understand their “attitudes toward travel safety.” In the survey, the team asks travelers where they’ve been in the last five years and to rate those spots on their perceived safety. It then adds more data to those ratings, including information via the Global Peace Index and Numbeo and an average of the GeoSure Global scores of the major cities in each country. Finally, it gave each destination a weighted total for its ranking.

After looking at the data, it named Japan the No. 1 safest destination in Asia — and the ninth safest country worldwide.

The Best, Worst, and Most Affordable Times to Visit Japan

"The country is the exception to the rule that only sparsely populated countries are safe," the team wrote. "The country is in the top 50 for population density and has the world’s 12th-lowest homicide rate." 

According to the findings, Japan moved up in the rankings, pushing upward from its 12th-place spot in the 2024 list. “If anything, Japan has become safer in the last few years. More people speak English, so they can help you if you get lost or need help with navigating," it added.

The only thing you may need to watch out for, according to the team, is if you want to bring along your medical marijuana. The team wrote, "According to the State Department, the Japanese government does not discriminate between medical and recreational marijuana. Having either can result in a long jail sentence and a fine." But other than that, you'll have a great time. 

Other nations that joined Japan on the list are Iceland at the top spot, followed by Australia, Canada, Ireland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Germany, and Norway, with Denmark following Japan and rounding out the top 10.

See the full list of the safest nations, according to its survey, at bhtp.com.