OSAKA — In Japan, residents normally assume they can go about their daily lives — riding the train, going to work or visiting a doctor — without worrying about their basic safety. Crime of all varieties is relatively rare, and the murder rate is among the lowest in the world. But for the third time in less than two months, a suspected arson attack has shaken the country’s sense of security. At least 24 people died after a fire on Friday that burned through a psychiatric clinic in a busy office building in Osaka, the largest city in western Japan. Twenty-eight people were taken to the hospital, and three were in critical condition on Friday night.

Source: New York Times December 17, 2021 13:42 UTC