With many people worried about becoming the country's next crime statistic, the demand for advanced home- and personal-security products is on the rise.

Nihon Lock Service stickers
Nihon Lock Service's Hairenu Mado-yo
Nihon Lock Service's Kokaku Door Viewer
Atozoom Inc.'s Modokli
Delcatec's Oto-no Hyakutoban
Nicchu Seisakusho's Bohanjo exterior bolt
Noatek's Goyojin

Stores have been quick to cater to this growing market, stocking an ever-increasing range of high-tech locks, alarms and surveillance devices. In March, Takashimaya department store in Nihonbashi opened a home-security section: One of its best-selling products is the Mul-T-Lock Cylinder (28,000 yen), an advanced dimple-type lock cylinder (see story below). The product is from Israel, whose high crimes rates, according to the importer, have resulted in the country's manufacturers developing the world's most advanced lock technology.

"Japanese people tend to use the same lock for years, and when they lose a key, spares can be easily made. This is really dangerous," says Hiroshi Kawaguchi of Japan Best Rescue System, the company that imports the Israeli lock. "For this product, each lock has a registered number, so users have to call us and tell us the number to get replacements made."

Takashimaya also carries a range of simple-to-install door and window locks for beefing up home security. One such lock, Nicchu Seisakusho's Bohanjo exterior bolt (5,000 yen, photo 1), is easily fitted onto a door frame with adjustable clamps.

At the Shibuya branch of DIY store Tokyu Hands, which opened a security-product section last November, recommended locks include Goal Co.'s V-18 (10,500 yen) and Alpha Corp.'s FB Lock (12,000 yen), both dimple-key locks. Less expensive dimple key locks include Kaken Hanbai Corp.'s IB Cylinder (4,080 yen) and KX3 (7,800 yen). All of the above products come with five keys.

Locks provide a physical barrier, but a number of other products work on the principle of psychological deterrence. Takashimaya carries Atozoom Inc.'s Modokii (780 yen, photo 6), a false, though hefty-looking door lock whose name is a play on the Japanese word modoki, which means "imitation," and the English word "key." The Modokii is simply stuck on a door with adhesive above the regular lock to give picklocks reason to move on.

The department store also stocks stickers touting round-the-clock security (photo 2), false surveillance cameras and a life-size doll designed to be placed behind a window to give the impression that the "man of the house" is at home.

Tokyu Hands, meanwhile, sells a range of sensor lights designed to deter intruders that switch on automatically when movement is detected. Proto Co.'s Sepa Light Set (9,980 yen) has a 150-watt halogen lamp that can be programmed to stay on for between five seconds and 10 minutes once it is activated.

Windows are another entry route for burglars, and a number of products have been developed to make them less vulnerable to break-ins. Tokyu Hands carries Nihon Lock Service's Hairenu Mado-yo (1,800 yen, photo 4), an easy-to-install lock for sliding windows; it can also be used to fix a window in position when slightly open, allowing for ventilation and peace of mind. Takashimaya sells Delcatec's Glass Guard (2,400 yen), a small alarm that attaches to a window with self-adhesive and activates if it detects vibration or breakage.

A cheap alternative to high-tech surveillance cameras is Nihon Lock Service's Kokaku Door Viewer (1,800 yen, photo 7), an improvement on the peephole installed in most front doors. It offers a much wider field of vision than regular peepholes, and takes only a few minutes to install.

A number of products are targeted at people who want to feel more secure about their immediate environment, particularly those concerned about stalkers or the plague of peeping Toms reportedly using hidden cameras and bugs to monitor restrooms and locker rooms. Takashimaya's selection includes Noatek's Goyojin (4,900 yen, photo 3), which blinks and emits a beeping sound when it detects radio waves from hidden microphones and cameras and, Delcatec's Oto-no Hyakutoban (1,200 yen, photo 5), a portable alarm designed to prevent mugging and attract help in emergency situations. It is easily activated by pressing a button or pulling a cord, and can also be fixed to a doorknob to sound a warning if the lock is picked and the door opened.