Almost ten years ago, we took knowledge on crime from a psychological perspective and compared it to our findings from Japan. There were many similarities in psychosocial factors for youth offending and violence. The major difference, however, was a higher level of violence among young Japanese males compared to that among young American males. Albeit with limitations (what research doesn’t have its limitations), this finding contrasted with the dominant research literature and stereotypes on Japan: namely that the country had low crime compared to Western industrialised countries, because its citizens were group-oriented and harmonious due to its collectivistculture, its social institutions were benevolent and organised, and its public spaces were spotless and efficient. Counter-narratives that questioned this particular account existed, and so we continued our investigation. Our research interest in Japan stemmed from narratives in the US on Asian-Americans. This population has lower offending rates than other American racial groups (Yoo et al. 2010). In addition, educational attainment and socio-economic status are comparatively high in this population. Because of these assets, Asian-Americans have been dubbed as ‘model minorities’.