Japan's crime wave - is it Miwa's fault?

[greyman]

Here goes a controvversial one. As you know, I've been looking around for a key for a Miwa wafer lock. I haven't got one yet, but I did find some interesting info about what's been happening in Japan in the last 5 years, mostly off google with the language translator turned on.

It seems like since about 2000 the incidence of burlargies has gone through the roof in Japan, previously one of the world's safest countries (land of open doors). Now Miwa has about 70% market penetration in Japan, especially residential and commercial. Other players are Showa and Goal, both of whose locks could not be called security locks. Thieves have found a number of ways around these locks, both by picking and by destructuve entry - like drilling the door to access the thumb turn.

The point I would like to make is Miwa is now blaming the increase on crime on foreign gangs (read "Chinese"). However the figures don't add up as they account for such a small percentage of the population and are reasonably well off. What I reckon is Miwa is covering its own bum for supplying millions of lock sets and cylinders that have serious security flaws (the Miwa wafer lock is from 1955).

What do people reckon? Is it triads ot just Miwa's own product that has led to this situation? It is convenient for Miwa to blame foreigners for the problem, since guess who stands to benefit from people upgrading their locks...

Refs:

http://www.miwa-lock.co.jp/en/corp/corporation.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0XPQ/is_2000_Dec_11/ai_68163430
http://www.debito.org/japantimes100402.html

[digital_blue]

The only MIWA locks I've ever seen could hardly be counted a poor security. I imagine there's a whole lot of MIWA locks I've never seen, and maybe they're bunk, but from my own experiences with MIWA, I'd rather have that on my door than ANY standard (non-high-security) North American pin tumbler lock.

db

[keysman]

I used to work for the the company that ownes Miwa USA, I am sure that a company the size of Miwa , has locks that are not exported,
but the locks I am familiar with were anything but "low securtity".

I have a catalog ( USA) of Miwa locks and parts .. there is no cheep wafer locks shown. ( I checked when you orginally posted looking for a key)

Miwa may have made a statement to get their name in the news remember ther is no such thing as BAD publicity.

[greyman]

Miwa exports mainly electronic (card) locks from what I can tell. The mechanical ones that people seem to know about outside Japan are the higher security ones like the two different magnetic types (one with pin tumblers as well as magnets). These are NOT the locks that people tend to use in Japan. There is a 10-wafer and a later model that are (I believe) exclusive to Japan or maybe also to S. E. Asia. The 10-wafer lock is very much like a tarted-up Schlage wafer lock even in the look of the key. This is the type that thieves have been finding it easy to pick. Have a look at
http://www.kansai.ne.jp/tomatohm/z_piking/new_page_94.htm

cheers
greyman

[Jimmie]

Hello Greyman !

seen the lock pics on the site ... (I don't read Japanese) ... it seems these locks are easy to pick and to break out ...

one key looks exactly like a SCHLAGE

the lock in the handle is not longer in large use today because of its mechanical security flaws

The only MIWA lock I know over here is the magnetic one which was sold some years ago in Europe ...

if I remember well these locks were used on luggage lockers in train stations and airports in Fr

[greyman]

Greetings Jimmie

I don't read Japanese either. The way I figured out what these pages were about was to google search - it offers you a translation option, which although it is crap (one word at a time, no context), is still enough to just figure out what is going on. There's been quite a bit of hype in Japan over the flaws in the Miwa/Showa/Goal product range, and possibly because they don't use solid doors (easy to drill and reach the important bits). Miwa has been using the "foreign gang" line to secure more business, when what they ought to be doing is offering to fix the security flaws in their products. Fat chance of that happening after you've sold 50 million locks or more.

Check this out:

The thumb turn lock is so easy to defeat they had to warn people about it with a newspaper article linking to security/police sites:

http://www.kansai.ne.jp/tomatohm/Acrobat/030406kamu.pdf

Most of the interesting stuff is here (tell me if you can figure it out - I had a pretty hard time due to the poor translation):

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.kansai.ne.jp/tomatohm/z_piking/new_page_35.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmiwa%2Block%26start%3D190%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Miwa's "U9" cylinder seems like a clone of the Ingersoll lock. I had a trawl through some of Miwa's patents last night. Again it's all in Japanese with no obvious cross references to the fact that it's mostly been done before. One of the new Miwa's is a dimple with moving elements in the key - but internally it's still Ingersoll. Pictures of some of the newer stuff here:

http://66.249.93.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://www.jusri.or.jp/no10/repair/index03.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmiwa%2Block%26start%3D190%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

This link is a bit sus, go to it from the other page where it says "As for description of picking here http://www.jusri.or.jp/no10/repair/index03.html"

[raimundo]

japan had a homogenous population, a conformist culture, and a good economy which employed everyone, therefore no one needed anything more than cheap wafer locks and theft was not a problem. Now however, there is a cultural difference between generations, the economy isn't what it used to be and trickle down economics works better when people drill holes in the bucket. Its the economy America has a heterogenous populationandculture, and a theory of economic pressure on the poor, (thats why we have 11 million mexicans working here, to keep americans unemployed to lower wages) all organized systems tend toward chaos.

[n2oah]

Sorry for being off topic, but does anyone know where I can get a Miwa 3800 (also called EX or RX) lock rekeyed?

[greyman]

I'd be amazed if anyone is still servicing these. Isn't that the type with 4 magnetic tumblers and 4 pin tumblers? If so, I believe you may are out of luck, at least in Europe. It may be a different story in Japan however.

[n2oah]

I'd be amazed if anyone is still servicing these. Isn't that the type with 4 magnetic tumblers and 4 pin tumblers? If so, I believe you may are out of luck, at least in Europe. It may be a different story in Japan however.

8 magnetic sidebar-like tumblers and 4 pin tumblers. I did an extensive google search last night and emailed 4 Miwa dealers.

[J.Bargs]

They have doors that aren't solid? I 'm surpirsed the theif doenst just break in the door like here in the U.S.... I mean, they are already drilling a hole through the door, so it's not like they don't want someone to know they were there and they wouldn't care about property damage anyway, so why all the trouble with the drill when a strong kick will do just fine?

[greyman]

Don't quote me on this - I don't live in Japan...
I'm sure that well off places have solid doors but the large appartment blocks might not, I mean in the past there was such a low crime rate that it wouldn't have been necessary. Even if you could kick the door in, would you? given that it makes a lot more noise and might not work... Using a drill in the manner specified to operate the thumb turn is quick and during the day, when people are out at work and there are tradesmen around, the sound of a drill would not be suspicious.

[n2oah]

Drilling through the door is an interesting way of gaining entry. I've never heard of it before.

[raimundo]

Drilling the door is a varient of breaking the little window, for a reacharound. apparently in japan, they don't have those little "in case of burglar, break glass" holes provided.

[FancyL]

Hey. I'm new!

I live in Japan, and I can tell you that MIWA locks are pretty common. I don't know the first thing about lockpicking or locks, but the locks on every door of my apartment building are MIWA. My key has ridges on both sides, that's about all I know.

I don't think the commonness of the lock has anything to do with the raising crime rate, people are just changing. So is the economy.


Oh, and people don't have paper doors as a front door. My front door is made of metal, nobody's gonna be drilling that.


While I'm talking about it... Is it possible to bump these kind of locks?


You can see a picture of it at hxxp://www.mediapress-net.com/mpnsearch ... 1/U9CY.JPG

and
hxxp://www.mediapress-net.com/DATA/MIW0 ... 013180.JPG

I hope i'm not breaking any site rules by posting those links.