Safety center
Checklists for meeting up, renting, trading and job hunting.
Work through the checklists below. If something feels off, stop, take screenshots, and report and block the person in the app. If you're in danger, call 110 (police) or 119 (ambulance and fire) first.
Meeting someone for the first time
Pick a public place
Meet somewhere busy, like near a station or in a café. Don't go to the other person's home.
Tell someone you trust
Send a friend or family member the time, the place and the person's profile.
Plan your way home
Leave when you decide to, and don't drink anything that's been out of your sight.
Renting
See it before you pay
Don't transfer large sums before you've seen the room and signed a contract.
Check move-in costs
Ask about rent, management fees, key money, deposit, agency fee and guarantor company costs.
Be wary of bargains
If a place is far cheaper than others nearby and you're being rushed to pay, ask more questions, and report it if needed.
Buying and selling secondhand
Inspect in person
See and try valuable items before you pay.
No deposits up front
Don't send a large deposit to a seller you haven't met.
Hand over in public
Meet somewhere busy, like near a station.
Job hunting
Never pay a deposit
If a job asks you to pay a hiring deposit, training fee or guarantee first, walk away.
The original text counts
Go by the employer's own site and the original Japanese, and apply for official listings on the employer's site.
Watch your hours
Students' working hours are capped (usually at 28 hours a week); your permission to work outside your status is what counts. The hour labels on jobs help you filter first.
Report these
Harassment and threats
Repeated unwanted contact, insults, threats or content that makes you uncomfortable.
Scams
Pressure to pay first, pay a deposit or buy gift cards, or someone posing as an official and asking for your ID.
Impersonation
Pretending to be another person, a business or an official body.
Paid companionship and adult services
Using meetups or messages to sell paid companionship or adult services. Machi is not a dating app.
Moving you off Machi
Pushing you to switch to outside contacts or to pay off the platform.
Emergencies
110 · Police
Crime, stalking or threats to your safety.
119 · Ambulance & fire
Injuries, sudden illness or fire.
Report once you're safe
Report in the app with screenshots so we can act. Machi is not an emergency service.