Could it be that these kids are literally being followed by adults with cameras on them at all times? Could it be that they're walking through cities where people don't drive ford f15,000s 30 mph over the speed limit?
No, it must be because japan is "homogenized" and makes pedo porn
In most of the US it's probably safer for kids to walk to and from school on their own now than it was in the eighties, but gen X was basically mentally scarred by the "where are your children now?" shit and the cultural will to go back hasn't materialized (I have read about parents who let their kids ride the bus getting CPS calls).