What are areas to stay away from in Japan?

Most areas in Japan are safe.

If you don't like "10 year ago" thing, you just check information on Internet, not on brochure. Information on Internet is updated very often.

If you use common sense, most all of Japan will be safe. Don't wander around by yourself at midnight....Didn't Marvin tell us just yesterday he was moving back to Japan ? Make up your mind Marvin ! Maybe you can try Mexico ?

The only place I didn't enjoy at all while in Tokyo was Roppongi (around the Almond Cafe corner). It's not the local Japanese people that gave me a bad vibe (local Japanese usually just go on to their own stuff and don't bother you unless you're asking them for directions, which many will be friendly and helpful), but foreigners who live in Japan. A lot of them were harassing pedestrians, especially when they know you're a tourist and/or you're not Japanese.

In regards to yakuza, unless you go and annoy them, they won't bother you either. They are an organized crime group, not a bunch of bullies running around town. Of all the times I've been to Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, etc), daytime or night I've not seen any yakuza causing trouble on the streets.

You might want to avoid the entertainment districts in the wee hours of the day, as that's when most drunks go home. They mean no harm, but just be careful.

The whole country if you're Black.

You might not want to walk around club areas alone late at night if you're a woman (goes without saying, and is pretty much the same anywhere you go). Stay away from yakuza, and don't go to Pizzeria Torreze in Shinsaibashi of Osaka, Japan.

I didn't say that I was moving back; I only wanted to know if the possibility still existed...

I'm not going to mexico. I practically live there anyway here in SoCal.