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Personal safety: As a general rule Okazaki is pretty safe. This is a relative term though - yes it is safe relative to Tokyo, just as Tokyo is safe relative to many large cities around the world. Although it is a safe city, there are certain precautions that the local police advise.
Women - particularly when walking at night, it is worth staying on well lit major roads and/or in groups wherever possible. When driving keep doors locked. When riding bicycles, especially if you have just left a bank, do not put your handbag in the basket - there have been several "grab and run" motorcycle thieves. At night when walking it is advised to carry a small torch. If you are living alone lock your door. When looking for apartments/accommodation with a balcony, most Japanese women prefer an apartment that is not at ground level.
The rate of violent crime including rape is extremely low, though part of this may be due to under-reporting. At some stage or other there is the possibility of sexual harassment. Okazaki's public transport is not crowded, and reports of Tokyo style "roving hand" incidents don't seem to exist. Verbal harassment (particularly from drunks) can be a problem sometimes. If it is going to happen, it is most likely to be near the izakaya bars near Meitetsu Higashi Okazaki and JR Okazaki stations, and (ironically) the cluster of "mizushobai" establishments near the main Police Station. For the most part the drunks are harmless, but it's best to move away.
There is a small gay and lesbian community, and bars such as "Pink Panther" provide a local meeting point (location: http://www.yamasa.cc/members/ocjs/Map.nsf/MapMain?OpenForm&21). Nagoya is also fairly close by and there is a growing internet community. As a general rule Okazaki is a fairly tolerant and broad minded place, but some residents may take exception to overt displays of affection in public.
Apart from being a public nuisance on the roads and at some festivals, the small motorcycle gangs etc pose little danger. Although they are frequently breaking road and noise rules and pose a traffic safety risk, the police appear to take no apparent action. It's best to do what the Japanese public does and just ignore them.
While Okazaki is basically a car town with wide major roads, many of the minor streets, particularly those through residential areas are narrow with poor visibility around corners. The most common form of traffic accident for foreigners in Okazaki involve bicycles.
The safety of food (both in restaurants, stalls at festivals etc) is of a high standard and safe. The tap water is safe to drink and does not need to be boiled before consumption, any discoloration in your water is mostly like due to the pipes in your building. Some residents prefer to drink bottled or filtered water due to the taste of the local water (which while not exactly evian tastes a lot better than say, tap water in Osaka).
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