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I wonder if there are unexpected crimes that a foreigner would commit in Japan that would land her/him in jail. Things like disposing of plastic bottles in the

by dsign 7y ago

I wonder if there are unexpected crimes that a foreigner would commit in Japan that would land her/him in jail. Things like disposing of plastic bottles in the wrong bin (a hopefully absurd example) ...

lkramer 7y ago
From what I've heard, the most common unexpected ones are violations of conditions for staying (overstaying visas, that kind of stuff) or stuff like this: https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/4732269/all https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/4732269/all
- tehlike 7y ago
  I'm particularly surprised by all the comments.
  - pteraspidomorph 7y ago
    One of the things that people have a really wrong idea about in the US is the notion that foreigners are nice. Some of us pretend we're nice while you're a tourist spending money in our countries. It's americans who are among the nicest people I've met. You suck at politics, but you're nice. Even your tourists aren't as bad as people say.
tasogare 7y ago
For really trivial things you may just be told to do it properly next time (for instance not using light on bike at night). The main danger is probably difference of appreciation in the two cultures and legal systems: fight and moreover drugs are big no-no in Japan while they are almost normal in the West.
- seanmcdirmid 7y ago
  I’m not sure if drugs are so un-normal in Japan. Walking around Osaka at night, I was offered drugs multiple times by I guess either African drug dealers? That has never happened to me in NYC or LA.
  - 4a-ge 7y ago
    I just wanted to chime in with my experience visiting NYC in the past year; I have had several people approach at night to offer drugs in various locals.
    - meddlepal 7y ago
      I'm always amazed by comments like this... I've traveled to cities all over the US, wandered around streets late at night, hung out in seedy bars, and generally look pretty scruffy and never once has anyone offered me drugs. Maybe they think I'm a narc.
      - vorpalhex 7y ago
        Another anecdote here, but I've had the opposite experience and have had people make offers ranging from extremely sketchy folks in back alleys to someone selling edibles out in the open at a nicely decorated table (but still illegally). Life is weird sometimes.
      - gregwtmtno 7y ago
        It's the opposite. If you're being offered "drugs" by people on the street, it's because you look like a mark.
      - iamatworknow 7y ago
        Or maybe you just didn't notice. I've been offered drugs in New York City a ton of times, even in places like right next to Times Square which are swarming with cops 24/7. The guys in busy places are especially slick about it. They walk by without stoping and more or less whisper in your direction "weed, coke, got what you need" or something like that and just keep moving. The first couple times that happened to me I was legitimately confused, because I didn't think they'd be broadcasting it so openly like that.
        seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        In Osaka they aren’t even slick about it though. I mean, I guess they know I’m not police because I’m a foreigner, but otherwise...really?
Hitton 7y ago
When you are a foreigner in Japan, you can end up in a jail for doing literally nothing wrong[0]. I know of another similar case where a person had to spend time in jail for accidentally "shoplifting" when in a mall they picked a thing to buy, they didn't realize they have to pay on same floor and wanted to pay at the ground floor (there was no visible separation or anything which would indicate how it's supposed to be to person who is not a local). They didn't even put the item in any bag, just was holding it on the hand and after getting of the stairs at the floor bellow, security stopped them, then police was called, no one spoke English there... at the end I think they spent 3 days in jails until the stupid misunderstanding was sorted. Japanese justice system would be absolutely ridiculous if it wasn't so sad[1]. [0]: https://nymag.com/vindicated/2016/11/truth-lies-and-videotape-at-the-kawasaki-kmart.html https://nymag.com/vindicated/2016/11/truth-lies-and-videotap... [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpz1WMsm9W4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpz1WMsm9W4

by dsign 7y ago

lkramer 7y ago

From what I've heard, the most common unexpected ones are violations of conditions for staying (overstaying visas, that kind of stuff) or stuff like this: https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/4732269/all https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/4732269/all

tehlike 7y ago
I'm particularly surprised by all the comments.
- pteraspidomorph 7y ago
  One of the things that people have a really wrong idea about in the US is the notion that foreigners are nice. Some of us pretend we're nice while you're a tourist spending money in our countries. It's americans who are among the nicest people I've met. You suck at politics, but you're nice. Even your tourists aren't as bad as people say.

tasogare 7y ago

For really trivial things you may just be told to do it properly next time (for instance not using light on bike at night). The main danger is probably difference of appreciation in the two cultures and legal systems: fight and moreover drugs are big no-no in Japan while they are almost normal in the West.

seanmcdirmid 7y ago
I’m not sure if drugs are so un-normal in Japan. Walking around Osaka at night, I was offered drugs multiple times by I guess either African drug dealers? That has never happened to me in NYC or LA.
- 4a-ge 7y ago
  I just wanted to chime in with my experience visiting NYC in the past year; I have had several people approach at night to offer drugs in various locals.
  - meddlepal 7y ago
    I'm always amazed by comments like this... I've traveled to cities all over the US, wandered around streets late at night, hung out in seedy bars, and generally look pretty scruffy and never once has anyone offered me drugs. Maybe they think I'm a narc.
    - vorpalhex 7y ago
      Another anecdote here, but I've had the opposite experience and have had people make offers ranging from extremely sketchy folks in back alleys to someone selling edibles out in the open at a nicely decorated table (but still illegally). Life is weird sometimes.
    - gregwtmtno 7y ago
      It's the opposite. If you're being offered "drugs" by people on the street, it's because you look like a mark.
    - iamatworknow 7y ago
      Or maybe you just didn't notice. I've been offered drugs in New York City a ton of times, even in places like right next to Times Square which are swarming with cops 24/7. The guys in busy places are especially slick about it. They walk by without stoping and more or less whisper in your direction "weed, coke, got what you need" or something like that and just keep moving. The first couple times that happened to me I was legitimately confused, because I didn't think they'd be broadcasting it so openly like that.
      - seanmcdirmid 7y ago
        In Osaka they aren’t even slick about it though. I mean, I guess they know I’m not police because I’m a foreigner, but otherwise...really?

Hitton 7y ago

When you are a foreigner in Japan, you can end up in a jail for doing literally nothing wrong[0]. I know of another similar case where a person had to spend time in jail for accidentally "shoplifting" when in a mall they picked a thing to buy, they didn't realize they have to pay on same floor and wanted to pay at the ground floor (there was no visible separation or anything which would indicate how it's supposed to be to person who is not a local). They didn't even put the item in any bag, just was holding it on the hand and after getting of the stairs at the floor bellow, security stopped them, then police was called, no one spoke English there... at the end I think they spent 3 days in jails until the stupid misunderstanding was sorted. Japanese justice system would be absolutely ridiculous if it wasn't so sad[1]. [0]: https://nymag.com/vindicated/2016/11/truth-lies-and-videotape-at-the-kawasaki-kmart.html https://nymag.com/vindicated/2016/11/truth-lies-and-videotap... [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpz1WMsm9W4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpz1WMsm9W4