4 ms·

Current resident of Tokyo. Can be a little scary when getting randomly searched. I could argue, but my Japanese is intermediate and the police are always right.

Current resident of Tokyo. Can be a little scary when getting randomly searched. I could argue, but my Japanese is intermediate and the police are always right. A youtuber interviewed a trial lawyer [1] last year and I thought it was really good. I wasn't aware that the holding days could be extended for each crime that you "commit." There's an entire scheme to this: 3 days - initial detainment 10 days - judge determines whether you can be charged or not 10 days - possible extension. If you commit two crimes, that could be up to 46 days in detainment. Basically, don't come to Japan and do anything questionable and everything should be fine. In the unlikely event you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, you should know how to wield Japanese well to try to get yourself out of it. On the other hand, I watched an interaction between a couple of foriegners and the police one day. They were drinking in the park one day (legal and common) and the police were called on them for unknown reasons. After the police arrived, they basically told the police to go away for an hour and refused to show their resident's card (both also legal). Backups and backups of backups were called and eventually they dispersed. I think this is a good example of how there is a lot of restraint with regards to police here. I believe in most other countries jail would have been imminent out of disrespect. The thing about Japan is that once you're caught up in the system, it has no mercy. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1ZLGqL1FMo&vl=en https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1ZLGqL1FMo&vl=en

fiblye 7y ago
>refused to show their resident's card (both also legal) Do you mean legal residents, or not showing their ID is legal? Because if police ask for a foreigner's resident card, they have to present it. [1, Q41] [1] http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/en/q-and-a_page2.html http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/en/q-and-a_page2.html
- olingern 7y ago
  You are required to show your card to police when they suspect there is a crime. You can refuse by asking if there is a reason to believe there was a crime and if this is a "professional inquiry" If yes, they must provide the reason. [1] At that point, you may have to show them your card depending on the circumstances. They may leave you alone, however. My experience: I was once taking photos in a dark alley for some cyberpunk type shots around 9 p.m. I was approached by two officers who asked, "What are you doing here?" Kind of a trick question, because then they said, "Oh, you speak Japanese. Do you have your resident's card?" I complied here because of the optics. After complying to show my card, my bag and me were fully searched which I was not okay with. After that I experience, I became well acquainted with my rights because, at that time, I did know them well. 1 - https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2014/04/02/issues/rights-can-protect-against-fake-cops/#.XiQyMmaRVhE https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2014/04/02/issues/rig... [1]'s source / reference: http://www.debito.org/shokumushitsumon.html http://www.debito.org/shokumushitsumon.html
  - jki275 7y ago
    As a gaijin in Japan, you have exactly the rights the police officer wishes to afford you and no more. Police have almost unlimited power in Japan, and gaijin have no rights at all. Japanese citizens have some, but in general will not exercise them due to their cultural upbringing.
jamestnz 7y ago
Interesting comment. > I believe in most other countries jail would have been imminent out of disrespect. Is this part accurate? In the (admittedly few) countries where I have spent a lot of time and have gained any real experience dealing with the police, they have proven to have a relatively genial and pro-community outlook, aiming more to help people and prevent harm, rather than browbeating and abusing people. My impression is that the so-called offence of "contempt of cop" (i.e. being arrested for being a smart-ass or upsetting a cop's feelings, rather than any genuine breach of the law or peace) is a bit of a North American phenomenon, but no doubt my perception is being affected by sampling bias there, having been exposed to American media etc. In my (non-American) experience, you must push things incredibly far to get anything more than a sarcastic laugh or eye-roll or "move along, mate" from a cop.
- ur-whale 7y ago
  >My impression is that the so-called offence of "contempt of cop" (i.e. being arrested for being a smart-ass or upsetting a cop's feelings, rather than any genuine breach of the law or peace) is a bit of a North American phenomenon correlates with my experience as well.
- olingern 7y ago
  I come from small town America and NYC, so I'm jaded. There are a lot of good cops out there who set out with good intentions, but I believe their training is inadequate. In my experience, they do not act as stewards of a community, but rather someone with power who is to be feared. In regards to my comment of "most other countries," I believe 'most' could be changed to 'many'
  - ryanlol 7y ago
    Will training really turn assholes into stewards of a community?
    - kekebo 7y ago
      It may alleviate some performance anxiety in a high pressure job with huge responsibilities, but is up against a range of management decisions like quota based policing and other systematic factors influencing policing away from stewardship in a community. Trying to reduce it to a single factor may be simplistic given the complexity of the problem.
watwut 7y ago
> I believe in most other countries jail would have been imminent out of disrespect. I live in a place where cops are no angels, but no, they won't kick you out of park without being able to state reason. That example is not restraint of cop, that is abuse of power by cops example. And possibly not first attempt to prevent them what people of different race can do which is possibly why they did not cooperated at first.
Waterluvian 7y ago
> Basically, don't come to Japan and do anything questionable and everything should be fine. This logic could be used for any country, no? It doesn't exactly absolve Japan of their screwed up legal system.

fiblye 7y ago

>refused to show their resident's card (both also legal) Do you mean legal residents, or not showing their ID is legal? Because if police ask for a foreigner's resident card, they have to present it. [1, Q41] [1] http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/en/q-and-a_page2.html http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/en/q-and-a_page2.html

olingern 7y ago
You are required to show your card to police when they suspect there is a crime. You can refuse by asking if there is a reason to believe there was a crime and if this is a "professional inquiry" If yes, they must provide the reason. [1] At that point, you may have to show them your card depending on the circumstances. They may leave you alone, however. My experience: I was once taking photos in a dark alley for some cyberpunk type shots around 9 p.m. I was approached by two officers who asked, "What are you doing here?" Kind of a trick question, because then they said, "Oh, you speak Japanese. Do you have your resident's card?" I complied here because of the optics. After complying to show my card, my bag and me were fully searched which I was not okay with. After that I experience, I became well acquainted with my rights because, at that time, I did know them well. 1 - https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2014/04/02/issues/rights-can-protect-against-fake-cops/#.XiQyMmaRVhE https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2014/04/02/issues/rig... [1]'s source / reference: http://www.debito.org/shokumushitsumon.html http://www.debito.org/shokumushitsumon.html
- jki275 7y ago
  As a gaijin in Japan, you have exactly the rights the police officer wishes to afford you and no more. Police have almost unlimited power in Japan, and gaijin have no rights at all. Japanese citizens have some, but in general will not exercise them due to their cultural upbringing.

jamestnz 7y ago

Interesting comment. > I believe in most other countries jail would have been imminent out of disrespect. Is this part accurate? In the (admittedly few) countries where I have spent a lot of time and have gained any real experience dealing with the police, they have proven to have a relatively genial and pro-community outlook, aiming more to help people and prevent harm, rather than browbeating and abusing people. My impression is that the so-called offence of "contempt of cop" (i.e. being arrested for being a smart-ass or upsetting a cop's feelings, rather than any genuine breach of the law or peace) is a bit of a North American phenomenon, but no doubt my perception is being affected by sampling bias there, having been exposed to American media etc. In my (non-American) experience, you must push things incredibly far to get anything more than a sarcastic laugh or eye-roll or "move along, mate" from a cop.

ur-whale 7y ago
>My impression is that the so-called offence of "contempt of cop" (i.e. being arrested for being a smart-ass or upsetting a cop's feelings, rather than any genuine breach of the law or peace) is a bit of a North American phenomenon correlates with my experience as well.
olingern 7y ago
I come from small town America and NYC, so I'm jaded. There are a lot of good cops out there who set out with good intentions, but I believe their training is inadequate. In my experience, they do not act as stewards of a community, but rather someone with power who is to be feared. In regards to my comment of "most other countries," I believe 'most' could be changed to 'many'
- ryanlol 7y ago
  Will training really turn assholes into stewards of a community?
  - kekebo 7y ago
    It may alleviate some performance anxiety in a high pressure job with huge responsibilities, but is up against a range of management decisions like quota based policing and other systematic factors influencing policing away from stewardship in a community. Trying to reduce it to a single factor may be simplistic given the complexity of the problem.

watwut 7y ago

> I believe in most other countries jail would have been imminent out of disrespect. I live in a place where cops are no angels, but no, they won't kick you out of park without being able to state reason. That example is not restraint of cop, that is abuse of power by cops example. And possibly not first attempt to prevent them what people of different race can do which is possibly why they did not cooperated at first.

Waterluvian 7y ago

> Basically, don't come to Japan and do anything questionable and everything should be fine. This logic could be used for any country, no? It doesn't exactly absolve Japan of their screwed up legal system.