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Support your local police

69 Comments

A police recruiting poster is seen at a subway station in Tokyo.

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I used to be a great supporter of the police and didn't believe gaijin who complained about them. Until I was asked to show my gaijin card and told I had to go to the police station because it was expired. Even though as a permanent resident living here for decades who didn't have to renew the card (i.e. get the new card) until next year. For some reason, even though I was completely co-operative, dressed well, softly spoken, I was told not to use a phone and it took 8 of them to do it.

Unbelievable. Photographed in the street. Two police cars and 8 policeman. It was so ridiculous that I thought I must have been on candid camera.

So, I'd like to support these guys, but I really don't have any respect for them anymore. All I can think is they really must have an easy job with nothing to do. And not one of them knew anything about the new card system.

So I repeat, if even the most yasashii, long-term foreigner who co-operated and chatted nicely needed so many of them and still took them an hour to realise he had done absolutely nothing wrong, maybe they need more than just support. How about complete retraining from zero.

I suppose I live in a nice area so there's no crime, and they decided to make it a training day?

38 ( +42 / -5 )

They need new bicycles with baseball cards in the spokes.

12 ( +17 / -5 )

What? No posters of police taking upskirt shots or sleeping in Kobans? How are they suppose to attacked more creepy jcops to their force?

10 ( +15 / -6 )

Not until they get serious about Yakuza-related crime I won't. They pretty much did as they pleased where I used to live.

8 ( +12 / -5 )

completely understand you Peacetrain, mote than untrained and arbitrary cops, always found ridiculously abnormal this fixation of the japanese citizens to "call the police". Wherever you go you can see the damn posters: if you park here (be it a car, a bicycle), we call the police! / anyone hanging around here after 22pm, we call the police! / if you see any "stranger" in the area, CALL THE POLICE right away! (不審者をみかけたらすぐ110を!) How ridiculous can be that? Since "不審者" doesn't means someone acting suspect, just someone who "doesn't belong" to an area, japanese folks think they HAVE to call the cops at the first sight of somebody they never saw in "their area". And as someone who's been called the cops 2 or 3 times, I lost total respect for the police in this place, the same who doesn't bother to chase the bousozoku, are the same who come in numbers to sniff the dangerous gaijin.

Nara, 9pm, google mapped a macdonalds nearby, find it closed, go next to the parking lot exit, take off my helmet and start googling another place to eat nearby. No more than 5 to 10 mins after 1 motorcycle, 1 undercover sedan and 2 policecars (where's the swat??) come to check what I were doing there. sigh. "you know, Nara is a very peaceful place, people tend to get frightened at anybody they don't know" they said. Got similar encounters in Osaka and Amagasaki too, for simply doing everyone around does, but inside their cars (checking their mobile phone, eating, taking a nap) Wonder if people in Kansai are that scary of motorcycles or they just have nothing better to do than calling the police "hey hurry!! there's someone I never saw before eating a donut in the parking lot of the konbini! bet he's planning something very very bad!"

19 ( +23 / -4 )

Why is Chubby at the back voguing?

And as a taxpayer who has been on the receiving end of the show-me-your-papers routine ("suspicious" activity: being white in possession of two bags of groceries), I'm with the posters above.

Until they show themselves anything other than systemically incompetent, racist buffoons - or raise a finger against the bosozoku hordes who have been roaring around my neighbourhood at all hours of the night - they can look to someone else for support.

7 ( +13 / -7 )

"THANKS! Just realized I need to renew mine as well"

If you're a PR you don't need to until 2015. But, I got mine the next day, just in case I get another super zealous cop who doesn't know the new rules. The excuse? "There isn't any "paipu" or communication between police, the city office and immigration.

Just lucky I wasn't on my way to work....

There were very nice guys though. I think they were just bored and wanted to chat to a gaijin?

Just glad my kids friends didn't see me getting photographed in the street.

But, everyone support your local police. They need help.

THunderbird, you have my sympathy. But I was just walking 20 meters from home!

Even when they asked my address and I said "It's just over there around the corner!", they wanted me to explain in words.

In the end I just felt sorry for them. If they couldn't confirm with a city office (took me 3 minutes later), but had to make all those phone calls and call for back up and pat me down, then they really just can't be that bright.

But like I said, really friendly. I really should support them....

And train them, and by the looks of some of them, PROTECT them too.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

For the sake of balance: How about a poster of a police forced confession.

Actually, I had little trouble with the police. Was asked twice for my Alien Card, the last time in the 1980s. Both times the cops were polite. As a comparison, I was stopped a number of times in my American college hometown for the crime of being a pedestrian by cops who were rude and stupid swine.

Not having trouble with cops depends a lot on where you live and who you are.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Sooooo serious! How people resist the urge to marker up their uptight mugs with some silly moustaches is beyond me.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The majority of them are just bored idiots who excelled in judo in H.S. If they really want a job and put themselves to use, they should have foreign exchange work program and send them to the streets of L.A. Skid row would show them an appreciation of working as a police officer. And maybe they would target foreigners less as well. I remember a friend of mine had the police called on him for talking to a girl in the drug store. she was nice looking and they chatted for a bit. all of a sudden two cops stormed into the store and were running around the store looking for someone. I thought there was a murder or something and the guy was hiding out in the store. To my astonishment they were looking for us. And they approached us and said 'nanmpa dame daiyo!.. shall we go to the police station and check your credentials?'.. those stupid idiots just have too much time on their hands and they need to be trained better.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

No support from here, the only time I needed their help with my racing bike stolen they were rude and extremely unhelpful until a Japanese older m8 of mine called and threatened em , didnt even want to take a statement. I personally will not lift a finger for a cop here

6 ( +9 / -3 )

I used to respect them, too until they also made a big fuss over nothing like they did to Peacetrain above.

I had a parking ticket put on my car. When I returned to my car and the cops noticed I was a gaijin and told me to walk to the station with them. Being escorted by two cops through a crowded sidewalk was embarrassing. They asked to see my international driver's license and spent about an hour talking amongst themselves and making a few phone calls. I spoke decent Japanese then, and when I asked them what was happening they kept telling me to sit back down on the sofa and said they were taking care of this.

I finally found out that they mistook July to mean June on my international license so they thought my license had expired even though it actually wouldn't for another 20 some days. Had they just talked to me instead of shooing me away to the sofa we could've had the problem sorted right away.

Their condescension was aggravating but what made it worse was they gave me my 20,000 yen parking ticket and never apologized for unnecessarily wasting an hour of my time.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Best is to just stay calm, courteous and cooperate to prevent things from escalating. Of course there are rare situations like @peacetrain upstairs. Ive been pulled over maybe twice, but never had any problems.

Also 1 bad apple doesn't mean all cops are bad. Sometimes people forget that I think.

0 ( +3 / -4 )

Ive actually never had a problem with my local police. Theyve always been really friendly and helpful. But then, I have boobs.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

@Nathalie

Me too, but it doesn't seem to help.

Maybe it's because I'm a bloke....

13 ( +16 / -3 )

they see me rollin'

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I've never had an encounter with the local police that was anything but polite and courteous. I've frequently asked them for directions and they've always been helpful. I've been stopped many times for random drink driving checkpoints and they've always been quick and apologetic. No complaints at all.

Of course, as soon as someone has a slightly negative encounter with a police person in Japan they tend to go all "ZOMG they are SOOO bad here!" Not sure why that is, would you think that way in your country of origin?

-6 ( +7 / -13 )

Police watch us, but who watches them?

6 ( +9 / -3 )

lucabrasi - bwa ha ha ha ha!!!

Pandabelle - of course! I would have a bad impression of the police anywhere where they were rude. I think it is true that the police in general are extremely overzealous with foreigners here. Its a fact. I havent experienced it myself but I totally believe others who have because I have seen it happening.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

NathalieB

Pandabelle - of course! I would have a bad impression of the police anywhere where they were rude.

You would have a bad impression of all police from a rude encounter with one police person? Seems excessive when there are thousands and thousands of police out there, don't you think?

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Where did I say with ONE police person? If I had repeated encounters with police and they were repeatedly rude then yes, I would have a bad impression.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@Peacetrain

I do not understand your complaint.

Your "gaijin" card had expired. (Let's give it a name with racist connotations instead of calling it what it really is, a foreigner's registration card)

Did you think the police would give you a wink and let you walk away? You had to go to a police station? Well, that just proves how racist/facist the police are here, right?

Please name a country where its perfectly fine for foreigners not to have their ID in order. Saunter off after exchanging high fives, perhaps?

You are lucky to not to have been incarcerated and/or deported. Try the same thing in Best Korea or any 3rd world nation.

Somehow this is all the fault of the police. After all, you were "nicely dressed and softly spoken". That makes it all okay I guess. Those dimwit, racist cops, they must be the worst in the world.

-18 ( +5 / -24 )

"Not having trouble with cops depends a lot on where you live and who you are."

I would have agreed with you until this year!

Like I said. I live in a nice area, in a nice house, married to Japanese, been here since the 80's, white guy, wearing nice clothes,

I was softly spoken, courteous the whole time. Never a word of English was spoken. And we chatted nicely the whole time in the police car on the way there and back.

Very friendly. But it didn't stop them thinking they needed 8 people and to photograph me on the street. Some of you say it's because you're a woman or where you are or where you look like.

I thought that too. I also thought because I'm completely co-operative and totally not "urusai" or talking about my rights that it would be different.

But it's the first and only time I've ever been asked for a gaijin card.

I'm not upset with them. Just bewildered and a little disappointed that they didn't think asking questions of the yakuza wouldn't be a more productive use of time.

They were all very nice. Just not very bright, and obviously not very busy.

Maybe the area I live in is too good, has too little crime and too few gaijin?

But I think I'm a pretty patient guy. I was thinking of keeping the card until next year and waiting for someone to ask and then make a fuss so I could then tell him to call the police chief who I now know in my area.

But because I want to support my local cops, I just went and got a new card. But at least i have another fun "you won't believe the things that happen in Japan" story!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

One phrase everybody should know when harassed (whoops I meant questioned) by police in Japan: "Ninyi desuka? Kyousei desuka?" (任意ですか?強制ですか?) This means, is this optional? Or compulsory? They need some cause for suspicion of a relation to some crime, so clarifying that the "questioning" and in most cases searching through your belongings is optional (and unrelated to any crime, or suspected relation to any crime) could potentially save a lot of time, not to mention avoiding the humiliation and harassment. Film the police while asking for their names, credentials, and police handbook. They don't like to be identified as or act like individuals. I personally had my fingerprints taken at a police station once for hitting a drunken chinpira who was spitting repeatedly on me, and I am officially in the police database for no reason other than not knowing (you will NEVER be told) that letting them take my fingerprints was optional. The case was subsequently dropped. I feel as if I had my personal information stolen from those who are supposed to protect me. Know the law of the land, and PROTECT YOURSELF.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Where did I say with ONE police person? If I had repeated encounters with police and they were repeatedly rude then yes, I would have a bad impression.

Sure, but that's not what I said, and not what others have said. There's a few commenting here that say they liked Japanese police until they met just one who acted unusually towards them. Not several incidents, one.

I find that a bit odd.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

@Reformed Basher

You said

"Your "gaijin" card had expired. (Let's give it a name with racist connotations instead of calling it what it really is, a foreigner's registration card) Did you think the police would give you a wink and let you walk away? You had to go to a police station? Well, that just proves how racist/facist the police are here, right?

Please name a country where its perfectly fine for foreigners not to have their ID in order. Saunter off after exchanging high fives, perhaps?

You are lucky to not to have been incarcerated and/or deported” etc etc

I am a permanent resident. I was told at the City Office that I won’t need to renew my Foreign Registration Card (sorry I called it a gaijin card because I have no problems with being called a gaijin - I’m the easiest going gaijin you’ll ever meet! :)

Both the City Office and the Immigration told me that I don’t have to worry about the date of expiry on the card (where it says renew within 30 days) because there is a new system. I just have to get a new card by July 8th, 2015. And it will be called a 在留カード (zairyuu card). So you see, I don’t really have to get one for AT LEAST another year.

I thought I explained that in my first post actually….

And like I said, I don’t hate the cops. The City Office and Immigration Office said I did no wrong, and the police also finally realised that. But like I said, given that I have lived here for over 2 decades, and am a permanent resident with a Japanese wife and kids, even if that card was expired you’d think they would have told me to fix it up tomorrow.

Again just in case some people think I am an agro urusai complaining foreigner - I love Japan, have never had any problems with police, like police, all my dealings with them have been pleasant, and even my weird experience wasn’t too bad. They never yelled, punched, insulted or anything. They were extremely nice, and invited me to come see them at the kouban anytime for a chat.

Just saying that my respect for their knowledge of the law, and their massive overkill response has diminished.

And again, even though I don’t have to get this new card until July 8th, 2015, I decided to get it, because I don’t really want to embarrass the next guy if he makes a big deal and has to apologise.

PS, If I ever saw police having a hard time with someone, I’d be there to help them. Esp since I now know, they must think it would take 8 of them to handle me! lol

Actually, I think you owe me an apology. I never said a thing about them being racist. For what it’s worth, they were much more reasonable and friendly than you are!!!

Calm down. Maybe you are a reformed basher, but I was never a basher in the first place. geez. Learn to read pal! And if you still don't understand that I did nothing wrong go read the immigration website or call a local city office.

Sorry to anyone if I seemed angry. To me it was a funny incident - except that if you've ever been photographed in the street and in front of your house by a contingent of police you might have slight feelings of embarrassment, and hope the neighbours believe you when you say the police just weren't up with the latest admin rules.

And you're statement about being deported means you don't know anything about Permanent Residence.

For the last time, I think Japanese police are nice guys!!!!!!!

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Some areas have 'dumber and lazier' jcops but in general it just seems to be getting worse over all. I've been stopped late at night while walking home from the train station and during the day in Tokyo Station on my way to work and asked for ID. I learned LONG ago that if you casually open your wallet and have your Japanese driver's license in clear view while you fumble for your gaijin card it will 99% of the time end with ok, ok, thank you. I figure that bit of laziness works in your favour as well when the jcops see the Japanese drivers license and figure that you MUST be okay because only 'safe people' go to the trouble of getting a Japanese drivers license and you need a gaijin card or citizenship to get one...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Its simple the police here for anything other than asking directions are what you would expect in the third world.

Its best to AVOID them unless absolutely necessary, I don't get any joy typing that, but after 20yrs of some of the inept & bizarre anecdotal evidence AND hearing routine forced confessions(mostly committed against Japanese of course!!) I just stay the hell away. WHY take a chance encounter here if you can avoid, while odds are low you will get into much trouble the odds are WAY WAY higher than they should be if your gaijin, simple as that!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@Peacetrain

I was softly spoken, courteous the whole time.

Isn't that normal?

It's good that you cooperated then and thereafter. But as far as I'm concerned obeying the law is common sense.

As a bonus, I have no qualms about being a hypocrite if I want them to help me sometime.

-17 ( +1 / -19 )

the article is about supporting local police or not, well in my experience a map is more usefull than a cop here and anything else is better at resolving problems, they are mostly useless fat slobs leering at me while wasting away my hard earned tax money.I would rather have kobans staffed with yaks cause those are atleast courteous and proactive. just google YouTube for multiple Japanese having idiotic problems with them like that cop that would not help a traffic accident because he was checking bike registration for some well mannered person, just because he could not be bothered. so yea.. would not help one lying on the ground even

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

In the first place, police shouldn't be asking for people's credentials without "probable cause."

"Probable cause" requires more than a mere suspicion that a suspect committed a crime, but not as much information as would be required to prove a suspect guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. To establish probable cause, police officers must be able to point to objective factual circumstances leading them to believe that a suspect committed a crime. A police officer can’t establish probable cause by saying something like, “I just had a hunch that the defendant was a burglar.”

Otherwise, it'd be no different than that old Arizona law allowing police to stop anyone (though obviously directed at Hispanics) for anything at all and ask for their papers proving they're not illegal immigrants.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"I was softly spoken, courteous the whole time. Isn't that normal?"

It is for me, but not for some.

"But as far as I'm concerned obeying the law is common sense." I think so too. They weren't following the law.

So will you admit you were completely wrong about being deported etc. Harsh words and completely mistaken and absurd.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I'm with peace train here.Lived here over 17 years ,speak the lingo and ended up over 7 hours in a police station for bumping into to someone getting off the train.Because when there is a choice between believing the foreigner or a native guess which one to side with.They also tried to get my wife to sign a paper consenting to my guilt but told her it was for something else. Yes if you are asking directions or going through a checkpoint they are fine but it desnt take long for their true colrs to come out. Used to live inFrance and teach in a seriously rough area of Lyon.Cops at my high school at least once a week, French cops are "macho" but they do actually listen to what you say. Here the cops just shut down and immediately think that as aforeigner you are less righteous than a native. And like peacetrain I like living in Japan still just dont trust the cops an inch which is sad in a way.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I wonder if whoever put up this poster here actually read it. It is specifically for the Tokyo Metro Police. It says "There are jobs that only the Tokyo Metro Police can do." My first thought was, like what, forced confessions out of whomever they decide must have committed a crime?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

@Peacetrain

I'll believe your protestations at being a nice guy at face value.

As for deportation, I said "You are lucky to not to have been incarcerated and/or deported. Try the same thing in Best Korea or any 3rd world nation." which would mean deportation, if you're lucky.

Sorry if you misunderstood this part but you have to connect both sentences to get the full meaning. Please learn to read yourself.

I'm also glad you like the police here. I judge them as I meet them. I'm neither pro or anti. I will obey the law and be pleasant as I would do so anywhere. And I will definitely help them catch criminals if given the chance.

-16 ( +2 / -18 )

ReformedBasher: Please name a country where its perfectly fine for foreigners not to have their ID in order...You are lucky to not to have been incarcerated and/or deported.

What in the world are you talking about? Were you making random guesses about Peacetrain's story instead of actually reading it?

Peacetrain: I think you owe me an apology. I never said a thing about them being racist.

Agreed.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

@buchailldana

I completely agree with what you say.

You get along with cops here here as long as you are not in some situations where another party is involved, that is some Japanese people. In that case, you can be as right as possible in the world, they will take the side of the person who is Japanese and ignore the one of the foreigner. Or they may just pretending that they don't understand and will find something to blame you about. In that sense, they are just racist idiots who can't communicate in a civilized and intelligent way when needed.

Two years ago, I came to have problems with my new neighbors. They decided to build a house next to us in a vey small land besides our place. The problem is that they are disgusting arrogant selfish monkeys. The land was small, but they wanted more space on the other side of their house (not the one next to us) for their son to play baseball. Which means that they built their house towards us, right in front of my window (I can touch their wall with my hands) which forced them to built one part of the scaffolding on our land. They did that without any permission whatsoever, without asking us anything. Well savages! Now this is illegal because they were violating our space. We tried to contact the construction company and the future owners, nothing. Only one day a guy of the construction company showed up to say us nothing than totally useless statements.

After they eventually moved in the house, we tried to speak to these monkeys. Of course you can imagine that we were angry at them, they did something illegal and disrespected us. They never showed up until the house was built, of course because they knew they were doing something wrong and wanted to somehow let it go by ignoring our complains. So when we tried to talk to them and ask some explanations, they called the police. Typical Japanese behavior, they can't face people even when they do something bad and moreover I am a foreigner, they probably thought they have all rights to sh... on me as they will.

Now how many cars could have possibly came after they call? In any civilized rational country which treats people equally, maybe one just for the sake of checking the situation (police coming for a dispute between neighbors is in itself ridiculous), but this is Japan so five bloody cars showed up. Yes five, two officers per car, make the math. Absolutely ridiculous and I said them right away if they didn't have anything better to do.

This is not the worse thing. I tried to explain to one of the officer (while the other ones were standing around like idiots) that they did something illegal to built their house, that's why we wanted to complain to them. He said, this is a matter a court, the police can't do anything. I politely said him that I agree and that it's not me who called the police, it's them. Seeing that I was basically embarrassing him for showing up without valid reasons with nine other morons like him, he felt he was losing face in front of the "gaijin" so he absolutely wanted to blame me for something.

So he started a BS saying that I can't just complain at them like that directly. Which I replied of course I can since they thought they could violate illegally my space to built their house and they are just arrogant people who only think of their interests. As the conversation continued, he couldn't accept that I was right and he kept blaming me for complaining at them while basically admitting that I have the right to do that. He then basically started to say racist things like you foreigners can't understand Japan, you are inferior to us or some crap like that.

From that point, he pissed me off, I told him to leave immediately. I told him I am paying taxes in this country which means his salary and that he can't therefore speak like this to me. I told him that he is anyway just a policeman with poor education like the people he is trying to defend. I said him to go way or I will sue him. He finally left.....

Conclusion, policeman in Japan are stupid racist garbage.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

One night I was speeding in central Tokyom in the rain, with my girlfriend on the back, without a license, we were pulled over and let go with a warning... They should have arrested me! What is wrong with them?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@buchailldana

I completely agree with what you say.

You get along with cops here here as long as you are not in some situations where another party is involved, that is some Japanese people. In that case, you can be as right as possible in the world, they will take the side of the person who is Japanese and ignore the one of the foreigner. Or they may just pretending that they don't understand and will find something to blame you about. In that sense, they are often racist and can't communicate in a civilized and intelligent way when needed.

Two years ago, I came to have problems with my new neighbors. They decided to build a house next to us in a vey small land besides our place. The problem is that they are disgusting arrogant selfish people. The land was small, but they wanted more space on the other side of their house (not the one next to us) for their son to play baseball. Which means that they built their house towards us, right in front of my window (I can touch their wall with my hands) which forced them to built one part of the scaffolding on our land. They did that without any permission whatsoever, without asking us anything. Well savages! Now this is illegal because they were violating our space. We tried to contact the construction company and the future owners, nothing. Only one day a guy of the construction company showed up to say us nothing than totally useless statements.

After they eventually moved in the house, we tried to speak to these people. Of course you can imagine that we were angry at them, they did something illegal and disrespected us. They never showed up until the house was built, of course because they knew they were doing something wrong and wanted to somehow let it go by ignoring our complains. So when we tried to talk to them and ask some explanations, they called the police. Typical Japanese behavior, they can't face people even when they do something bad and moreover I am a foreigner, they probably thought they have all rights to sh... on me as they will.

Now how many cars could have possibly came after they call? In any civilized rational country which treats people equally, maybe one just for the sake of checking the situation (police coming for a dispute between neighbors is in itself ridiculous), but this is Japan so five bloody cars showed up. Yes five, two officers per car, make the math. Absolutely ridiculous and I said them right away if they didn't have anything better to do.

This is not the worse thing. I tried to explain to one of the officer (while the other ones were standing around like idiots) that they did something illegal to built their house, that's why we wanted to complain to them. He said, this is a matter a court, the police can't do anything. I politely said him that I agree and that it's not me who called the police, it's them. Seeing that I was basically embarrassing him for showing up without valid reasons with nine other morons like him, he felt he was losing face in front of the "gaijin" so he absolutely wanted to blame me for something.

So he started a BS saying that I can't just complain at them like that directly. Which I replied of course I can since they thought they could violate illegally my space to built their house and they are just arrogant people who only think of their interests. As the conversation continued, he couldn't accept that I was right and he kept blaming me for complaining at them while basically admitting that I have the right to do that. He then basically started to say racist things like you foreigners can't understand Japan, you are inferior to us or some crap like that.

From that point, he pissed me off, I told him to leave immediately. I told him I am paying taxes in this country which means his salary and that he can't therefore speak like this to me. I told him that he is anyway just a policeman with poor education like the people he is trying to defend. I said him to go way or I will sue him. He finally left.....

Conclusion, policemen in Japan are stupid and racist.

NB: JapanToday censorship in action, they erased my post. I am posting it again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Peacetrain

I misunderstood the part about renewing the card. It was confusing for me as the change to the new card happened while I was overseas. I'm still getting used to the new system.

Please accept my sincere apologies.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

At least in Japan you can run away from them (car, bike, foot, moped, bicycle, even skateboard) even if they ask you to stop without criminal penalty or AK47s drawn (What happens if you do that in the USA????). I know a middle aged J. guy who used to be a street drifter (Like the Fast and Furious movie series) when he was a young man and he says drifters often dash from the cops and IF they catch up with you just "Gommenesai" when I asked him what if they catch you. But there is no arrest or extra penalty beyond what they wanted to stop you for the first place. Just "Gommenessai". Imagine trying that in the USA.

I also have a foreign friend who loves smart a$$ing cops (and has good Japanese) and in his area they would often check bicycles. He would first race away from them in his bicycle and then when they caught him he would just be sarcastic (Cops: Could you tell me whose bicycle this is; Him: Yes, I could;etc. etc.).

So if you hate them just run from them.

In all my years here I have only had very minor communications with them. So no real complaints here.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I've been asked for my passport by them a couple of times, but apart from that they've never bothered me when I've been wandering about. I've even taken photos of one of their beautiful big Toyota patrol cars and never even got a stern look.

The police in the koban near the Skyliner terminal in Ueno are a pretty decent bunch, but I've seen others sleeping in kobans for all the world to see, playing some kind of board game... I suppose there are good and bad as with most things and people.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Me and my wife got absolutely hammered with a group of off-duty police in my local izakaya and even after a skinful they didn't attempt to drill holes in the toilet door or take photos up my wife's skirt. Absolute gents.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

lol @ ReformedBasher... too bad you can't delete you comments

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@In_japan

too bad you can't delete you comments

I apologized. That's better than deleting my comments to make myself look good as far as I'm concerned.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Sorry, it was not meant to bully you. Just laughing because you said too much to Peacetrain (it happens, lesson to learn)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"but I've seen others sleeping in kobans for all the world to see, playing some kind of board game"

Does anyone here realize cops in Japan (also other jobs such as firefighters, train staff, etc) work 24-hour shifts? As far as I know they work 7AM~7AM. So if they are sleeping (or playing a board game) perhaps it's OK and they are allowed to for a certain amount of off time during their long shift? And maybe they are encouraged to do so in the koban in case all hell breaks loose in their area?

There are some "keystone" cop haters here but don't forget they are human too and (as they say in The Wire) "sh!t ROLLs downhill" and they are dealing with this too just like cops in any other country.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Does anyone here realize cops in Japan (also other jobs such as firefighters, train staff, etc) work 24-hour shifts? As far as I know they work 7AM~7AM.

I don't know about firefighters etc, but I do know how cops work here. The shift is 7 till 7 (24 hours) after which they deal with paperwork, reports, etc. If they get home by lunchtime, they're lucky, often it's early evening, and they're on call for the rest of that day (till the start of the next 7 o'clock shift). The third day is a day off, and the three-day cycle starts again at 7 the next morning.

Their sleep patterns are shot to pieces.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

@In_japan

I see. Yes, I can be a bit caustic.

As you say, lesson learned.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Sorry Reformed Basher. Thanks for the apology.

And for the benefit of others, let me repeat once more that the guys involved were all nice to me. I could go out for drinks with them and laugh about it probably.

Both them and I were able to confirm a few things about PR residence.

I forgot another detail. Even though I had a PR stamp in my passport and written on the gaijin card, one asked if i had a certificate proving that the stamp in the passport was real........

Wasn't I great for not getting upset then!

Lovely guys. Just nothing to do in safety Japan!

I even asked if I could become a cop but they said I was too old.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

At least in Japan you can run away from them (car, bike, foot, moped, bicycle, even skateboard) even if they ask you to stop without criminal penalty or AK47s drawn (What happens if you do that in the USA????). I know a middle aged J. guy who used to be a street drifter (Like the Fast and Furious movie series) when he was a young man and he says drifters often dash from the cops and IF they catch up with you just "Gommenesai" when I asked him what if they catch you. But there is no arrest or extra penalty beyond what they wanted to stop you for the first place. Just "Gommenessai". Imagine trying that in the USA.

US officers won't be caught dead with Russian AK47s.

And if anybody is drifting on public roads in the USA, let's hope they don't get off with just a sorry.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes, like poor people giving money to the rich.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Peacetrain

You're welcome. Thank you for being forgiving.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Like NathalieB, I (quite in spite of my pseudo) also have boobs (and I'm not a male...) but it didn't really help when I called the police to report that one of our neighbours had grabbed my arm (I called when I finally got free) because he didn't like my dog... When they came, they wanted to know my name, telephone number etc. When I asked why, they said it was because a "neighbour" had called them... Sorry guys ! That was ME ! I was the one to call you...

The neighbour wasn't complaining about any barking, he just didn't like dogs in general...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For the sake of balance: How about a poster of a police forced confession.

Plus one million for this. Only way to get out of the lock up if you are innocent, or reduce jail time if you are not, is to plead guilty. Totally corrupt system.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Jimizo, they did, its just they told her to keep quiet you you both will get locked up....that woould be more typical for a police force

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I misunderstood the part about renewing the card. It was confusing for me as the change to the new card happened while I was overseas. I'm still getting used to the new system.

Have you considered joining the Japanese Police Force?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japan’s police policies and system is nearly 20 years obsolete. When the bubble in the economy burst in 1995, crime increased dramatically in the years following. Just as any economy has proven, when it falls on hard times, crime goes up. The police system here still works as react when it happens vs. prevention. Do your job, and I’ll support you 100%.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

J-police haters out in force today! I have to give the police credit when credit is due. Unfortunately too many posters here will jump at ANY reason to bash the police. I for one salute the officers, especially the ones who caught the recent stabber in Chiba, and the ones who tracked down the missing girl in Sapporo, or the one who stopped the Akihabara stabber.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I've never had a problem with the police in the 20 years I've been here. I guess they just want to practice dealing with non-Japanese sometimes. At least they don't ask for cash bribes.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

" Totally corrupt system."

Incarceration rate in Japan (around 200th) is really really low on a world standard. Is there a connection? America's is No. 1...way way No.1. Which is corrupt?

"Just as any economy has proven, when it falls on hard times, crime goes up. "

JT reported some months back (less than a year, it seems) crime is going down, even in this stagnant economy. Can someone dig that article up? I remember reading it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I have been living here in Yokohama for 5 years and not one negative interaction with the local constabulary. Lived in Australia for 45 years and have had quite a few negative experiences with the boys (and girls) in blue . . . Perhaps I am just mellowing as I get older?

Seriously folks, unless you have had a good "phone-booking" or been on the receiving end of some "biff", what are you complaining about?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Avoid them as much as possible. Other than natural disasters etc. they are possibly the most dangerous thing about Japan. They can detain you on suspicion of a crime for 28 days with no formal charges or access to legal representation. If, during that time, they can come up with other charges to suspect you of they can extend that initial period indefinitely. They may, as some commentators have posted, seem barely competent and semi-literate, but any encounters with them could have very serious consequences. If you need directions ask a passerby and avoid going to a Koban. The best policy is to stay as far away from them as possible.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

read of someone being "detained" for 11 days then let go. Remember this is basically a benevolent police state and you should do fine. Nothing to see here, move along now

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What was the reason?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

as KnowBetter stated, always provide your Japanese driver's licence as a form of iD, along with your Resident's card. I've never had a problem, but then again that's not to say that i won't at some point in the future!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@iLikeTurtles

Have you considered joining the Japanese Police Force?

Actually that was pretty funny. You should consider a career in comedy.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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