Monday May 28, 2012

egrover's past comments

  • 0

    egrover

    LostinNagoya- Thanks for your words. I was sure that people would judge me in a more negative way about my situation, but to my surprise you were very positive. Thank You. I had visited to Nagoya a few times while living in Japan. I currently work for a company here in the USA that’s headquarters is located directly in front of Nagoya Station.

    WitchDoctor- After my 3rd day being jailed a representative from the US Embassy came to visit me. He was a Japanese American and very supportive of my situation. He told me since I was already incarcerated they could not do much for me. He told me that in Japan, detectives have 30 days to hold a suspect while doing an investigation on any case. After the 30 days they have the right to ask the courts for another 15 days. At this time if the perpetrator has not admitted to the crime or there is not enough evidence then the person will be released. As I was a foreigner I was listed as a flight risk, thus not given the chance at any type of bail. The embassy then asked for my family’s contact info in which they contacted my mother to tell her my situation.

    It is sad and very bothersome not knowing what or who is looking for me in Japan, as well as why I could not find anyone to help me. What really hurts more is that my degree from university is in Japanese. Growing up my family was host to many Japanese exchange students. Before moving to Japan I really focused on a goal of living there and trying to adapt to a new culture. I thought I would stay in Japan forever. I feel that Japanese people in general are very kind and understanding as well as more respectful than that of people in other parts of the world. However, on the other hand the police/government has a much different view about foreigners in Japan. This makes me sad. I moved to Japan for the right reasons, but when I was there I met many foreigners that moved there for the wrong ones. (not everyone of course, but some) the worst part about that is they are still there and I am here. (涙)

    Thanks for your support! 

    Posted in: Tell us about any encounters, either good or bad, you have had with Japanese police.

  • 0

    egrover

    Wow... I just read a lot of the posts and nothing is close to my experiences in Japan. I have had some terrifying experiences involving police, attorneys, etc during a 4 year stint in Japan. I don’t know where to begin so I will start with an introduction on myself. I was in my mid-20‘ｓ while living in Tokyo. I moved to Japan to work as an English Instructor from the United States. In my first year in Japan I encountered the usual Gaijin Torokusho check a few times. (No problem) The story gets good from now. I was teaching English at Toita Joshi High School in setagaya-ku and on my way home from work I was riding the train and directly in front of me I witnessed a “Chikan” (molestation) on the train. 40’s something man and maybe 15 year old school girl. I instantly grabbed him at which time he hit me and I hit him back. The next stop which was Ikebukuro I dragged him off the train. The JR workers and Police soon arrived. The young girl as well as some witness also got off the train. Long story short..the girl said that the man had been touching her since she got on the train at Ebisu and the witness ( Japanese Female) also confirmed the story. Result- police tell the women to shut up and go home. I am told to pay the man $500 (５万円) for damage to his suit and for injury from my punch. My suit was also ruined in the scuffle as well as a scratch to the side of my face. I was told if I don’t pay I will be arrested…scared I payed the money on the spot. In turn he gave the young girl half of my money right in front of me. I am getting upset even recalling this in my mind. My story will get better. I didn’t give up on Japan due to this one bad episode, this bad police work could happen anywhere and I am sure does so I just sucked it up. It was a good thing I did because my life got extremely better….or so I thought at that time. I was lucky enough to land a job for TOKYO MX TV as a TV regular on a show airing M-F at 5pm. The job was really cool. It was the most exciting thing my life had ever seen. I felt that I was really being accepted in Japan and was grateful for the opportunity. Well, I was wrong. BAD EPISODE#2 I was drinking coffee in the Starbucks at Shibuya Crossing with a friend and waiting for another friend when I was approached in the coffee shop by police. This really surprised me, but more than that I was totally embarrassed as everyone was looking. I was told to come across the street to the koban and answer some questions in regards to stealing a cell phone and an assault. Ofcourse I said this is ridiculous and I definitely would not go. This was followed by maybe 8 more officers coming into the coffee shop. Seeing this was a no-win situation I agreed. I told my friend to wait there for me. I then was asked to get into a patrol car even though the koban was within 50 meters of where I was. I got in the car and was driving to a much larger police station about 500 meters North of that koban. I was taken into a room and questioned. The police told me that I was pointed out by a Street Scout and this guy said that I had assaulted him and stole his cell phone roughly a month before right here in Shibuya. Angry, I asked what evidence or reason did they have to just pluck me out of Shibuya as a potential criminal. My answer was that the Street Scout had filed a report a month before and on the report he stated that a foreigner with blonde hair and sunglasses stole his cell phone and assaulted him. Also, that he had just spotted me go into Starbucks so he ran to the koban to get the police. Thus, me sitting in an Interrogation room. After, hours of questioning I was formally arrested for a crime I didn’t do and completely denied as well. I was given sweat pants and a sweat shirt and thrown in a cell with a man from Iran that spoke great English named Hasan. Hasan told me he was there waiting his being sent to Fuchu Prison. I was kept in my cell all day except for the exercise time which was about 10 minutes of smoking for all the inmates on my floor..Also we were let out to wash our hands and face before meals as well as a final time to get out mats out of a closet before sleeping. I stayed here for about a week before I was sent on a bus with inmates from many different jails in the Tokyo area to the Tokyo Courts. After my bus group was filed into yet again smaller temporary jail cells and all hand cuffed to one another.. we sat and waited for out turn. Finally after about 4 hours I was called out and sent up stairs to see a prosecutor. I quickly explained to her my story and I begged her to call my TV Station and explain my situation. I new the show must be in trouble without me as I was part of a live on air program that left almost 25 minutes of the hourly show to my corner. She said she would do that as well as she said she would call and verify my alibi for the day that this street scout said I attacked him. The day I supposedly attacked him I was in saitama at Jusco buying some dress clothes which I had a receipt for as well as other receipt from that day. But the topper was going to be my girlfriend verifying that we were together the entire day in saitama close to where she lived. Anyway I was led back to the shibuya jail the same way I came and within hours my name was called and I ws told I was free to leave. I was given my items from the day I was arrested and told to go. I was never given anyany apology or better yet documentation of the event. Upon my release I instantly called my gf and she said that a few hours earlier that the prosecutor called her and asked her if she could recall the date at hand and if she could locate the receipts for my dress clothes. Luckily she did and I was released. However, the police called my gf and asked her to come in for questioning the very next day which she did. They questioned her for 3 hours followed by another 3 hours the day after. That seemed to be the end of that…or so I thought. As a result of being arrested and not showing up for the television show I was fired/released from the show. No job equals no money and no guarantor for my apartment. I was forced to give up my apartment while looking for a new job as well as all my belongings. My friend who was kind enough to let me stay with him only had a 1DK apt. It was very crampt! I debated on returning to the USA but in my mind I felt once I got on my feet I would have some real good fire power for a lawsuit. I finally was lucky enough to land an ALT position working way up in Saitama. I took over for a teacher that had left in the middle of the teaching term. I started working there and a few months went by and I was getting a little bit of money saved and thought I was going to get back on my feet ….and then it happened! The last day of classes before the summer break. Friday, July 13th 2007 (Friday the 13th) I was in class teaching.. when my cell phone began to vibrate over and over. Someone was calling me franticly but since I was teaching I could not answer the call. As soon as the class was over I looked at my phone and it was my friend/roommate. I instantly called him back. He said that about 45 min prior there was a knock on his door.. when he answered it there was about 30 men there looking for me. He said they were yelling and screaming and looking for me. He said they claimed to be police but looked more like mafia. After they forced there way into his room they saw I was not there…he told them that he had not seen me for a few days and he couldn’t help them. He asked them why they were looking for me and they refused to give him and answer other than this is a BIG DEAL and he is in a lot of trouble. One of the men left a business card with my friend. After they left his room he called me and told me the story. Upon hearing this and being more scared than I had ever before. .. I instantly left the school. Luckily I had my passport in my drawer at school… I instantly went towards kawagoe station and withdrew as much money from my bank account as I could and then proceeded to H.I.S. travel agency to buy a 1 way ticket home. The soonest flight I could get on was departing the next morning. I made my way towards narita and stayed the night in an Internet Café. The next morning I went to the airport and flew back to the USA. If you have read this far than I will continue with a bit more. After returning to the USA I started to contact attorneys in Japan. After many attempts I found one attorney that spoke perfect English and claimed she could help me. She said she would find out who these men were that were looking for me and why. She said she would call and speak with the person that had left the business card with my friend. She said I needed to send her around $2000 first before she could move forward. Thinking this would help I sent the money…which led her to asking for more and more money with nothing getting done. I finally, told her I would not send her more money unless she could start giving me some answers to what this whole nightmare was… at this time she e-mailed me and said she was removing herself as my attorney. Just so you know this attorneys name is Terada. This has turned into a novel of sorts but its all true. I have never committed a crime in Japan or anywhere for what that means. However, due to a corrupt/racist police system in Japan I have been terrorized. If you want to know more details please feel free to ask. Eric

    Posted in: Tell us about any encounters, either good or bad, you have had with Japanese police.

Follow us

Facebook
Twitter

View all