Foreigners to Japan. Be Careful!

[kochisho]

Long story short, I been to Japan 7 times since 1997. I wasn't the "ugly American", I caused no trouble, was friendly to everyone, gave my bus/ train seat to eldery/handicapped/woman and was well liked from the people who got to know me.
I made one mistake. I broke the hemp law. In American its a small crime to have 1 gram of cannabis, in japan it's no joke. I only got it for medical reasons because I was in deep pain. I never been arrested anywhere and always been an asset to society.
I spent 3 months of hell in the osaka police headquarters/Osaka Kochisho/ Immigration Jail. I was refused english lititure, medical attention and put in isolation.
I didn't understand Japanese law and never thought a little pot would be so much trouble.
I was sentence to 2 years hard labor but was given a 4 year suspended sentence. i was turned over to immigration, then flown home.
I was in jail with Yakuza but those guys treated me well.
i love Japan and the time I had there. I wish this never happened but it did. it was a mistake. now i'm banned from japan.

http://www.geocities.com/bannedfromjapan/index.html

[southside]

Banned from Japan? I didn't know there were such things as bannable offenses. Any chance we can hear the full story?

[Glenn]

Yeah, the link isn't working. I got a "this site is temporarily unavailable" message.

@southside - I believe that there are "bannable" offenses in every country. I've heard of people being expelled for violating certain laws from some countries.

[Sinspawne]

Aw man, that is a bit harsh... They probably just used you to set an example or something..

[PopCulturePooka]

Whats dnagerously ironic is shops like Head Shroom etc in Shibuya that heavily promote a drug culture.

Sorry too hear about your plight man.

[Keiichi]

Ouch... you didn't get any phone calls?
Oh, you might want to spell Aya Matsuura and Maki Goto's name a bit more correctly. ^^'

Keiichi

[60Yen]

For so little pot? OMG!

That's crap, really too bad for you. Harsh punishment too... for owning too much drugs in this country you just go in jail for one day

[Mike Cash]

Originally Posted by kochisho

I made one mistake. I broke the hemp law.

Well, there ya go....

In American its a small crime to have 1 gram of cannabis, in japan it's no joke. I only got it for medical reasons because I was in deep pain.

I'm sure the court loved that excuse.

Originally Posted by Sinspawne

Aw man, that is a bit harsh... They probably just used you to set an example or something..

Harsh? He got 2 years on a crime which allows for 5 years at forced labor, and didn't serve a single day of it.

The time he spent in police custody was pre-trial (and pre-sentencing) confinement. Denial of bail is the norm in Japan, not the exception. He was treated no worse than any Japanese would have been for a similar offense, and perhaps better than some.

When one isn't sure of the drug laws in a foreign country, isn't familiar with the criminal justice system, and isn't aware of further consequences (such as being deported and denied re-entry), then the wise thing to do is to either inform one's self and make decisions on engaging in illegal acts based on that knowledge, or to just leave the stuff alone.

[Maciamo]

Good you didn't get 15 years of forced labour (see this thread), or be executed like they'd do in Singapore or Malaysia, even for a bit of hemp...

These Asian countries have really no idea of why the West started banning drugs, but copied them anyway just to look "modern" and now end up being criticized for human rights abuse, etc. because they can't think by themselves. Drugs are prohibited to protect people's health, so it is utterly illogical to execute someone or send them to jail for years until their health and mind deteriorate completely, because they "possessed" some relatively inofensive cannabis. And during that time millions of Japanese salarymen get drunk till they throw up in the subway almost every night.

[TwistedMac]

wasnt a very smart move.. ofcourse i'd never say that to his face, since his arms are bigger than my WHOLE BODY!!

other than those two hot chicks at the bottom (especially the one with the blue ... piece of cloth...) that site is pretty damn crappy though, what with the spelling errors and general wrongness of some text, as well as the just crappy look of the site..

again, I would never say this to his face.. I'm allergic to pain and he looks like he can inflict a lot of it on me.

[RockLee]

hehe Mac you wimp ...anyways...that was a very stupid move you made with the dope man...every foo knows having drugs in your posession get's you in messy situations...why the hell even take it to another country !!! Just buy painkillers...and another thing, in the pic you look buffed...(it takes pain sometimes, I can speak of it) and yet you have an injury that causes you pain(I guess your back)

[PopCulturePooka]

HOLD THE PHONE

This is what I miss about Japan the most! Aya Matsuuba and and Miko Goto. Thank you girls and when in New York please email me! LOL

You're implying you MET Maki Goto?

Dude...

DUDE!?

I'd be pissed if I were you as well.

Maki Goto? DAMN!

[kochisho]

Hey, you guys are alright. Much friendlier than the other board I posted on..LOL

southside..Getting caught with drugs in Japan is worse than assault or murder. And they label pot same as speed and dope.

Keiichi- no phone calls at all! that was the hardest part for my family in America.

mikecash- you are right. the time i served was pretrial. but after interigation i was transferred to prison where i stay for a month. its was hell. Asia is a crazy place, the rest of the world is decriminalizing it.

Maciamo...Bravo!

TwistedMac..Don't be dissing on my site. Its a "Homer Simpson"..LOl I just made a free yahoo page. I got free time because I injured my shoulder and outta commision for a few weeks. And i fixed the spelling errors on the site.

FirstHousePooka...No I never met Maki or Aya...LOL. Just thanked them for entertaining my imagination. I found a clip of Aya running in a bikini in Hawaii and her top fell off. I'll try to uploaded it this sit if it takes zip attachments.

[Mike Cash]

Originally Posted by kochisho

mikecash- you are right. the time i served was pretrial. but after interigation i was transferred to prison where i stay for a month. its was hell.

Most likely you were just handed over from the police lockup to the immigration lockup. Not a prison technically, but for all practical purposes it may as well be one.

Did you know that people sentenced to death in Japan are not sent to prison? (again....technically).

[kochisho]

i was in police jail for one month, then transferred to osaka kochisho (prison)

[Mike Cash]

kochiso is not "prison". Keimusho is prison.

You can say you were in jail, or detention, or lockup, or whatever. But if you weren't in keimusho, then you weren't in prison.

[kochisho]

Techinally you are correct. If I had to serve my sentence I would be transferred to Keimusho. But the Osaka Kochisho has over 5,000 prisoners, execution facilities, ran like a military boot camp, crowded and dirty. It was a prison to me. Keimusho must be complete hell.

[Mike Cash]

The reason it has execution facilities is that people sentenced to death can't be sent to prison. Yes, I realize how bizarre that sounds.

[Spaceghost]

Why do you seem to be wearing the same top in most of the photos?

How did you get caught with the weed? Smoked it in public? Or the police saw you buying it?

Their treatment was harsh compared to America, but you were not in America, you broke the law, you should have researched the penalties before engaging in an illegal activity, although really you should not have done it at all.

[kochisho]

its not the same shirt. I have tons of wife beaters..lol

actually i wasn't supposed to spend the summer. ever buy clothes in japan? they don't fit right. plus i'm not a fashion bug, I like wearing ginnt tee's when its hot. and japans summer is hot.
does it bother you?
save your lectures...too late for that.

[Spaceghost]

You did not say what the circumstances were in which you were caught.

The lecture might be too late for you, but it might warn others. I don't have much pity either because it was your own doing, you could have got pain killers but instead you decided to take the illegal route.

[kochisho]

thats why I posted this...To warn others.

People who use these substances are more aware of the penalties. I didn't think of it out. I had broken ribs (another reason to wear t-shirts) and someone I met from the Netherland said he would send me some medical pot for the pain. he mailed 2 envelope. one with gram of weed, the other blonde hashish. the weed was seized by customs, the hash came a day before I was raided so they found that too.
to tell everyone the truth, I really didn't think it was going to come in the 1st place. I should of taken it more seriosly.

[Lopan999]

Sorry about that. It's crazy...
This is a country that allows wierd porn stuff on the streets but blurs out pubic hairs when it's on TV. This a country that has beer venders on the streets, allows public drunkeness but arrests someone for having mail sent to them with pot in it and the rest of your story. And that sells energy drinks with nicotine in it.
I want to go to Japan but I wouldn't mind a list of the harsh laws in Japan before going there.
I've heard stories from people who've been there that it's perfectly allowed for men to rub and feel up chicks (who they don't know) in public places (to women who don't like it).
I'm not bashing Japan. I'm just interested in knowing what's what in that country.

[Apollo]

Originally Posted by Lopan999

Sorry about that. It's crazy...
This is a country that allows wierd porn stuff on the streets but blurs out pubic hairs when it's on TV. This a country that has beer venders on the streets, allows public drunkeness but arrests someone for having mail sent to them with pot in it and the rest of your story. And that sells energy drinks with nicotine in it.
I want to go to Japan but I wouldn't mind a list of the harsh laws in Japan before going there.
I've heard stories from people who've been there that it's perfectly allowed for men to rub and feel up chicks (who they don't know) in public places (to women who don't like it).
I'm not bashing Japan. I'm just interested in knowing what's what in that country.

Yeah, some countries are "dubious" law-wise, not only Japan....
In Denmark, it is legal to "drink till you drop" (a Scandinavian thing *giggle*), but you can't make your own wine/beer/spirits, you can't buy alcohol after 8pm in supermarkets--only in bars (where they are more expensive).
It is illegal to smoke pot in Denmark, except you may purchase it in a part of Copenhagen called "Christiania", and in an amount which is "suitable" i.e. for your own enjoyment/health, in which it is considered "legal".
..however, if you don't smoke your "suitable" amount while the police approach you, but you have it in your pocket, you can get a fine...hmm..weird, so make sure you light your pot when you see the blinking lights!!
I don't smoke pot, I did twice in College but did not like it. In Denmark, it is legal if it is for health reasons...ie you must have a prescription from doctor.

[TwistedMac]

the christiania dealings are not exactly "legal" XD

they're just sort of accepted and almost legal... like an odd stalemate between the inhabitants of christiania and the cops =P