My experience with Japanese police

[godppgo]

During the past two days, I've been stopped by Japanese police twice for bike registration check. I know there are plenty of bike registration check stories on the forum but I would just like to share mine with you.

I am currently attending language school in a small Japanese city(pop 300,000). Yesterday I decided to take a stroll downtown on bike. I was listening to my iPod while riding so I wasn't aware that the police behind me were yelling at me to stop. So the poor guy ran up to me, grabbed my bike, showed me his badge and identify himself as a police officer. He must've thought I was running away from him and the other two police officiers caught up later. I guess I was lucky that I wasn't shot from behind. Also, they were all in plain clothing (that's another reason why I wasn't paying special attention to them).

So, they started questioning me and I told them I have trouble understanding them so they tried to speak very slowly to me. One of them asked for my alien registration card and I told them I don't have one because I will only be staying in Japan for 3 months. One of them then ask for my passport but I wasn't carrying it with me. The other officier asked for proof that I own the bike but I couldn't give them any proof I am the owner of the bike (I know how this looks and it was 100% fault for not having any identification with me).

After 15 minutes of rather confusing conversation, they put me in their police cruiser and took me to my place because they wanted to see my passport and bike receipt. They asked for my name which made things even more
confusing for them. Since my name can be pronounced Hayashi Tsuyoshi and they asked me why do I have a Japanese name. I explained to them it's just a coincident that my Taiwanese name happened to be a common Japanese name. When I told them I am a Canadian citizen they become even more confused. I think most of the confusion arised due to my crappy Japanese.

When we got to my place they asked me to go in myself and get the passport and bike receipt for them. They then took me to the police station and more questioning awaits me. One of the police officers who stopped me was very suspicious of me while the other two thought there's no big deal. I can sort of tell from their conversation with my limited Japanese listening ability. At the end they decided to let me go and one of them apologized to me for the inconvenience they had caused. Throught out the whole incident, the officiers were all very polite and patient with me. One of them was even apologizing constantly to me while we were riding in the police cruiser.

Guess what, today I went out to get some grocery and I got stopped by police again. This time I wasn't listening to my iPod so I stopped right away when I heard the police siren. This time it was a rather short encounter. I told them I was stopped yesterday and they looked at my passport (yes I carry it with me all the time now) and they just let me go.

The point I really wanted to make is that Japanese police will stop anyone disregard of their races. There is no way of telling I am not a Japanese just by looking at my appearance and yet I was stopped by Japanese police "twice" in 2 days. So I don't really believe in the myth that Japanese police have the tendency to stop gaijin for bike registration check. Also, always carry some sort of identifications with you because you never know when they'll come in handy. Anyways, I hope most of you won't have to go through this when visiting Japan.

[J44xm]

Wow. I've been here three months now and have barely even seen the police. And yet, in the course of two days ... man. Yeah, definitely that school registration ASAP. I'm glad that it ended up all right, though. If nothing else, it was quite the experience, eh?

[nice gaijin]

I didn't know you had gone to Japan, godppgo; you still have the Canadian flag under your location...

Just to stir the pot a little, is it possible that your fashion makes you recognizable as a foreigner?

[caster51]

is it possible that your fashion makes you recognizable as a foreigner?

hayashi tsuyoshi
how can they distinguish the race? maybe smell?.

[Damicci]

LMAO　Godppgoさんは外人臭がありますね。
You have a gaijin stink.

[Maciamo]

Originally Posted by godppgo

I decided to take a stroll downtown on bike. I was listening to my iPod while riding so I wasn't aware that the police behind me were yelling at me to stop. So the poor guy ran up to me, grabbed my bike, showed me his badge and identify himself as a police officer. He must've thought I was running away from him and the other two police officiers caught up later. I guess I was lucky that I wasn't shot from behind.

I still cannot believe that in any free and democractic country the police would be so petty as to stop people to check their bike registration or ID for no reason. This is a police state ! I am happy not to live in Japan anymore. Now I feel free and relaxed again. I thought that I would only have experience such tension and worries about being checked on a daily basis in countries like China or North Korea. Apparently it has more to do with culture than political system !

Originally Posted by J44xm

Wow. I've been here three months now and have barely even seen the police. And yet, in the course of two days ... man. Yeah, definitely that school registration ASAP. I'm glad that it ended up all right, though. If nothing else, it was quite the experience, eh?

In central Tokyo I couldn't go out and walk or ride my bike for 1 km in any direction without passing a Koban, seeing a police car or policemen on bikes. The only place in Belgium were there are so many police officers is around parliaments (yes, there are more than one) and ministers' offices ! (all in the same district)

[Silverpoint]

Originally Posted by Maciamo

In central Tokyo I couldn't go out and walk or ride my bike for 1 km in any direction without passing a Koban, seeing a police car or policemen on bikes. The only place in Belgium were there are so many police officers is around parliaments (yes, there are more than one) and ministers' offices ! (all in the same district)

This is not meant to be a leading question, but which do you think is better? An obvious and identifiable police presence or the lack of one? The reason I ask, is that if you go to Britain where you barely see a police office these days, there is consistently an public demand for "more bobbies on the beat" as we quaintly put it. Successive governments have been criticised over and over for removing the police presence on the streets, and making a uniformed officer a rare sight these days.

[Mike Cash]

Originally Posted by godppgo

I guess I was lucky that I wasn't shot from behind.

That was meant as hyperbole, right?

[caster51]

I am happy not to live in Japan anymore. Now I feel free and relaxed again. I thought that I would only have experience such tension and worries about being checked on a daily basis in countries like China or North Korea. Apparently it has more to do with culture than political system !

that is good for you!!!!

[changedonrequest]

Where I live in Japan I can go literally days or weeks or even in some cases months between the times I even see a policeman or police patrol car.

I also live within 5 minutes of a major police station not a koban mind you, a station that is responsible for an area that has nearly 100,000 people living in the area.

So I would venture to say that depending on where you live matters the most.

[pipokun]

Kobans inspired from Japan in Belgian streets
Schaarbeek, part of the Belgian capital of Brussels, is currently reorganizing its police force following Japan as a model, an official says.
...
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstS...storyid=244214

What a police state!

edit
What an omawarisan state!

[Maciamo]

Originally Posted by Stinger

This is not meant to be a leading question, but which do you think is better? An obvious and identifiable police presence or the lack of one? The reason I ask, is that if you go to Britain where you barely see a police office these days, there is consistently an public demand for "more bobbies on the beat" as we quaintly put it. Successive governments have been criticised over and over for removing the police presence on the streets, and making a uniformed officer a rare sight these days.

It's debatable. It depends a lot on how safe each area is, and what the police actually do. I wouldn't want to see too many policemen in the countryside. In cities they would be necessary in the crowded centres (shopping streets) and potentially problematic areas (e.g. poorer suburbs known to have higher crime rates).

The presence of police officers per se doesn't disturb me. I am objecting to the police stopping and questioning people peacefully walking or riding a bicyle. Their being polite does not appease much the trouble and inconvenience caused. If the police's role is preventive, I want them to just stand or walk around neighbourhoods and act when something is happening (e.g. bag snatch, vandalism, street fight...) and unconditionally let other people alone.

Maybe they are too bored in Japan as crimes rarely happen in the open, so they start bothering people to kill time. Why do they have so many police officers then ? To reduce unemployment ?

[Maciamo]

Originally Posted by pipokun

http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=244214
What a police state!

Good initiative ! Schaerbeek is one of those problematic suburbs of Brussels made mostly of poor immigrants and with high crime rates.

[kkkktttt]

>Maciamo
ずいぶん話が広がっていますが、本題については納得されましたか？

Originally Posted by godppgo

The point I really wanted to make is that Japanese police will stop anyone disregard of their races. There is no way of telling I am not a Japanese just by looking at my appearance and yet I was stopped by Japanese police "twice" in 2 days. So I don't really believe in the myth that Japanese police have the tendency to stop gaijin for bike registration check.

ちなみに、以下の掲示板を参考にすれば警察官に止めら れないための術が見えてくると思います。参考までに・ ・・。
逆に言えば、なぜ自分は他人よりも職務質問を受けやす いのか理由が分かるかもしれません。
http://sports9.2ch.net/test/read.cgi...1095677402/l50

[godppgo]

Originally Posted by Mike Cash

That was meant as hyperbole, right?

Sarcasm was my original intention. If the same thing happened in the U.S. or Canada, I will probably have a few holes on my back now....

[godppgo]

Originally Posted by nice gaijin

I didn't know you had gone to Japan, godppgo; you still have the Canadian flag under your location...

Just to stir the pot a little, is it possible that your fashion makes you recognizable as a foreigner?

The police wasn't targeting specifically on me the first time. While questioning me, they also stopped a couple of cyclists. Two of them were both highschool students. So I assumed that they were on a routine bike registration check. That's probably why they were in plain clothing.

The second time I was stopped by a police car on patrol on a major road. I guess the reason for them to stop me is because there were very very few cycylists on that major road and I had a backpack and camera with me so I guess it was kinda obvious I am a tourist?

Other than that, I really can't think of anything that can distinguish myself from a normal Japanese male (appearance that is).

[changedonrequest]

major road and I had a backpack and camera with me so I guess it was kinda obvious I am a tourist?

Outside of the camera you sound like just about any average HS student here . Then again I dont know how "old" you look.

[J44xm]

Oh, I'd say about early to mid-twenties, myself. If I may so say, of course.

[godppgo]

Thank you J44xm-san for providing such an accurate description on my "appearance-age".

[J44xm]

Think nothing of it, old bean.

[changedonrequest]

Originally Posted by J44xm

Oh, I'd say about early to mid-twenties, myself. If I may so say, of course.

I might be willing to be that you look a lot younger than you think.

[Maciamo]

Originally Posted by kkkktttt

>Maciamo
ずいぶん話が広がっていますが、本題については納得されましたか？

You are right. I may have made a slight mistake of judgement regarding the Japanese police by saying that they stop mostly foreign-looking people. Well, yes and no. I still believe that they will check more easily a foreigner than a Japanese, but of course Japanese people get checked too. As has been said before (by a Japanese), the Japanese police will target "suspicious people" first, and this includes anybody riding a bicycle outside regular working hours, people in tshirt rather than suits, and foreigners. Some areas also get checked more often than others. I admit that it is not just because someone is a foreigner that they get checked.

I felt like being stopped so many times was some kind of discrimination because the police just doesn't stop people and ask them for an ID or their bicycle registration in the countries where I have lived before. Now my feeling has changed toward the Japanese police. It is even worse than I tought. They do check all kind of people who haven't done anything for no reason. It is a "police state mentality" which I find completely unacceptable and unliveable. You were right, it wasn't just discrimination against foreigners (but ID checks were, as Japanese people are not required to carry an ID at all time like foreigners).

You should admit that it is confusing for someone who comes from a freer society to differentiate between what is discrimination toward foreigners and what is abuse of power against the whole population !

[osias]

Originally Posted by godppgo

Since my name can be pronounced Hayashi Tsuyoshi and they asked me why do I have a Japanese name. I explained to them it's just a coincident that my Taiwanese name happened to be a common Japanese name.

It's cool to have a name that makes sense in two languages.

[kkkktttt]

Originally Posted by Maciamo

You should admit that it is confusing for someone who comes from a freer society to differentiate between what is discrimination toward foreigners and what is abuse of power against the whole population !

この掲示板の参加者だけみても、客観的に事実を認識で きる人もいれば、あなたのように長い滞在歴があるにも 関わらず今まで認識できなかった人もいるわけで、これ はむしろ観察力の違いといえるでしょう。

バランスの取れた説得力のある議論をするには、あなた は少々視野が狭く感情的すぎるように思われます。

自転車のIDチェックに関する認識の偏りだけではありません 。

あなたは、「中国には刺身を食べる習慣があったか？」 という小学生でも調べがつくような簡単な問題でさえ、 個人的な経験に基づく思い込みによって正確に認識でき ませんでした。
http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread...395#post277395

「外国製の漫画が日本で人気がない理由は、政府によっ て国内の漫画が保護されているためだ」という根拠のな い思いこみもありましたね。
http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread...795#post289795

他の参加者からも同様の指摘をされているようですし、 この点について少しは自省されてみてはいかがですか？
客観的で正確な事実認識が出来なければ、公正な評価が出来るはずもありません。

[Mike Cash]

Originally Posted by Maciamo

Now my feeling has changed toward the Japanese police. It is even worse than I tought. They do check all kind of people who haven't done anything for no reason. It is a "police state mentality" which I find completely unacceptable and unliveable.

You know, what's really sad is that there is a large number of impressionable young people on JREF who have never been to Japan and who gullibly base their opinions of the place on your posts.