Do You Feel You’ve Been Targeted and Harassed In Japan?
I just got this message from a follower of Loco in Yokohama who feels he has been. He wrote me a message in both in English and Japanese. It reads:
Sorry that this will be negative, but I have to post this because I think people need to understand. Yesterday, I was stopped by the police. It has been the fifth time in the six months I have lived in Japan. Twice at my current residence. The police usually do it to check to see if I have a gaikokujin card. However, there was one time where they asked for my passport in Shizuoka prefecture.
Yesterday they caused me to be late for work. It’s only my third day at new job. I don’t understand.
At the Shizuoka prefecture incident where they asked me for my passport, I really don’t understand. That means they assumed I was a tourist. What I don’t understand is if I was a tourist, do they think that I don’t belong here? Is that how tourists are going to be treated? Do they not want foreign visitors and their money?
They spent 20 minutes checking my passport. It was raining heavy that day and my passport got ruined. I also caught bronchitis for a week.
I think it’s very pointless to do such things and it’s discriminatory. I think it’s sad that the government and police allow such things to happen to non-Japanese people. I have gotten used to being grunted at, blown smoke in my face and told to “go home!” I have met and made many great and really intelligent friends in Japan. However it’s sad, because for all the good times there are many unnecessary bad experiences.
Actually there were times I wanted to leave, but because of good friends convincing me to stay, I have stayed so far. However, now I’m at my limit. All I ask is for your understanding. If you don’t care and think I’m whining, that’s ok too. I really think the rule of gaikokujin card checking has to end now. It’s very demeaning. I don’t know if Japanese people can vote or start a petition to end it, but please help out. Not just for me, but for other foreigners.
It’s 2012 now, we should all be behind this. We shouldn’t be like the Uyoku here or Tea Party in the U.S. If anything, at least spread this message out to others. Change has to begin somewhere, right? I can only hope. Sorry if this post troubled some of you, but something had to be said.
———–
Japanese:
すみません、これはネガティブなポストですが、皆さんに理解してもらう必要があると思います。昨日、警察に呼び止められました。これは日本で６ヶ月住んでいる間に５回目のことです。現在の居住地で２回目です。警察は普通私が外国人登録証を持っているかチェクします。しかし、一度静岡県でパスポートの提出を求められました。
昨日、警察に呼び止められたことによって仕事に遅刻してしまいました。新しい仕事についてまだ３日目のことです。納得できません。
私のパスポートを求められた静岡県での事件については私は全く納得できません。彼らは私を旅行者だと思い込みました。なぜ納得できないかといえば、もし私が旅行者ならば、警察は私が旅行することを好まないのでしょうか？ 旅行者はこのように扱われるのでしょうか？ 彼らは外国人旅行者や彼らからのお金を欲しくないでしょうか？
彼らは私のパスポートをチェクするのに２０分費やしました。その日雨は土砂降りでパスポートは変形してしまいした。そして、その間雨に濡れたため、１週間気管支炎にかかってしまいました。
私はそのような事をするのは非常に無意味だと思うし、それは差別です。私は政府や警察がこのようなことを日本人以外の人々にするのを許すのは悲しいことだと思います。私はぶつぶつ言われたり、タバコの煙をかけられたり、「帰れ！」と言われたりすることに慣れてしまいました。私は日本でたくさんのすばらしくて、知的な友達に出会いました。でも、悲しいです。なぜなら、このような素晴らしい時に不必要な悪い経験もうあります。
じつは、日本を去りたいと何回か思いましたが、いい友達がいることや私の友人、飯村ひとみが滞在することを説得してくれたため、これまで滞在していました。しかし、今私は限界に来ています。私の願いはこれらのことを皆さんに理解してもらうことです。もしあなたが無関心であったり、私が泣き言を言っていると思うならば、それでも結構です。私は警察がところかまわず外国人のチェク行えるルールを廃止するべきだと思います。それは非常に屈辱的です。
私には日本人がそのルールを廃止するために投票したり、誰々を作成してくれるかどうか分かりません。しかし、どうぞ助けて下さい。私のためだけでなく、すべての外国人がトラブルを起こさず、日本文化を尊重するために。
現在、２０１２年です。この問題は存在すべきではありません。私達は右翼やアメリカのTea Partyのようになるべきではありません。できれば、このメッセージを他の人にも広げて下さい。変わることはどこかで始まらなければなりません。そう思いませんか？ 私は切に望んでいます。もしこのポストがあなたを悩ますようなことがあれば、すみません。でも、このメッセージを伝えなければなりません。
Just thought I’d share this…has anyone else had this problem and like to share your experience? I haven’t personally, but I have heard about it happening to others. What are your thoughts? I know there are illegals here but I’m not sure if the problem is at a level where gaikokujin need to be harassed about documents. Anyone have any insight into this? I’m curious how widespread this issue is if at all…
Thanks for sharing CS!
Loco
How is CS, I mean physically ? Asian, black, white ?
Police never bothered me when I was on vacation, I’m sure it’s because my wife (Japanese) was next to me all the time, but I’ll move to Japan in two months, and I will be alone all day long … I don’t know how I’ll react to that, I don’t want to hear “go home” … that’s sad.
Hello,
My advice when you move to Japan is to make friends and join groups. Network as much as possible, especially for better job prospects, unless you already have a good job lined up. Maybe even (and this is something I maybe I should have done) introduce yourself to the officers in your neighboorhood and nearby station first.
As for the times when you’re alone, I hope you know some Japanese. May not help for every situation, but it helps quite a bit. Actually, even if you’re with your wife, I’ve heard of some cases where the wife gets verbally attacked. In that case, I hope your wife is strong willed.
I’ll explain my background in a later post.
Sounds pretty horrible and something that no one should have to go through. Is it possible to give us some information about this person’s appearance, as it most likely plays a big part.
I have never been asked for the card, except for one time I got pulled over for a traffic fine by the police, where he asked in a very polite manner, “were you born in Japan?” before asking for the card which I thought was very professional.
Anyway, what this person is going through is simple harassment and is wrong. I don’t really know what to say, but I do hope things improve. Don’t let your heart listen to those arseholes.
I hope so too one day.
Hi friend. I have reviewed your wonderful blog and wish you the best – its on my url – Personally, I don’t get upset when Im targeted. I just try to be polite about it just like my ma taught me. You sound like a man who would do the same. Take care friend.
A few years back a buddy taught English to a group of Tokyo police detectives required to study. He asked about this business of routinely stopping the same gaijin again and again. (One guy claimed on the Debito blog claimed to have been stopped 50 times in Shibuya.)
My friend was told police boxes are given directives from time to time to check foreigners. Yes, but why the same gaijin when he was stopped by the same officer in front of the same police box just two weeks earlier? My buddy said it`s about quotes and paper pushing. The officers are aware it`s the same foreigner but they need another “gaijin bust” and it doesn`t matter or so I was told.
However, no doubt what you look like and where you come from plays a part in who gets stopped and who doesn`t.
25 years in Japan and I`ve only been stopped once. (Drunk and shouting on a pay phone across from a police box.)
I’ve also taught a police officer, though he’s usually on the trains and in the train stations trying to stop thieves. I’ve never asked him about this. I wish I did. But he’s pretty international, and frequently goes overseas to participate in triathlons or marathons. Athletic guy, and he’s over 50 years old.
“However, no doubt what you look like and where you come from plays a part in who gets stopped and who doesn`t.”
Maybe, maybe not. Baye, who is an African American, hasn’t had this problem. Yet, a Caucasian American that I knew at a share house I stayed in has lived here in 5 years and has dealt with this problem. He told me that after an officer checked his ID, which still had Nova as his employer (this was after the collapse), the officer asked him “Shouldn’t you return back to your country?” and laughed at him.
7 years and never.
during my four years in Okinawa I have been stopped twice by police asking for my passport/gaijin card. The first time I had been in the country maybe 3-4 months and was driving down the street. Not breaking any laws, mind you, just driving normally like everyone else. Yet I got singled out and asked to show my papers. The second time I was coming out of a Lawson’s after having just paid a bill. After grilling me for what seemed like eons, the cops then (maybe jokingly) asked if I could give them English lessons.
It’s sad. This is the type of stuff that goes down in Arizona and people just seem to think it’s all good in the hood.
And, of course, during election season (and a few other times of the year now that I think about it….) some politician comes out and takes an anti-foreigner stance. It’s especially bad down here due to the military presence. It’s amazing how different people treat you when they think you’re part of the military vs. when they think you’re an English teacher or something else.
In my 3 years here I have been stopped once.but I am a white guy under 5.11. I think it all depends on the area and what you look like. Also whether or not you have experienced discrimination before. It certainly exists in japan but I would say foreigners in the us have similar experiences. At least as far as I have seen with my Japanese wife and other Japanese friends that have been to the us.
“It certainly exists in japan but I would say foreigners in the us have similar experiences. At least as far as I have seen with my Japanese wife and other Japanese friends that have been to the us.”
Of course. A Japanese in Alabama, Utah or any bible belt area will most likely encounter some issues. Probably not unwarranted random checks from officers, but other things.
This was in California, LA area. My wife got pulled over a few times for no reason just so they could check her ID. People being really rude when she is shopping and swearing at her when she had trouble understanding etc.
For the most part everyone is friendly but there are ass holes in every country.
Interesting. What areas did the pull overs happen in Los Angeles if I may ask? I’m from the San Fernando Valley.
I can’t say I’m surprised at some of those incidents with shop owners and public servants happening in LA. The random pull overs, though, you got me there.
It wasn’t on the freeway I believe it was around the Santa Monica area. Olympic of the 405 think I can’t exactly remember exactly.
I am not Japanese.
Firstly, I fully support the principle of checking whether foreigners have the correct paperwork. There is nothing untoward or xenophobic about it either. The person who wrote in said that it was the fifth time in six months; that’s roughly once every 5 weeks, I don’t actually think that’s that bad. Is it demeaning? Perhaps. Is it necessary? I believe so. Maybe they could schedule it a little better, I would probably be annoyed at being late for work.
As for being told to “go home” and receiving racist abuse or whatever, I receive that in my own country of birth, it’s sad and wrong and whatever, but it’s just one of those things people have to live with. I received some abuse in Japan, but I’m used to it so it didn’t really bother me. I’m not saying abuse or harassment is right in any way, but you can either become an activist, or enjoy what precious little free time you have in workaholic Japan and do something more fun.
If you can’t deal with the realities of being a foreigner in any country, not just Japan, then maybe you should consider returning home.
I realise my views aren’t very politically correct (I know, I know, as a foreigner I’m supposed to be all for blurring of the lines between gaijin and the Japanese), and I’m guaranteed to be castigated by Loco and just about everyone, but I don’t mind. I just thought I’d add a different perspective to what is going to be a very one sided argument.
How do the police know you’re not a Japanese so that they should stop you to check for ID? Do they have a magic device that allows them to determine who is a citizen and who is not? No, they don’t. It’s called racial profiling. Japanese people do not have any obligation to show ID to a police officer when asked, but foreign people do. This can result in a naturalized Japanese or a foreign looking ethnic Japanese or part-ethnic Japanese person who is a citizen being unlawfully detained. You think it’s OK, necessary and good that this happen 5 times in a month and make them late for work? Fuck you. You are the enemy of free societies everywhere, a little Eichmann ready to jump out and support the next Hitler. We don’t need this kind of police state behavior. If someone causes a problem, that’s one thing, but if a person is acting peacefully they shouldn’t have to deal with the fuzz. The end.
Same thing is true of racial profiling in Arizona.
I’m reading similar stories recently quite often.
It’s so sad! I can’t imagine what I’d do if that ever happened to me
I think it also depends on where you are and on your outer appearance. Maybe it also depends who’s with you.
IN my 5 years in Japan I’ve been asked for my gaijin card only once.
However, the police officers were checking on all foreigners there and were extremely friendly, having a nice small talk with us (in Japanese).
Thanks for sharing!
I think there are a variety of reasons people randomly get stopped and it’s just irritating when it happens.
In my 10+ years here, I’ve been stopped about 4 times on my bicycle, which I’ll just call the “RWG” (RIding While Gaijin) phenomenon. Each time was just a pure bullshit stop which varied from “we’re looking for a stolen bike” to “we’re checking registration stickers” to “we’re checking IDs”. The funniest had to be the time in Yoyogi Park: I was whipping through the park, got stopped by two officers, one chatted with me (where are you from? what do you do? can I see your Gaikokujin Touroku Shoumeisho?) while the other phoned in my bicycle sticker #. As this was going on, a young Japanese guy rode by with a girl standing on the back of his bicycle (i.e, double-riding). It was literally a few weeks after a supposed crack down on double-riding and heavier fines for it, etc., and one of the policemen hollered out in polite Japanese: “be careful you two!” (O_O；)
I have been stopped about 3 times on the street while walking to a nearby convenience store, once on Christmas Eve, which I thought was very festive. I had the misfortune of living with a koban between my apartment and the station (a 3-minute walk away). The convenience store was on the other side of the koban too. There was definitely a pattern to the stops: they ALWAYS happened when a more senior officer was in the koban for the evening, literally pushing the rookies out on to the sidewalk to stop passing gaikokujin to ask for their cards. The younger ones always seemed somewhat embarrassed and apologetic. I got the sense it was either a quota thing or a training exercise.
I’ve also been stopped about 4 times at Narita while walking through the Terminal – yes, it’s a lovely welcome or farewell message to any visitors, which basically says: we’re stopping all foreign-looking people and checking their passports in case they are doing something illegal. The last time was just recently and it was just literally as I was about to step into the bag check/scan area – I tore a strip off the guy and he looked pretty meek about it (again with a more senior colleague at his side).
So, adding that all up, I’m at about an average of once every 14 months, which is ridiculous when you think about it. However, I generally just go with the flow, show my card, answer the questions politely and it’s all over very quickly. Is it right that people who “look foreign” get stopped? No. Is it discriminatory? Yes. That being said, it’s not really an individual police officer problem: they are doing what they are permitted to do within the scope of the Police Duties Execution Law, so I try not to waste energy on the actual transaction as it occurs and just get on with my day.
Unfortunately, the plea from your original message writer is not likely to go anywhere any time soon: most Japanese people have no idea that non-Japanese residents even carry identification cards, so I don’t think we’ll see Japanese people “starting a petition” on this issue with all the other things they could be petitioning (let’s start with disbanding TEPCO for one).
As for ken44@yahoo.com‘s assertion that “what you look like and where you come from plays a part in who gets stopped and who doesn`t”, I think there’s probably some truth to that in terms of the number of times that some people get stopped, but I actually think it’s way more widespread than most people would think (I’m in my mid-40s, am dressed well, and come from Canada, so it’s not like I NEED to live in Japan).
Here’s an interesting read from a Japanese person who’s experienced this: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/opinion/08iht-edkumiko.html
“Unfortunately, the plea from your original message writer is not likely to go anywhere any time soon: most Japanese people have no idea that non-Japanese residents even carry identification cards, so I don’t think we’ll see Japanese people “starting a petition” on this issue with all the other things they could be petitioning (let’s start with disbanding TEPCO for one).”
Hey, it doesn’t hurt to try. Maybe more Japanese should know, I don’t know why foreigners have never made this issue known to them. The law to randomly check foreigners has been in place for sixty years. The internet has been a developed source of information at least for the past ten years, and really only Debito has made these issues known (albeit only in English). Other guys (Laszlo, etc.) had given up by then.
I’d like to know a few things about the person’s circumstances. What was he wearing? What was he doing? Was there anything unusual about his behaviour at the time that he was stopped by the police? Is he white, black, Asian, Indian, etc? What kind of haircut does he have? Yeah, I think appearance is a major reason why certain people are targeted, but so is behaviour. But if there’s nothing out of the ordinary, then why? I have no idea what to say.
I’ve never been stopped by the police in all of my 7 years living in Yokohama, Kamakura and Fujisawa. I’ve spoken with police officers (2 students, an officer who was reminding all businesses about safety recommendations who also happened to have a daughter studying English at another of our branches, a pair of officers going door to door to remind people about locking doors and windows to prevent theft, one in a koban to get directions and another in Sakuragicho to get directions to a drugstore so I can get painkillers for a headache) who were all nice and friendly with me. That’s the extent of my experience with the police in Japan. Maybe I just look like an average white guy who is non-threatening.
I had the Narita thing happen on our way out. I was sitting with my children and an Officer was only checking the foreigners’ passports. He was gruff and businesslike, but honestly at the time I didn’t think a thing of it. Par for the course.
Though, if that kind of stuff happened at LAX or SFO, nowadays – it’d have made national news and the officers would have been fired on the spot for discrimination.
But roll back 50 years ago and no one would have thought a thing about it.
So really, they’re just working it out and it will occur to them or not. Can’t change it. Not really. Not as non-Japanese.
In my seven years in the Nagoya area of Japan, I’ve had a few incidents with the police. For some odd reason, the frequency of random stops was high in my first few years. I was often stopped when riding my bike, almost weekly. The police always politely asked to see my ARC, I always politely obliged, and the situation was usually over within a minute. Never have the police been rude to me. I haven’t been stopped in the last five years.
Some foreigners may scream discrimination, but I’ve seen Japanese being stopped, too. People who “appear” foreign may be stopped more often than natives, but if you have your ARC and aren’t doing anything wrong, the police will finish with you quickly.
sad thing is I am still more likely to be stopped and frisked in New York
Hello to some of you Geraldo Riveras wondering what I look like and what I was wearing…
What if I was wearing baggy jeans, a wifebeater shirt and a hoodie when the police stopped me? I’ve seen Japanese dress in a similar style when I was working in Shibuya by the way.
What if I have shaved head, lip ring and a lot of tattoos all over my arms when I was stopped? I’ve also seen a Japanese dude with this look by the way.
What if I was wearing a turban, sporting a large beard when the police stopped me? I have not seen a Japanese like this, heh.
After all, if I looked like any of those descriptions then you figure certainly that would be the reason the police checked me out right? I’m curious from some of you that are wondering…if I was actually dressed like that would you feel that the police were justified? Should it matter if the person isn’t causing any ruckus at all, silently minding their own business only to be profiled just to meet a quota? Seriously, how many illegal foreigners are in Japan that the yakuza haven’t been responsible for bringing in?
Now the truth. That morning, it was business pants, shirt, and a Uniqlo (that’s Japan made!) fleece jacket. Regularly, I wear collared shirts. Sometimes I go casual and wear jeans and *gasp* long sleeved shirts. Sometimes I want to act like a salaryman and go business casual. My work place is OK with any of those styles.
I’m not in the military, I’m not a shady club promoter from (insert African country), nor am I just another “English teacher.” No offense to English teachers and Tokyo club promoters, but it seems to perpetuate a stigma. I’m a software engineer.
Now that I’ve disclosed my whole wardrobe and job occupation, I guess it’s down to the eternally important classification…race. I’m the same ethnicity as the very author of this site. However, since we have a white Canadian woman that’s had her share of troubles and the white American male that I knew that had his share, sort of debunks some of that “race ranking” theory that I hear about eh? So really, it doesn’t matter what you look like. If you don’t look Asian or they hear a different language coming from your mouth, then you’re “ranked.”
This message isn’t specifically to commenters, but to anyone reading…
To those that hasn’t had this experience, it could happen to you one day or maybe luckily never. Or maybe you don’t care. It’s just a “microagression” in your opinion. Fair enough. If you stay long term, get married, have kids, etc., let me know how it goes with your kids, when you try to buy a house, or find out your eijuuken isn’t so permanent.
I’m no activist, but somewhere, something’s gotta give.
I am sure it is 100% because we are non Japanese that we get singled out but for the most part I haven’t really had a problem with it. I have only been asked for my card the one time and other than the initial confusion it was over in a couple min.
When I think hard about it I can come up with people who have been rude to me but there are ass holes everywhere so I don’t really think much of it other than asking silently “who pissed in your cheerios this morning?”.
Like you said though, if I decide to live here indefinitely, buy a house, raise kids here, etc maybe I would have a different tune. I guess time will tell.
I was wondering the same exact thing while reading all of these comments. And by that reasoning, it’s okay to stop and ID people who don’t fit into some conservative daily living dress-code?? Really??
I thought we were all a bit more open-minded than this. Unless the police are stopping me because I match the description of a perp running the street or I’ve been caught jay-walking (very possible), it’s really not okay. It’s not okay in Japan or America, or anywhere. We should stop excusing people as just ‘trying to make a living’ because what they’re are doing to make a living is not right.
I wish I had more colorful commentary to add, but I just want people it’s not okay to stop people because they have tattoos (me), or piercings (me) or dress in clothes that would not be seen as normal (oh, me). It’s sad enough people are forced into dress codes just to sit in offices all day, now we need a dress code just to run and get some milk? Sorry, that’s just cray :/
I was stopped twice by the police and asked for I.D. and, on one occasion, for the receipt for my bicycle (because I carry a receipt for all of my possessions with me at all times, right?). I’m Caucasian and dress pretty normally, have no tattoos or jewelry and don’t wear make-up. My hair is a boring style and has always been its natural color (strawberry blonde).
The police stop foreigners because they’re told to whether there is a reason to or not. They’re fulfilling quotas in order to make reports about their actions and justify their existence. They target foreigners because being seen to do so comforts natives and it gives them a way of fulfilling their “checked for stolen bikes” quota with less hassle to Japanese people. I’m sure they disproportionately do this with foreigners (if they didn’t, only 2% of the people who were checked would be foreign and 98% would be Japanese, and the Japanese often won’t put up with it – they ignore them or ride on by at times).
This is racial profiling, pure and simple. Does it happen elsewhere? Of course. Does that make it okay for Japan to do it? No. It’s wrong everywhere and the fact that it happens in other countries doesn’t mean Japan is exempt from criticism. Suspects should be questioned because there is a reasonable assumption of guilt. People should not be suspected based on superficial appearances. In theory, in the U.S., you have to be suspected of a crime to be carded as a foreigner (by law). In Japan, by law, they can do whatever they want to you. Police may ignore the law (or bend it) in the U.S. to harass people, but Japan doesn’t even have a law for us to stand behind.
Thank you. As usual when you comment on this site…always on point.
ARC Law allows Police to demand proof of visa: only when “in the performance of Police Duties 職務執行”.
And the Police Duties are clearly defined and limited by “The Police Duties Law, Article 2 職務執行 法 第二条”.
The Police Duties Law states Officers are able to stop a person for questioning: ONLY in 3 specific cases:
#1 If the Police Officer makes a reasonable judgment that a crime is being committed.
#2 If the Police Officer has enough reason to suspect that a person will commit a crime.
#3 If the person has acknowledged that he knows about a crime that will be committed.
http://www.houko.com/00/01/S23/136.HTM
So, outside of those 3 specific cases, the police officer is simply hoping you will voluntarily agree to submit to his requests.
Here is how a strong “alien” handles a police officer’s suspicion-less request for visa-proof:
He says, “If you have a suspicion of a crime, I’ll show you my card, but if you have no suspicion of a crime I refuse to show it to you.”
And he makes the officer show HIS I.D. to keep the officer accountable, resulting in the officer admitting,
“OK. You can go. I asked to see your ID, and you refused: I can’t make you show it to me, because there there is no suspicion of a crime. You are free to go.”
http://www.debito.org/?p=5221
Here is how a strong Japanese person handles a police officer’s suspicion-less request for conversation:
俺職務質問頻繁にうけるけど冷静に法律論だせば全然くらいついてこないよ。
つねに冷静にすること。以下の手順を試してみな。
１．警察官職務執行法２条１項の任意の職務質問であることを確認
２．警察手帳規則５条に基づいて警察手帳を呈示させる
３．職務質問は任意だから、もう行ってもいいか聞く。
ここまでくると警察官のほうがびびるよ。あくまでも冷静に対応。
逆上すると逆効果。たいてい３までくると「いいよ」で解放される。
もししつこく聞いてきたら、
「任意なのにしつこいです。これ以上しつこい
なら警察法第７９条に基づいて公安委員会に苦情を申し立てます」
と決め台詞をいう。これでOK
もし持ち物検査させろとか身体検査させろっていわれたら、
憲法３５条と刑事訴訟法に基づいて令状見せてっていってごらん。
ぐうの音もでないから、これらのことを断ったからといって
公務執行妨害では絶対に絶対に逮捕できないから大丈夫。あくまでも
冷静に対応すべし。
(僕は東京大学理科一類から工学部大学院を卒業後、司法書士、税理士を取得
現在は一橋大学法科大学院に在学。警察官はみな人の税金で卒配されたのに
警察官職務執行法も、警察手帳規則も理解してない。)
Which is fine if your Japanese is good enough to fight with him or you have the time to argue with him over principle but isn’t it just easier to show your card and be on your way? Assuming that you are here legally?
@Nick
One final question I forgot to include about your wife being pulled over, but wanted to ask and then I’ll put it to rest. Did the officers give you a reason why they pulled over? Because by law in the U.S. they have to. If they didn’t you and your wife have a right to ask why you were being pulled over, but I’m sure you knew that.
Sorry if it seems like I’m hounding you, but you know, you’re saying Olympic / 405 area in Santa Monica / West LA and that area is a constant traffic jam until the dead of the night and then it’s just DUI checkpoint central.
To be honest I couldn’t tell you since I wasn’t with her at the time and she was pretty confused about the while thing (similar to how I was when I was asked for my gaijin card the first time). She said she was just pulling out of the shopping center for the Japanese market. I doubt she did something strange since she is a better driver than me but she had to show her license and green card.
I know she didn’t have to show more than her license, registration, and proof of insurance but she didn’t know that.
I was pretty confused about the whole thing when she told me about it. She couldn’t figure out why they stopped her and they didn’t say.
You have the right to decline all requests to submit to suspicion-less checks.
When done correctly, it actually takes LESS time to decline, than it takes to submit their suspicion-less check.
If you submit to a suspicion-less illegal-alien-check, even though you are legal, the police officer can hold your card for as long as he wants, pretending to have trouble reading it, so you’re stuck there for as long as he wants. Enjoy being late for work and possibly docked pay or fired.
Or, he can start asking you questions repeatedly in various forms, trying to catch you giving slightly imperfect answers, because (if he’s behind his monthly quota, and he’s trying to avoid being punished for that) he can then easily arrest you for “lying” to a police officer. Enjoy your stay in jail for the next 33 days, while they decide whether or not to prosecute you for your slightly incongruent answers.
Or, he can start asking you to empty your pockets into his hat, and to allow a full body pat down, because (again, if he’s behind his monthly quota, and he’s trying to avoid being punished for that) he can then easily arrest you for “suspicious items” in a bottle. Enjoy your stay in jail for the next 33 days, while they check out whether or not your bottle of legally-prescribed medicine actually contained legally-prescribed medicine.
Or, he can start asking you to step into their van and pee in a cup, because (again, if he’s behind his monthly quota, and he’s trying to avoid being punished for that) he can then easily come to your home 6 months later and arrest you for “either definitively positive, or border-line grey-zone results”. Enjoy your stay in jail for the next 33 days, while they search your home thoroughly and wonder whether or not you simply had eaten too many poppy-seed muffins 7 months ago, or if you simply had been at a concert where unknowingly second-hand-smoke from someone’s joint had entered your lungs.
Police officers have quotas, and they have families to feed, and when it comes to having to make a decision between feeding their families or throwing an innocent stranger in jail for 33 days, the decision is easy.
#1 “I need to write down your name, your badge number, and your station location (knowing your station location is required for making official complaints): so please show me your Police I.D. Card = Techou.”
(repeat until he shows his Techou long enough for you to write down those 3 items, he is required by law to allow you to write down all 3 items and even to photograph his Techou to make sure you got it right – you are legally allowed to record every moment of every encounter with public workers: koumuin)
#2 “I need to confirm that you have no suspicion of me committing any crime: are you saying that merely by looking at me you have reasonable suspicion that I am committing a crime?”
(repeat until he admits this fact, he is required by law to admit you are not yet a suspect)
#3 “I need to confirm that because you have no reasonable suspicion that I am committing a crime, I am free to go: am I free to go now?”
(repeat until he admits you can go now, he is required by law to admit you can go now)
And in just 3 easy steps, you walk away WITHOUT submitting to the risk of 33 days in jail.
Jusr remember, as the Todai Law Graduate mentioned above in Japanese, you must do the 3 steps TOTALLY CALMLY.
Raising your voice at a police officer is actually an arrestable offense.
So remember to simply quietly go through the 3 confirmations, peacefully, quietly, calmly.
冷静に法律論だせば全然くらいついてこないよ。
つねに冷静にすること。あくまでも冷静に対応すべし。
In the 20+ years I’ve been in JP I’ve never been randomly stopped by police. I’ve been to the local koban any number of times and have never been asked to show ID. I’ve stopped in at any number of koban in Tokyo and other cities for directions, I’ve never been asked to show ID. I have been stopped twice for traffic violations and both times the police asked for my drivers license first, gaijin card second.
It would not surprise me to learn that police are given quotas or told to perform random checks, regardless of whether or not there is suspicion of a crime, just as the police perform random checks for drunk drivers, checking seat belt use, etc. Having said that, I think the police could spend their time doing more productive police work then randomly stopping foreigners to check ID or confirming a bicycle registration number.
Something to consider before you try out the ‘how a strong “alien” handles a police officer’s suspicion-less request for visa-proof’, the police can hold you for a rather long time without actually charging you with a crime.
Oh, for all you Geraldo Riveras; I’m a white male without body art or piercings and relatively short hair. I tend to dress on the conservative-surfer-casual side. I live in Kanagawa and work in Setagaya. I lived in Aomori the first 3 yrs in JP while in the US military.
Stopped once in 5+ years by an apologetic officer. I’ve passed hundreds of koban and frequently ask police for directions. Not sure what to tell you. Maybe it’s less common in Tokyo. Maybe it’s demeanor.
Uhh…I live in Tokyo??
Sorry, I got fixated on the Shizouka reference. I think the “community policing” model in Japan also has something to do with this. The police are pretty active in any number of ways, and foreigner checks are just one way they assert their presence. A lot of people say that the bicycle checks are a silly waste of time, but that’s actually a manifestation of a well established policing approach in Japan. The belief is that constant vigilance against low level crime prevents the escalation to higher level crime; sometimes called the “broken window” theory. Japan police have become a model for many police departments around the world, because of the community policing approach. Unfortunately foreigners tend to experience the vigilance doctrine disproportionally while also failing to recognize the role policing has in creating the very safe society we all enjoy in Japan. Yes, the police target foreigners for random checks, but it’s part of a larger set of police techniques (many of which inconvenience Japanese on occasion too).
I’ve been stopped for biking while non-Japanese (white) once in several years in Japan, where they check the bike registration, etc. The officer spoke rude Japanese (no -desu -masu, gruff, generally unacceptable oral mannerisms), asked if I was new in the area, didn’t apologize, etc. I’ve also had a random home immigration check, which is supposedly illegal but not unheard of. Otherwise, officers have been very nice and polite in my experience, fulfilling their duty of providing directions to those who stop to ask for them, their primary function.
5 times in a month would be crazy high for Tokyo as a white person, based on the experiences of friends.
I was always fairly sad when I ran into policeman and not have them give a damn that I was a foreigner. I’d always wanted to be the target of advert racism and such, but I was always treated like a part of the general community – trains, restaurants, and such. I don’t regret it, but it’d be nice to experience just to say, “Hey, it was done to me, too.”
Hearing all these radical stories about how people have had to tolerate such obvious racism is crazy. Not sure what to feel. Guess I’ll just take my acceptance and flow with it.
Man when I read this article I thought it was a wind up, the writing style is so similar to the “hairy white prince” blog that you linked in a previous post. Especially when CS names his friend _____________ in full. I was giggling to myself and then reading down all the comments it seems genuine. did anyone else see the comedy? Especially the bit about getting used to having smoke blown in his face, or am I just a cunt?
I’ve lived here about 5 years and have been stopped 4 or five times. Maybe it doesn’t seem like a lot but each time is a little humiliating in that I am invariably just walking down the street minding my own business.
I did recently lose my wallet and went to the Kouban near my house in hopes it was there.
Thankfully some obaasan found it and brought it there.
The older cop was less than enthused to see me however.
About 20 minutes of paperwork before he finally says, “give me your fingerprint”.
I should have refused of course, what did I do wrong?, but it was hot, tired, and I just wanted to go home.
Funny thing is a younger cop behind him says “Ohhh…you don’t need to do that boss” after I did.
The older cop just waved him off and said “oh really?”.
I felt like I was the criminal and definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.
When I lost my gaijin card a few years ago, there was none of that.
Cops were nice and I was in and out in 5 minutes.
Just depends on the person and if they have a hate on for foreigners.
I lived in the Tokyo area for 4 years, and was stopped on several different occassions at Narita Airport. I’m a white woman, and was in my mid-20’s at the time. My job required me to pick-up and drop off people at Narita often, and I doubt it was a coincident that I was never stopped when I had a Japanese coworker with me.
Part of my job in Japan was overseeing some college-aged interns from the US, Canada, and Australia. One day I got a call from a white 20-year old girl who we had stationed down in Osaka. She was walking to work, which was in a nice office building in Minamimori-cho, when a middle-aged guy started speaking to her. She kept walking because she spoke only basic Japanese and thought he was trying to pick her up, but he kept talking to her and followed her several blocks, and even rode the elevator into her office with her. She was obviously freaking out at this point, and called a coworker for help. Turned out it was a plaincloths cop who was doing a random gaikokujin card check. Before you ask, no, he never showed her his badge or any other ID when he was following her.
The girl’s Japanese coworkers just laughed the incident off, which is why she called me. I raised a fuss with my boss in Tokyo, and he informed the Kansai staff that their reaction was unacceptable and that they needed to lodge a complaint with the police. They did, but apparently the police will only let you file an official complaint if they agree that one of their officers acted inappropriately, and unsurprisingly the police wrote it off as a “language/cultural misunderstanding.” They had the officer informally appologize to the girl for “making her upset.” We were pissed, but as far as we knew there was nothing else we could do to protest.
Shortly before I moved back to California I was stopped by a pair of cops while waiting for some people at Narita, and I decided that I had had enough of this stuff and I didn’t have much to lose since I was leaving Japan soon. I point-blank asked them (in polite but firm Japanese) if I was required to show them my card. They responded vaguely, but eventually said that it was voluntary. I then said I did not want to show them my ID because it was a violation of my privacy. They talked to me a little longer, but I kept calmly and politely declining, so they eventually gave up and moved on to another person. It was a nice little victory.
Ariel wrote on July 3rd, 2012:
“I point-blank asked the police
(in polite but firm Japanese)
if I was required to show them my card:
They eventually admitted that it was VOLUNTARY.”
If everyone will simply remember the word above: VOLUNTARY (nin’i) （任意）
and calmly repeat “Can I go now?” when asked to submit to VOLUNTARY checks,
you will be on your way much quicker, and there will be less need to complain.
It takes courage to refuse suspicion-less I.D. “requests” by police officers.
To gain courage to refuse suspicion-less I.D. “requests” here are 15 Successes:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/42/u6uw7506xMw January 8, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/41/K8hcf1flFHA January 9, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/40/irYJVn2k6zU January 20, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/39/TuIwz8ddAYo January 23, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/37/fKDdH8xtpN4 February 1, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/35/yHqpuVetLeo March 3, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/34/xZ8dothFvx8 March 21, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/33/mC1hXigi6xc April 1, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/32/gRk3awO1Jq0 April 22, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/31/Fv8hoQYeVl0 May 27, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/29/kG5FFilmjfc September 4, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/28/DDLlEh0x2XA November 26, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/24/sDjB1e7CNF4 August 22, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/9/Z2aCrrL3CWQ December 2, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA#p/u/8/VdDEBT-UoJ0 February 25, 2011
The brave man refusing, Terrence Bressi, was eventually arrested in 2002 for refusing.
In the end, the police officers who illegally arrested him for refusing will have to financially compensate him for this blatant violation of his civil rights:
“This is a civil rights complaint to vindicate the civil rights of Terrence Bressi (“Bressi”) that were violated by the Defendants, individual police officers who were acting in their capacity as officers of the State of Arizona in enforcing Arizona state law. While conducting an illegal roadblock on State Route 86 in Arizona on December 20, 2002, Defendants seized Bressi’s person and vehicle without reasonable suspicion and demanded Bressi produce identification papers, all in violation of Bressi’s rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. When Bressi declined, he was arrested and charged with two violations of Arizona state law in Pima County Justice Court in Ajo, Arizona. On December 9, 2003, all charges against Bressi were dismissed with prejudice.
On December 20, 2002, Bressi was driving eastbound on SR-86 in Arizona. Near milepost 143 on SR-86 he encountered a roadblock set up by the Defendants. At the roadblock, Bressi was forced to stop and was approached by Lieutenant Ford, who demanded Bressi’s identification papers. Bressi inquired with Defendants as to whether this stop complied with United States Supreme Court cases regarding sobriety checkpoints and roadblocks for several minutes, prompting Officer Traviolia to state that it was clear Bressi was not intoxicated. When the Defendants were satisfied that Bressi was not intoxicated, they no longer had legal justification to continue to detain Bressi.
Rather than release Bressi and allow him to continue on his way, Lieutenant Ford, Officer Traviolia, and Officer O’Dell continued to detain Bressi and demand his identification papers. Bressi informed them that they were acting in contravention to state and federal law regarding constitutionality of roadblocks, but the officers persisted. The officers then arrested Bressi and removed him from his vehicle and cited him with violations of A.R.S. §§ 28-1595(B) and 28-622(A). Bressi was detained for approximately three hours. During that time he observed the operations of the roadblock. Bressi observed the Defendants and other officers allowing some drivers to pass without stopping while demanding identification papers from others.
While working at suspicionless roadblocks, Defendants Saunders, Ford, Traviolia, and O’Dell stopped drivers not only for the purpose of determining whether drivers were intoxicated, but also for the purposes of checking driver’s licenses, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance, and they used the driver’s licenses to call dispatch to check if drivers had “wants or warrants” in the state and/or national databases. While working at suspicionless roadblocks, Defendants Ford and Traviolia requested consent from drivers to conduct trunk searches, and upon obtaining that consent they conducted trunk searches, without any reasonable suspicion.
Bressi enjoys a right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The United States Supreme Court has clearly established those rights as applied to sobriety checkpoints and roadblocks in Michigan Dept. Of State Police v. Sitz, 496 U.S. 444, 110 S.Ct. 2481 (1990), and City of Indianapolis v. Edmond, 531 U.S. 32, 121 S.Ct. 447 (2000).
Bressi’s civil rights were violated when the Defendants seized his person and vehicle without reasonable suspicion pursuant to a roadblock that did not satisfy Constitutional requirements stated in Sitz and Edmond. Plaintiff requests that this Court award damages in the amount of $7,500.00 to compensate him for expenses in defending the criminal charges filed against him by Defendants. Plaintiff requests that this Court award damages in an amount to be determined to compensate him for the violation of his civil rights. Plaintiff requests that this Court permanently enjoin any and all Defendants from violating the Constitution and laws of the United States and of the State of Arizona when conducting roadblocks and sobriety checkpoints on public rights-of-way.”
https://www.checkpointusa.org/Checkpoints/checkpoints.htm
https://www.checkpointusa.org/roadblock/lawsuit.htm
https://www.checkpointusa.org/blog/
Bottom line, suspicion-less I.D. checks are VOLUNTARY in Japan and in the U.S.A.
http://www.locoinyokohama.com/2012/06/14/do-you-feel-youve-been-targeted-and-harassed-in-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-106864
http://www.locoinyokohama.com/2012/06/14/do-you-feel-youve-been-targeted-and-harassed-in-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-106899
http://www.locoinyokohama.com/2012/06/14/do-you-feel-youve-been-targeted-and-harassed-in-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-106947
PS – The police who illegally arrested Bressi for his refusal
were forced to pay Bressi $210,000 on June 9th, 2012. Boo-ya!
https://www.checkpointusa.org/blog/index.php/2012/06/09/p255#more255
Japanese police have been the nicest bunch of guys and a few women I’ve met. It’s the regular people I had problems with. I guess it’s because I’m a woman, and I started off in Japanese to them.
One guy was studly looking. He sure made me smile to/from work!! 🙂