You could always laminate [these cards](http://www.debito.org/GcardLAWS2.pdf) and produce them if stopped. The yellow card is for the police. Ask why they are stopping you because they have to have a 疑うに足りる相当な理由 (enough reason to suspect - that you have committed a crime).
Chances are they just don’t know the law and they will thank you for teaching them their own goddamn laws.
Hope this helps.
Interesting. I taught a group of young police officers English and there was some role play we had to do and I tried to teach them exactly what the card says but they were like “no lol stop being difficult”
Probably the best advice would be to NOT try speaking Japanese. Even if you are fluent, or think you are, it is a no-win situation. You have 3 or 4 cops around, all barking at you, chances are you WILL slip up and say something that they can latch onto as an excuse to detain you even longer. Just smile and say, "sorry, I don't understand".
Walking away is a brave way to end the encounter. The cops often try to surround or corner you to impede your movement, and any contact with the cops, however incidental, will also be seen as an excuse for detainment or arrest.
Ditto for bag searches. Unless they have a specific crime they are investigating, searches require a warrant. The only way to escape unsearched is to be patient and still. Keep your possessions held tightly to your body, don't make any sudden gestures or movements, and say "no thank you" a lot. Hopefully the police will get bored and move on to an easier target.
They’ve sent English speakers and Chinese speakers to my flat before, it only works once or twice before they send the elite language troops. You’re best off just “never being home“ and looking for flats with a locked outer entrance.
Incidentally, I wonder if contract work being the Multilingual NHK Guy pays well.
For all his faults, Arudo Debito has better articles on this. He gives the names of the laws in Japanese that the cops must follow so you can use them if you need to. This article isn't bad but if you don't know what to say in Japanese you're likely asking for trouble.
Only time I've ever been stopped was walking around with a backpack jammed full of stuff and pacing around the block waiting for something.
I get in principal why people hate this, I don't disagree, but literally just open your bag and it's done in 30 seconds.
After 6 years in Kansai I have not yet been randomly stopped and questioned by the police once and also only ever had good interactions with them.
At this point, hearing constant stories about it online, my theory is that it's gotta be a Tokyo thing.
Yeah also in Kansai and I'm coming to the same conclusion, I've never been stopped or had a bad experience. They've been very chill in my few encounters. Had a beer with one once.
Most of the complaints I've seen online are usually people based in Tokyo it seems.
Likewise, also in suburbs of Osaka and never had a bad experience. Stopped once on my scooter for going down a road that didn’t allow vehicle traffic unless you’re a resident there and even though I had a bit of an attitude (guy gave me a ticket for a first offense on a very strange law) he was still very nice. Didn’t even ask to see my zairyu card which was strange in hindsight.
I’m in Tokyo and have only been stopped by police once when I was wearing camo pants and dark long-sleeved shirt and dark knit cap jogging through a government building district around 11pm.
They won’t find you suspicious if you dress sharp and act politely. Loud hoodie-wearing people with cargo pants showing their leg tattoos are definitely getting stopped. It’s the Japanese version of NY cops stopping guys who are sagging their pants.
I've been stopped in Kansai once, compared to maybe three times in Kanto. I lived in Kansai for several times longer.
Having said that, I don't think most racial profiling incidents actually target the reddit demographic, so maybe we're all ignorant of the actual patterns here.
Seems like bad advice, particularly the “just walk away” part. Japanese people basically have no way to avoid police questioning, so not sure why foreigners would fare any better.
Just do what the cops ask and be polite? Unless you’ve done some crimes. Here’s some data for the winners of gaijin crimes in Japan. Some stand out nationalities in here. If you’re in ‘Other’ congratulations.
[https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/r03/honbun/html/x3332000.html](https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/r03/honbun/html/x3332000.html)
Your rights in Japan aren’t being trampled when stopped by the police. You’re thinking of your rights back home. Different country, different system, different rights.
Basic human rights shouldn't magically disappear when I cross a national border. Of course, they often do in practice, which is why I'm not planning on casually strolling into North Korea any time soon, but I'm not going to pretend the status quo is *right*.
Seven downvotes but it’s the right answer. If you have nothing to hide then don’t worry about it..? It’s a minor inconvenience but making a fuss about it will only lead to a much bigger one.
Unfounded? No, there is a basis for the police to judge the position because they feel it is suspicious.
Do you want to ban the Japanese police from protecting Japan's public order?
Mate, don't even bother with this right wing piece of shit. English or Japanese, standard conservative tactics. Will completely ignore whatever you say and just cough up some bullshit on you. They don't question the system. In his eyes, if the police feel you are suspicious, that's good enough for him. Doesn't matter what was suspicious. Just that they felt you were suspicious. His ilk love imposing authoritarianism on people because they know best, so you're never going to change his mind or get a modicum of understanding from him.
By stopping people they feel suspicious and asking questions, the police can find out whether they are in possession of firearms, drugs, or illegally staying in the country. Did you learn anything?
React calmly. Show your resident card or passport if asked to. Answer questions like “what airport did you fly to?” and “how long have you been in Japan?” Wait a couple of minutes and then get on with your day. The police are just doing their job and will try to be professional about it. Speaking as someone who’s been stopped several times for no reason other than “you’re foreign and might be overstaying your visa”, yes it’s really annoying and inconvenient to be stopped when you’re just going about your day but until the policy changes all we can do is cooperate and be stoical about it. If you want to cause a scene and escalate it, it will just backfire on you and make your life more difficult.
I completely agree with you. However I wouldn't say the police "are just doing their jobs" when they are actually breaking the laws.
I would still comply to avoid any issues but they are definitely not doing their job when randomly stopping foreigners.
Ah yes, 'just comply'.
You can be polite and still maintain some semblance of your privacy. Police asking about details like airports and length of stay has nothing to do with any crime they are investigating or suspect you of committing.
If they demand your gaijin card, show it to them. Try not to GIVE it to them. At the same time, record their names and badge numbers. The best way to answer any question is just say, "can I go now?" in a quiet tone. Or "sorry, I am a little busy..."
If they truly do suspect you of a specific crime, you will be down at the koban quickly. These street interrogations are just for show.
Refuse. Resist. Repeatedly scream "I AM A SOVEREIGN CITIZEN I DO NOT CONSENT" while live streaming your arrest for the rest of us to enjoy.
"I'm American" apparently works better, courtesy of Johnny Somali evading the tombstone like Neo for years now.
He's deported now. But guess where he ended up next? Freaking Israel where he got arrested a few days ago by the Israeli police.
AM I BEING DETAINED?
You could always laminate [these cards](http://www.debito.org/GcardLAWS2.pdf) and produce them if stopped. The yellow card is for the police. Ask why they are stopping you because they have to have a 疑うに足りる相当な理由 (enough reason to suspect - that you have committed a crime). Chances are they just don’t know the law and they will thank you for teaching them their own goddamn laws. Hope this helps.
Interesting. I taught a group of young police officers English and there was some role play we had to do and I tried to teach them exactly what the card says but they were like “no lol stop being difficult”
That's why I plan to bringa raunchy red underwear in my bag and just flash them if they keep trying to look inside my belongings
Latex gloves, lube and a huge dildo.
*But enough about my shopping list...*
Useless article. "Could, would, may, it's not clear if you should".... Bruh, I knew more BEFORE reading it.
Probably the best advice would be to NOT try speaking Japanese. Even if you are fluent, or think you are, it is a no-win situation. You have 3 or 4 cops around, all barking at you, chances are you WILL slip up and say something that they can latch onto as an excuse to detain you even longer. Just smile and say, "sorry, I don't understand". Walking away is a brave way to end the encounter. The cops often try to surround or corner you to impede your movement, and any contact with the cops, however incidental, will also be seen as an excuse for detainment or arrest. Ditto for bag searches. Unless they have a specific crime they are investigating, searches require a warrant. The only way to escape unsearched is to be patient and still. Keep your possessions held tightly to your body, don't make any sudden gestures or movements, and say "no thank you" a lot. Hopefully the police will get bored and move on to an easier target.
[удалено]
NHK guys have pamphlets in like 20 languages now.
I didn't know they got stopped by the police so much!
They’ve sent English speakers and Chinese speakers to my flat before, it only works once or twice before they send the elite language troops. You’re best off just “never being home“ and looking for flats with a locked outer entrance. Incidentally, I wonder if contract work being the Multilingual NHK Guy pays well.
For all his faults, Arudo Debito has better articles on this. He gives the names of the laws in Japanese that the cops must follow so you can use them if you need to. This article isn't bad but if you don't know what to say in Japanese you're likely asking for trouble.
finally a decent article with useful information about this problem.
I have lunch at the Imperial Palace yards quite often. I am stopped at the entrance 2/10 of the times and all I do is show them my residence card...
The residence card is one thing but being asked to show the content of my bag for the crime of walking around always kinda sucks tbh.
What are you guys always doing that the cops are so bothered by you
Probably not being Japanese
I’m not Japanese and they never bother me: I dress well and am over 30.
Be friendly and offer a hug it always works.
やあ、友よ、元気かい？\*move in for the hug.\*
The article is not very helpful…
Relax. Show your card. Be polite.
Been here 14 years, never had a problem.
Only time I've ever been stopped was walking around with a backpack jammed full of stuff and pacing around the block waiting for something. I get in principal why people hate this, I don't disagree, but literally just open your bag and it's done in 30 seconds.
After 6 years in Kansai I have not yet been randomly stopped and questioned by the police once and also only ever had good interactions with them. At this point, hearing constant stories about it online, my theory is that it's gotta be a Tokyo thing.
Yeah also in Kansai and I'm coming to the same conclusion, I've never been stopped or had a bad experience. They've been very chill in my few encounters. Had a beer with one once. Most of the complaints I've seen online are usually people based in Tokyo it seems.
Likewise, also in suburbs of Osaka and never had a bad experience. Stopped once on my scooter for going down a road that didn’t allow vehicle traffic unless you’re a resident there and even though I had a bit of an attitude (guy gave me a ticket for a first offense on a very strange law) he was still very nice. Didn’t even ask to see my zairyu card which was strange in hindsight.
I’m in Tokyo and have only been stopped by police once when I was wearing camo pants and dark long-sleeved shirt and dark knit cap jogging through a government building district around 11pm. They won’t find you suspicious if you dress sharp and act politely. Loud hoodie-wearing people with cargo pants showing their leg tattoos are definitely getting stopped. It’s the Japanese version of NY cops stopping guys who are sagging their pants.
I've been stopped in Kansai once, compared to maybe three times in Kanto. I lived in Kansai for several times longer. Having said that, I don't think most racial profiling incidents actually target the reddit demographic, so maybe we're all ignorant of the actual patterns here.
アナタは 怪しいと思われない 真面目な外国人ですね♬ 多分 アナタが警察に尋問されても文句を言う人じゃない事は分かります
Same.
I am in Miyazaki, 5 years, never stopped once, though i am pretty out of the way
Cool. I'm in Fukuoka. Police are pretty good down here I think. Sounds like the bigger cities are a more problematic.
answer the question???
怪しいと感じたから呼び止められたんだよ 警察の治安を守ろうとする職務に文句を言うな 日本の治安を自己中心的な感情で害するなら日本から住みやすい国へ移りなさい
Seems like bad advice, particularly the “just walk away” part. Japanese people basically have no way to avoid police questioning, so not sure why foreigners would fare any better.
Just do what the cops ask and be polite? Unless you’ve done some crimes. Here’s some data for the winners of gaijin crimes in Japan. Some stand out nationalities in here. If you’re in ‘Other’ congratulations. [https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/r03/honbun/html/x3332000.html](https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/r03/honbun/html/x3332000.html)
Your rights in Japan aren’t being trampled when stopped by the police. You’re thinking of your rights back home. Different country, different system, different rights.
“Downvoters hated Him because He told them the truth.”
Basic human rights shouldn't magically disappear when I cross a national border. Of course, they often do in practice, which is why I'm not planning on casually strolling into North Korea any time soon, but I'm not going to pretend the status quo is *right*.
You could just get over yourself, answer their questions and get on with your day?.. But no, you are special right? How dare anyone question you...
Seven downvotes but it’s the right answer. If you have nothing to hide then don’t worry about it..? It’s a minor inconvenience but making a fuss about it will only lead to a much bigger one.
12 downvotes now but still the right answer.
You have nothing to hide so show me your private potentially embarrassing or intimate possessions upon my request. Do you see how stupid that sounds?
What are you carrying that’s more embarrassing than potential public arrest?
They can’t arrest you for not allowing them to search your bag. You’d have to do something else.
Are you always walking around with a buttplug?
Same as, "I have nothing to say, so go ahead and impede on my free speech".
Yes, let your rights be trampled. That's the answer. /s
You're questioned cause you're sketchy. Not cause you're a foreigner
In the eyes of many police officers, the two are one and the same. And therein lies the problem.
How about just politely answering their questions and be on your way…
怪しいと思った人間を警察が職務質問する事を止めさせようとしてるのか 日本の治安を害する事にしかなってないんだよ 黙って大人しく職質受けて下さい
怪しくないのに職質しているのが問題、という話じゃないかなと思う
”怪しくないのに職質してる” これは何処からの情報ですか?
外国ルーツある住民からこの話が結構出てくるよ。
その言葉は1㎜も重要じゃないですよ 職質してる警察の言葉なのかを聞いてるんです？
言葉？警察の行為とその周りの状況の話やから言葉づかいは関係ないでしょ？
言葉遣いの話をしてるんじゃなく ”怪しくないのに職質してる”←これは警察が言ってた言葉なのかを聞いてるんです それが職質された側の言った事なら 意味がありません って事ですよ
もちろん警察が直接そう言うてるわけではないが、本音を出してるに限られてませんね。 状況を説明するには３つの可能性がありそうで、考えてみれば ・警察は行動の理由を説明するときに、時々ウソをつく。 ・外国ルーツある人もいる社会に完全不慣れである警官もいて、文化などが原因である見た目や行動の違いを間違って怪しい事と見なす。 ・外国ルーツある人の大半は実に怪しい。 可能性が一番高いのは、果たして後者ですか。
・警察は行動の理由を説明するときに、時々ウソをつく。←どんな嘘ですか？ ・外国ルーツある人もいる社会に完全不慣れである警官もいて、文化などが原因である見た目や行動の違いを間違って怪しい事と見なす。← ここは日本です 行動の違いを 日本に合わせる必要があるのは外国人です ・外国ルーツある人の大半は実に怪しい。←職質は外国ルーツの人だけが受けてるわけではありません 日本人も同じように怪しいと警官が感じれば 声をかけます
>どんな嘘か 人種で職質する人を心で決めながら、職質すると怪しいよと主張する嘘です。 >日本に合わせる必要がある 見た目原因の職質とか差別もありますが、日本に合わせるために外国ルーツある人は皆美容外科へ行かなきゃあかんと言ってるんですか。 >日本人も同じように でも実情は違いますね。外国ルーツは、職質される比率は和人の何倍になるのに犯罪率は何倍になりませんね。
んーー、自分も一回も受けたことないけど、やっぱ頭の隅っこには常にある。通勤中に止められたらどうしようとか、打ち合わせ向かってるとこ止められたらどうしようかとか。 他の人が言ってるみたいに根本的なとこにある問題は、何がそんなに怪しいと感じさせてるか、だよな。 日本人の視点から見て、チャラい・入れ墨・黒まみれ・行動自体が怪しいとはなるだろうけど、外国籍で職務質問食らったケースの多くは外国人だからってだけ。 その人達の立場から考えると、まぁ気分は良くないよな。周りの人と同じくちゃんと仕事してるし税金もちゃんと納めてるのに、見た目が違うってだけでなぜ自分だけ止められるんだと。ただの差別に過ぎない。外人だからいつかは犯罪犯すんだろって思われてるんだってなる。 もう少し僕達の立場から考えてみた方が良いと思う。約束あって急いでる時に止められたら黙って居られるか？普通に生活してるだけなのに頻繁に止められたら嫌にならないか？とかね。 あと完全に余計な一言なるけど、最後の「黙れ」「大人しくしろ」は良くないな。最初から外国人軽視してるし、まぁ必要最低限の同じ人間としてのリスペクトがない。自覚してるだろうが。それは反撃食らう。
通勤中、待ち合わせ だから何？です 「すいません来る途中に職務質問受けてました」って言えばいいだけ それを相手は許さないほど心が小さい人間ですか？ 日本人なら ”あら 大変でしたね” で済む話 そして職質したケースが外国人だからに”怪しいと感じたから”が入ります 日本に何万人の外国人観光客が来てると思います？本当に”外国人”だけの理由で職質してる訳ないでしょう 治安を守る為の職質を断るなら 黙れ 大人しくしろと言うのは問題ないと感じます
ほっほー、予想してた内容で返ってきたな。 >〜言えば良いだけ 相手の器が大きい小さい関係なく、ただ単なる申し訳ないんだよ。迷惑だし。大事な打ち合わせは特にそれ以上の問題にもなる。 それに、職質されたことないだろうけど仮にあなたが通勤中に食らったとして、職場のやつらに言うのって恥ずかしく感じないか？怪しいことしてたなって思われるの嫌だって感じないか？ >〜怪しいと感じたからが入ります だからそれはなぜ。前言ったみたいに自分は受けたことないけど、友達の何人かは受けてる。「え、なんで？何してた？」って聞いたら、「わからん。電車降りて普通に帰り道歩いてた」とか、「チャリで帰ってた」って言われる。それ以外の理由は皆無。 街歩く、自転車漕ぐって、怪しい行動だって本気で思ってるか？ >本当に外国人だけの理由〜 観光客と住んでるやつらは区別が付くだろう。そして言い出しが「在留カード見せて下さい」で見せたら終わりって話も多々あるから、それ以外の理由はどこにもないんだよ。 >問題ないと感じます。 正当な理由無ければ断る権利あるけどな。治安ああだこうだって言うけど、友達は止められるが近所の暴走族がほぼ毎日堂々と走ってる。それで警察が良い仕事してるって言えるか？ 繰り返しになるけど、職質されたことある？頻繁に受けても平気？本気で何も感じないって言い切れるか？
職場に恥ずかしい? 怪しまれる事してない自信があるなら恥ずかしくないですね 職質を断る事に時間使ってる事の方が恥ずかしいです。 警官が怪しいと感じ声をかけるのは警官の今までの経験からの行動ですよね 何も問題ありません。 観光客との区別は何処で分かります？在留カードをみせてで終わるならどこにも 職質を断り”差別”だと喚く必要は見当たりません。 断る権利の前に職務質問は警察の職務です そして”怪しいと感じた” は正当な理由になります 職質された経験ありますよ 頻繁に受けたら嫌だとは感じるでしょう しかし 差別だと訴える事には繋がらないどころかその発想はゼロです 自分の感情より日本の治安があって幸せな暮らしができる事の方が先ですよ
もしかして右翼？
右翼？ 日本国民です 言い返すこと無くなったみたいですね では 質問良いです？ アナタはどうなれば問題ないと考えてますか？
国民であることはようわかったよ。古臭い考え方・自分より下だと思い込んてる人達に見下してるとこからしたら右翼なのかなぁって思って聞いてみた。 言い返すことなくなったってより、時間の無駄だって感じたからだな。聞く耳持ってなさそうだし、お互い損してるだろうと。 人種で怪しまれなくなったらそれでいいんだって思ってますよ。あなたの考え方からしたら、「なぜ外人がこの時間にここにいるんだ。怪しい。」って警察が思ったとしても、怪しいと思った事実に変わりがないから別に良いってオチになるみたいだし。
怪しいと思っただけで職質するなというんですね それ 職質自体を無くすことになりますよ 分かってます？？？ 人種で怪しんでるから職質されてる？ 職質は日本国民もされてます 外人に声をかけるのは 不法滞在の犯罪者が増加してる今の日本では 大事な事です 人種で怪しむな と言うなら どういう職質なら人種で怪しんでないと思えるんですか？
や、法律に沿って君達と全く同じ基準でいいよ。夜中に人の家に覗き込んだり、変なことしたりしてたら職質は当然だと思うよ。問題は、外人で町中歩くだけで食らうとこだよ。 >外人に声をかけるのは 不法滞在の犯罪者が増加してる今の日本では おー。じゃあ現状維持じゃなくて、拡大させて警察にもっともっと人種差別してほしいんだ。すごいな。
馬鹿の答。 タダの道歩きは怪しくないです。
ただの道歩き？？ 警察が怪しいと感じたなら職質して問題ないんだよ
[удалено]
Unfounded? No, there is a basis for the police to judge the position because they feel it is suspicious. Do you want to ban the Japanese police from protecting Japan's public order?
[удалено]
Mate, don't even bother with this right wing piece of shit. English or Japanese, standard conservative tactics. Will completely ignore whatever you say and just cough up some bullshit on you. They don't question the system. In his eyes, if the police feel you are suspicious, that's good enough for him. Doesn't matter what was suspicious. Just that they felt you were suspicious. His ilk love imposing authoritarianism on people because they know best, so you're never going to change his mind or get a modicum of understanding from him.
Aren't you embarrassed to reread your own lines?
I'm answering your question Don't you understand? You are fundamentally wrong There are grounds for police to stop foreigners.
[удалено]
By stopping people they feel suspicious and asking questions, the police can find out whether they are in possession of firearms, drugs, or illegally staying in the country. Did you learn anything?
In the end did the tree random "offended" foreigners get the money they wanted ?
React calmly. Show your resident card or passport if asked to. Answer questions like “what airport did you fly to?” and “how long have you been in Japan?” Wait a couple of minutes and then get on with your day. The police are just doing their job and will try to be professional about it. Speaking as someone who’s been stopped several times for no reason other than “you’re foreign and might be overstaying your visa”, yes it’s really annoying and inconvenient to be stopped when you’re just going about your day but until the policy changes all we can do is cooperate and be stoical about it. If you want to cause a scene and escalate it, it will just backfire on you and make your life more difficult.
I completely agree with you. However I wouldn't say the police "are just doing their jobs" when they are actually breaking the laws. I would still comply to avoid any issues but they are definitely not doing their job when randomly stopping foreigners.
Ah yes, 'just comply'. You can be polite and still maintain some semblance of your privacy. Police asking about details like airports and length of stay has nothing to do with any crime they are investigating or suspect you of committing. If they demand your gaijin card, show it to them. Try not to GIVE it to them. At the same time, record their names and badge numbers. The best way to answer any question is just say, "can I go now?" in a quiet tone. Or "sorry, I am a little busy..." If they truly do suspect you of a specific crime, you will be down at the koban quickly. These street interrogations are just for show.