Becoming a police officer in Japan

[Mike Cash]

I actually disagree and say that it is possible for a 20 year old non Japanese to become a Police Officer in Japan.

Very, very difficult? - Obviously!
Impossible? - No.

He/She (lets call the person Toni) applies to study in Japan; starts studying intensely in Japan.
After a year Toni meets and marries a Japanese national and starts work in an all Japanese language environment.
Toni can apply for citizenship after 5 years as he will have the required period of residency (assuming Toni has remained in Japan for 80% of each of those years), enough fluency in Japanese to answer questions at the citizenship interview and the reading and writing level of an 8 year old. If Toni does not have proof of funds or livelihood himself, the spouse and or his parents in the USA can provide this.
It will take him 6 months to 2 years for the citizenship to be approved which would leave him with 3 years to apply for and join the Japanese Police Force .... if he still has the same enthusiasm to do so!

Doable.

If anyone is interested in gaining citizenship .... there are experts who can help you:
帰化申請について：日本人になりたい外国人の方へ|ビザ欲しいな

It's usually the Americans who leave us Brits behind on the 'Can do' attitude front!

I would enjoy reading your personal firsthand experiences finding work as a foreigner in a Japanese-only environment. Please share a few anecdotes with us.

 

[Dotanbatan]

You'd enjoy that? … I'm flattered that you take an interest in me personally, unless you're trying to make some kind of point - rather clumsily!

Anyway, I plan to write a book on my escapades in the next few years … I'll send you an e-copy when it's finished.

In the meantime, feel free to entertain us with some anecdotes of your own … I'm not particularly interested to be truthful, but others may be.

 

[Mike Cash]

You'd enjoy that? … I'm flattered that you take an interest in me personally, unless you're trying to make some kind of point - rather clumsily!

I was just curious what splendid experiences you must have had to leave you with what strikes me as the Pollyanna-ish naivete to think that a naturalized foreign-born applicant would have a snowball's chance in hell of actually being selected and hired, no matter how well he may do on tests.

I found plenty of remarks by googling that indicates even haafu who have spent their entire lives here are under no delusions about their chances. At least one Japanese aspirant expressed concerns that the fact he was dating a woman whose mother was Chinese would come out during his background check and wreck his chances.

Personally, despite qualifications and experience and working in a field which always has more positions than applicants (in sharp contrast to the police), I have been refused interviews for positions and have been refused positions simply for being of foreign origins...and have not had to rely on conjecture regarding the reason, as they were all quite frank and explicit about it.

So I was just curious about your experiences finding work outside the regular gaijin jobs and how you managed apparently not to encounter any discrimination, as that is the 800 lb gorilla you don't see sitting in the middle of your proposed scenario.

 

[Dotanbatan]

Couldn't read what you wrote after Pollyana-ish.

In regard to the 800 lb gorilla in the room, I'll just refer you back to line 3 of my original post re the challenge of becoming a Police Officer.

"very, very difficult - obviously."

I'll go back and edit in an extra 'very' if you want me to, but that may make it an elephant in the room rather than the primate.

I did experience discrimination in most aspects of my life in Japan ... I would expect most of us have.

You have my (sincere) respect for overcoming the rejections and gaining employment.

I look forward to seeing at least one foreign born Policeman or woman during the 2020 Olympics.

 

[Mike Cash]

Couldn't read what you wrote after Pollyana-ish.
(Clip)

In regard to the 800 lb gorilla in the room,

I'm pretty sure the gorilla came after Pollyanna-ish....

I did experience discrimination in most aspects of my life in Japan ... I would expect most of us have.

Such as when you did what you suggested Toni should do and sought out employment in a Japanese-only workplace where English and other aspects of your foreign origins were of no use?

I look forward to seeing at least one foreign born Policeman or woman during the 2020 Olympics.

How can you possibly take exception to my use of "Pollyanna-ish" and then close with that?!?!

By the way, our newfound teenaged friend in New York is lying his *** off.

 

[nekojita]

I don't think I can recommend a career plan where the second step is "find someone to marry you before your student visa runs out."

 

[Mike Cash]

I don't think I can recommend a career plan where the second step is "find someone to marry you before your student visa runs out."

They won't be in any rush to okay that "skip PR, go straight to citizenship" plan in such a circumstance either would be my guess.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

I think what Dotanbatan meant when he said he couldn't read something was that the word 'naivete' was mangled by the font handling.

Regardless, I'm enjoying this argument over whether something is impossible or just spectacularly implausible...

 

[Mike Cash]

I think what Dotanbatan meant when he said he couldn't read something was that the word 'naivete' was mangled by the font handling.

Regardless, I'm enjoying this argument over whether something is impossible or just spectacularly implausible...

Like arguing how many pinheads can dance on an angel.

 

[Toritoribe]

Have you been hired as a police officer in Japan? I am currently in Police School, but on vacation for now.
Are you currently attending police training school in Japan? Yes

アメリカに旅行できるほどの長期休暇が取れる警察学校があるなんて初めて聞いた！しかもお盆でもないこんな時期に。まあそもそもお盆や年末年始でさえ３日も取れないはずですけどね。
nekojitaさんの説得力ゼロに激しく同意するもう一つの理由。

 

[Mike Cash]

アメリカに旅行できるほどの長期休暇が取れる警察学校があるなんて初めて聞いた！しかもお盆でもないこんな時期に。まあそもそもお盆や年末年始でさえ３日も取れないはずですけどね。
nekojitaさんの説得力ゼロに激しく同意するもう一つの理由。

1. 今頃夏季休暇になっているこが考えにくい。
2. 1人前の警察官でも、休みの日等に管轄を出るのに上司の許可が必要のに、警察学校に入ったばかりの新米の在学中の海外旅行が許されるなんて尚更考えにくい。

 

[nekojita]

「なんでもできる！」なんて「応援」じゃないと思います。(人生舐めんなよ!)

「それは無理ですから、ほかの道を探すほうがいい」と言って何が悪いでしょうか。日本の警察官になれなくても、ほかの可能性はいっぱいあるはずでしょう？アメリカの警察官とか、法律執行に関係のある仕事とか...

叶わない夢を追う内にその可能性を見えなくなるかもしれない。前向きすぎて横道を無視して、その夢を追って、追って、最後は壁の前に立って「えぇ、こんなとこに壁があるって知らなかった」のオチになるだけ。

(文章力アップ挑戦中！たぶん誤りだらけだけど)

 

[Dotanbatan]

Ｌｅａｖｅ ｈｉｍ ａｌｏｎｅ ｙｏｕ ｌｏｔ ．．． ｈｅ'ｓ ｔｈｅ ｒｅａｌ ｔｈｉｎｇ．

ほら。。。彼の写真を見つけったよ。。。。

木曜ドラマ9『ビギナーズ！』｜TBSテレビ

 

[nekojita]

自業自得でしょう？

 

[Dotanbatan]

自業自得でしょう？

ぼく? 。。。ぜんぜん。

: )

 

[Toritoribe]

Nekojita-san's words was a response to "Leave him alone", i.e., towards the poster of the topic.;-)

 

[Dotanbatan]

Nekojita-san's words was a response to "Leave him alone", i.e., towards the poster of the topic.;-)

I know. : )

Just my odd sense of humour.I suppose.

 

[Glenski]

No, it is reality. That is like saying, so and so could never become president of the United States if he put his mind to it.

I'm sorry, but there are some questions for which the answer is "no, that's impossible".

We get into these "discussions" usually whenever someone has lofty goals and has not given enough background information.

 

[Mike Cash]

I'm sorry, but there are some questions for which the answer is "no, that's impossible".

We get into these "discussions" usually whenever someone has lofty goals and has not given enough background information.

Barry Goldwater reportedly once said to Walter Mondale (paraphrasing here), "Between the two of us we've made Arizona the only state in the Union where mothers don't tell their children they can grow up to be President".

 

[nice gaijin]

状況を気にせず、「何でもできる」とか「頑張れ」と叫ぶばかりなやつが「バカ応援団」と呼んでいいかな。きっと、頑張ればできなさそうなことができそうになるかもしれないが、本当にできないことが存在してるに違いない。現実を認めて努力しないと、絶対にそういう奇跡が起こらないんだ。

so, who's up next to crush someone's dreams?

 

[nekojita]

暇潰し
赤の他人の
夢潰し

Advance warning: anybody telling me I don't have what it takes to be a famous 川柳家 will be put on notice as a big meanie.

The US president example is particularly amusing in terms of a discussion on "jobs one can do moving internationally". I mean, there's just a minor issue there, legally speaking. Perhaps all that time "living in Japan" has made vgaspar a little unaware of certain parts of the US constitution.

 

[Mike Cash]

Isn't it amazing how he disappeared when people started posting in Japanese?

 

[bloodr0se]

I found plenty of remarks by googling that indicates even haafu who have spent their entire lives here are under no delusions about their chances. At least one Japanese aspirant expressed concerns that the fact he was dating a woman whose mother was Chinese would come out during his background check and wreck his chances.

It does happen though. There was a Chinese police officer working in the koban at Hibarigaoka when I was last there a couple of years ago. I know that is definitely the exception though and your chances are even slimmer of finding a western-born police officer in any Japanese city.

 

[Toritoribe]

In what prefecture's Hibarigaoka are you referring to? Wasn't he a volunteer or something? Police officers must possess Japanese citizenship, so Chinese police officer is a paradox.

 

[bloodr0se]

In what prefecture's Hibarigaoka are you referring to? Wasn't he a volunteer or something? Police officers must possess Japanese citizenship, so Chinese police officer is a paradox.

Tokyo, on the Seibu Ikebukuro line. There's a koban just outside the train station. I think he was an ethnic Chinese and obviously naturalised immigrant. It was actually my girlfriend who noticed when she saw him giving directions to someone else.