Foreigners to Japan. Be Careful!

gmb · 9 Feb 2005

In the original message he clamed that he was sent pot in the mail. The law also states that if you had no knowledge of the illegal drugs being sent to you, you can not be prosecuted. You have to make them feel that you did not have any knowledge and that some wacko friend had sent it or someone you do not know and they did it as a joke. If you can convince them (police or customs) good chance you will be off the hook. Of course in his case they also found hash in his apartment so a little more difficult to prove that he had no knowledge. But not impossible

yuriandre · 23 Feb 2005

bad for u, dude. I have heard so many stories about it. Even overstaying foreigners or people who do not have proper documents are given the same harsh treatments by Japanese police when caught. I think its a just punishment though but Japanese people should also think of the human side of all things. That is something that they should think about.

clive00 · 10 Aug 2005

mikecash said:
. Denial of bail is the norm in Japan, not the exception. He was treated no worse than any Japanese would have been for a similar offense, and perhaps better than some.

Isn't that human rights abuse? Refusing an individual the right to bail is against the principle of "innocent until proven guilty'. Sure, I understand that there are times when bail has to be refused (in Western countries it is sometimes refused for serious indictable offences such as murder) but in general bail has to be considered becasue it is a basic human right.

Mike Cash · 10 Aug 2005

gmb said:
In the original message he clamed that he was sent pot in the mail. The law also states that if you had no knowledge of the illegal drugs being sent to you, you can not be prosecuted.

Could you specify which section of which law that is, please? Thanks.

Mike Cash · 10 Aug 2005

clive00 said:
Isn't that human rights abuse? Refusing an individual the right to bail is against the principle of "innocent until proven guilty'. Sure, I understand that there are times when bail has to be refused (in Western countries it is sometimes refused for serious indictable offences such as murder) but in general bail has to be considered becasue it is a basic human right.

I agree with you in sentiment, but I don't agree that refusing bail is against the principle of "innocent until proven guilty". (A concept which doesn't even get lip service in Japan anyway, for the most part).

Xkavar · 11 Aug 2005

Yeah, I've got an opinion and I'm not a U.S. attorney or anything. But...

Bail isn't just a part of "innocent until proven guilty" here. Let me point out how the system works here:

1. You're arrested.
2. You're processed.
3. You appear before a judge to determine whether or not you should stand trial. If you do, you go to jail. Under Nevada law, you cannot be held in jail for longer than a year, and it's for either a misdemeanor crime or for holding until your trial.

If the judge offers you bail, you are being offered the chance to make a promise that you will be released on your own (sometimes not) until your trial date. This helps the court system streamline your process and keeps them from getting overburdened (if you're not a threat, you don't need to go to jail for holding, so you're not draining court resources like cops and dinner.)

That's what bail is supposed to do, in this country at least. That's why it was designed as a part of the U.S. government back in the 1700s.

I'm done.

MajideSaiaku · 14 Aug 2005

No suprise really, ive already read up on how japanese treat their prisoners, to us (in comparison) liberal westerners with our (again in comparison) liberal laws, and treatment of prisoners, japan seems overly harsh and dare say, not following human right laws regarding prisoners.

Ohwell.

budd · 31 Jan 2006

nope
at a hotel i was staying at once, met a guy working there whose english was so good
found out he had been raised in the states (california) since he was 3
got in trouble with drugs and sent back to japan -- after 5 years in u.s. prison

ullvarg · 1 Feb 2006

Xkavar said:
Yeah, I've got an opinion and I'm not a U.S. attorney or anything. But...
Bail isn't just a part of "innocent until proven guilty" here. Let me point out how the system works here:
1. You're arrested.
2. You're processed.
3. You appear before a judge to determine whether or not you should stand trial. If you do, you go to jail. Under Nevada law, you cannot be held in jail for longer than a year, and it's for either a misdemeanor crime or for holding until your trial.
If the judge offers you bail, you are being offered the chance to make a promise that you will be released on your own (sometimes not) until your trial date. This helps the court system streamline your process and keeps them from getting overburdened (if you're not a threat, you don't need to go to jail for holding, so you're not draining court resources like cops and dinner.)
That's what bail is supposed to do, in this country at least. That's why it was designed as a part of the U.S. government back in the 1700s.
I'm done.

The bail system is one of the things thats **** up about america, don't get me wrong, I love it over there but the bail system seperates poor and rich from equality for the law. A rich man can buy his/her freedom for the time leading to the trial but the poor can't.

gaijinalways · 3 Feb 2006

arrested for pot

Hmm, of course 'the equality' of no one getting bail doesn't make me feel better!

Drugs and violence you want to try and avoid here, they usually lead to trouble.

Minty · 27 Feb 2006

Maciamo said:
Good you didn't get 15 years of forced labour (see this thread), or be executed like they'd do in Singapore or Malaysia, even for a bit of hemp...
These Asian countries have really no idea of why the West started banning drugs, but copied them anyway just to look "modern" and now end up being criticized for human rights abuse, etc. because they can't think by themselves. Drugs are prohibited to protect people's health, so it is utterly illogical to execute someone or send them to jail for years until their health and mind deteriorate completely, because they "possessed" some relatively inofensive cannabis. And during that time millions of Japanese salarymen get drunk till they throw up in the subway almost every night.

There has been many Australians who gotten themselves in trouble in South East Asia over drugs handling. Every time I see news like this I think this is the end of it but these kinds of news just keep on coming, doesn't people learn lessons from other people's mistakes? I am not justifying capital punishment though.

Foreigners to Japan. Be Careful!

gmb

後輩

yuriandre

後輩

clive00

後輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Xkavar

wishing for a girlfriend

MajideSaiaku

tsuyaku o tsukete kudasai

budd

先輩

ullvarg

先輩

gaijinalways

puzzled gaijin

Minty

後輩

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