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Japanese Police & Gaijin

Nuala

Hell's Finest Daughter
15 Jul 2004
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How do the Japanese police treat foreigners? Do they treat them like idiots? Would they ignore or not take a foreigner seriously if they came to them under duress?
 
You don't really give much background here to warrant a good reply.

I've asked police for directions and been treated very nicely.
Police stopped a friend of mine to give a parking ticket, and when they found he had left his alien card at home, they didn't give him a hard time. Instead, they took him there to verify! The same guy got into a car accident (not his fault, as the J driver crossed into his lane at an intersection). Police initially were more attentive to the J driver simply because of the language issue, but when my friend remained calm and pointed out the guy smelled like he had been drinking, they saw the real situation and were very civil about it.

The main thing is, if you have a confrontation with police, remain calm and do not raise your voice. Foreigners can be perceived as too aggressive or forward here, and with a language barrier, it can only aggravate matters.

If two foreigners are having a problem that requires police intervention, though, some people have reported that they often ignore it. I don't know.
 
The way that they treat foreigners depends on so many things but in general they are really nice and helpful as long as you don't annoy them and carry all the required papers with you at all times.

Not being able to communicate in Japanese may count as being an annoyance.
 
Well it all depends.

rule number 1: never ever speak Japanese. They will assume you understand everything, and unless your Japanese is really perfect it's a trap.

As Glesnki said,

I guess it all depends on the policeman, his experience with gaijins and your behavior. My first job was in the night club in Roppongi and trust me 9 years or so ago it was a jungle. Iranian mafia running around with 1m long kebab knives, cuban drug and dealers, russian pimps , yakuza and chinese mafia.

That time, for the first time I saw a cop standing in front of the police station resting on a stick called 棒 ぼう, and thought wth? Is this matrix? They way they act is very Japanese. Japanese have meeting in my company for 9h, discuss things fort weeks and things never get done. Beaurocracy (whoever invented this word should be shot, twice, once for its spelling and once more for the implications) is ridiculous, so if you get into koban or police station, make sure you have a whole day for it. Imagine, to get into a gym for one day trial you need to fill out tons of forms, which takes an hour or so, and possibly leave a urine sample.

Human right are nearly non existent in Japan, and if you are a foreigner it is even worse. So if they are nice you will be ok, if not you are screwed.

On a side note, I have never seen police using force. People that got caught just walk along like sheep for slaughter. I reckon the amount of the cameras around makes any escape futile.

Personally, I have never met a rude cop, but my fellow gaijins have. Still, in my opinion action sparks a reaction. If you play cool, you should be fine.
 
Well it all depends.

rule number 1: never ever speak Japanese. They will assume you understand everything, and unless your Japanese is really perfect it's a trap.

As Glesnki said,

I guess it all depends on the policeman, his experience with gaijins and your behavior. My first job was in the night club in Roppongi and trust me 9 years or so ago it was a jungle. Iranian mafia running around with 1m long kebab knives, cuban drug and dealers, russian pimps , yakuza and chinese mafia.

That time, for the first time I saw a cop standing in front of the police station resting on a stick called 窶点 窶堙壺?堋、, and thought wth? Is this matrix? They way they act is very Japanese. Japanese have meeting in my company for 9h, discuss things fort weeks and things never get done. Beaurocracy (whoever invented this word should be shot, twice, once for its spelling and once more for the implications) is ridiculous, so if you get into koban or police station, make sure you have a whole day for it. Imagine, to get into a gym for one day trial you need to fill out tons of forms, which takes an hour or so, and possibly leave a urine sample.

Human right are nearly non existent in Japan, and if you are a foreigner it is even worse. So if they are nice you will be ok, if not you are screwed.

On a side note, I have never seen police using force. People that got caught just walk along like sheep for slaughter. I reckon the amount of the cameras around makes any escape futile.

Personally, I have never met a rude cop, but my fellow gaijins have. Still, in my opinion action sparks a reaction. If you play cool, you should be fine.

Double20Facepalm-1.jpg
 
I have never used that pathetic "I don't speak Japanese" ruse and have nothing but disdain for anyone who does.
 
I've been politely harassed by police several times, almost exclusively when I was riding my bike to and from school. They see me and immediately see something to occupy the next 20 minutes at least, so they flag me down and ask to see all my documents and whatnot. Never rude or bullying, but still a complete waste of time, and after the third or fourth incident the novelty wore off and I started making a game of guessing whether a cop would stop me with no cause. I've had several natives complain to me that the average omawari-san is bored to death, which leads them to perform these tiresome stops in the hopes they can practice their interrogation and paperwork filing techniques.

Walking around, they barely give me a second glance. Whenever I've asked directions they've been friendly and helpful. I've never had an emergency situation so I've never really needed them for anything important, I couldn't say whether they'd be helpful or not. A friend of mine once said she witnessed some sort of assault and ran to the nearest Koban to tell the police, who pretty much ignored her completely.
 
Well it all depends.

rule number 1: never ever speak Japanese. They will assume you understand everything, and unless your Japanese is really perfect it's a trap.

I disagree completely. Not being able to speak in Japanese (or pretending to not being able to) makes it awkward for them and they'll just want to be done with you quickly. It's counterproductive if you're looking for help or information.

Also, you can often avoid being taken to the koban if you just explain yourself. I was stopped on my bike once but I forgot my wallet at home. Since I was close I asked them to follow me home and I showed it to them. They told me to not forget it next time and wished me a good day.

Pretending not to understand would have wasted a lot of time and I may've had to pay a fine.

Another time I was waiting for a friend in an alley at night and a cop car came. They asked me for my papers, asked me what I was doing there, ect. They later told me that they patroled because a crime took place a few minutes ago and that I should leave the area. If I pretended that I didn't speak Japanese they would've taken me back for questioning.
 
I disagree completely. Not being able to speak in Japanese (or pretending to not being able to) makes it awkward for them and they'll just want to be done with you quickly. It's counterproductive if you're looking for help or information.
Also, you can often avoid being taken to the koban if you just explain yourself. I was stopped on my bike once but I forgot my wallet at home. Since I was close I asked them to follow me home and I showed it to them. They told me to not forget it next time and wished me a good day.
Pretending not to understand would have wasted a lot of time and I may've had to pay a fine.
Another time I was waiting for a friend in an alley at night and a cop car came. They asked me for my papers, asked me what I was doing there, ect. They later told me that they patroled because a crime took place a few minutes ago and that I should leave the area. If I pretended that I didn't speak Japanese they would've taken me back for questioning.


You attract cops, obviously :D
Forgetting alien card may get you into trouble. After all, you are on another planet.

In all seriousness, also because you guys are so very serious, it depends on the situation. But from my experience, when I pretend to be a dumb foreigner works marvels. They do not ask you all kinds of retarded questions and let you go quickly. It got a bit trickier after i got my 窶ーiツ住ナ陳?, though. But in all those years I had to deal with cops only twice (knock on wood).
 
You attract cops, obviously :D
Forgetting alien card may get you into trouble. After all, you are on another planet.

No...I am at home; I live here. I've lived well over half my life here in total and almost my entire adult life.

In all seriousness, also because you guys are so very serious, it depends on the situation. But from my experience, when I pretend to be a dumb foreigner works marvels. They do not ask you all kinds of retarded questions and let you go quickly. It got a bit trickier after i got my 窶ーiツ住ナ陳?, though. But in all those years I had to deal with cops only twice (knock on wood).

If you have little enough dignity to do the dumb foreigner routine when you are capable of more then you are beneath contempt. I have had numerous dealings with the police here and in every instance have found them to be courteous and professional. Greeting them with the appropriate 窶堋イ窶ケテェヒ廱窶罵窶堙??堋キ and conducting your business with them in Japanese in no way places you at a disadvantage. I've never had "all kinds of retarded questions" from them, merely those questions which were pertinent to the matter at hand.

If you're going to live here under an 窶ーiツ住ナ陳? then act like you're home and stop playing that lame-assed dumb foreigner crap. Tourists have an excuse; you don't. You're a foreigner who has chosen to make Japan his home. So how about making the effort to assimilate and live your life under the same conditions as everybody else?

Have a little dignity for God's sake. Or at least quit embarrassing those of us who do make the effort.
 
I must agree with Mike on this one. I gave you the benefit of the doubt in your rant in another post, but I can't on this one. Playing the "dumb, ignorant, gaijin" is just plain dumb. Like Mike, I never used the "stupid card" and have always been treated in a courteous, professional manner for the few times I did have to interact with the Japanese police and/or courts. In fact, speaking Japanese helped a lot and I was respected for it, even when it was I who was on the other side of the law.

It has been my experience that anyone who is treated harshly by the Japanese police it is usually because they deserved it whether they be Japanese or foreign. As Glenski mentioned, foreigners can be perceived as too aggressive and forward here and that only leads to trouble. Remain calm and be as polite to them as they are to you.

I wonder how ignorant the Japanese police must think you are when they find out that you lived in Japan for all these years, but still never came to learn the language, customs, and culture?

As Mike also said, it is your home and your life and you should act like it is. That includes speaking Japanese when confronted by the police. It's time to be mature about where you are living and stop handing out the "I'm a dumb a$$ card" when confronted by the police. You'll find it will usually help you rather than hinder you in the long run.
 
It has been my experience that anyone who is treated harshly by the Japanese police it is usually because they deserved it whether they be Japanese or foreign. As Glenski mentioned, foreigners can be perceived as too aggressive and forward here and that only leads to trouble. Remain calm and be as polite to them as they are to you.

This is really true. I think a lot of westerners have a very defensive and self-righteous view when it comes to the police. In any case a bright smile plastered on my blond haired, blue-eyed face (no matter how I felt inside) has done wonders for me in dealing with people here, police or whoever. But then again, a proper attitude can help you in any situation and in any country I am sure.
 
And then people get annoyed when the Japanese can`t believe it when some foreigners speak their language...

You shouldn`t reinforce the ``stupid gaijin`` stereotype, it makes it harder for all of us who aren`t just here on vacation.
 
I never had a problem with police in Japan. When I encountered them, they were always courteous and professional -- even offered me a smoke a couple times.

But then, I always tried to maintain the perhaps novel-to-some attitude that I was a visitor in their country, and they were the appointed authorities.
 
I never had a problem with police in Japan. When I encountered them, they were always courteous and professional -- even offered me a smoke a couple times.

But then, I always tried to maintain the perhaps novel-to-some attitude that I was a visitor in their country, and they were the appointed authorities.
What a novel approach... Who would think that in a country that was not your own that being polite would actually help you...
 
I can personally attest that westerners are defensive and self-righteous around the police. This is not the case for me, as I treat police with respect and etc, and our business is concluded quickly enough to not hinder anything or take up too much time.

There's a problem with that assumption though. I've had cops come to my house in the early hours of the morning, and demand that a "William" come out. This William and my family shared the same last name, and could be distantly related, but no matter, they took a sketch from a witness, took it to the local high school, and they came up with me. So yeah, they were ready to arrest me for breaking the nose of the local fire department chief's son.

I'm very uneasy around cops due to crap like that, but I still manage to treat them with respect, even if it's a little feigned. The whole not speaking the local language thing happens in every country. I've had people come to me while at work, ring their stuff up, and then they don't have enough and they start yelling at me in Spanish. I can only imagine it's different now because of the drama surrounding Arizona's immigration law.

EDIT: Thanks for helping me with this question. I was curious and am now sated.
 
No...I am at home; I live here. I've lived well over half my life here in total and almost my entire adult life.
If you have little enough dignity to do the dumb foreigner routine when you are capable of more then you are beneath contempt. I have had numerous dealings with the police here and in every instance have found them to be courteous and professional. Greeting them with the appropriate ご苦労様です and conducting your business with them in Japanese in no way places you at a disadvantage. I've never had "all kinds of retarded questions" from them, merely those questions which were pertinent to the matter at hand.
If you're going to live here under an 永住権 then act like you're home and stop playing that lame-assed dumb foreigner crap. Tourists have an excuse; you don't. You're a foreigner who has chosen to make Japan his home. So how about making the effort to assimilate and live your life under the same conditions as everybody else?
Have a little dignity for God's sake. Or at least quit embarrassing those of us who do make the effort.


Easy camper you'll pop your stitches. I have a different opinion and experiences with them so that is what I am saying. You are not in position to tell me what to think mate.

This weekend I had to deal with those muppets again. And of course they have not proven me wrong. I cbf to even write about it. It boiled down to 12 cops being too lazy to walk 100m and check secutiry cams to catch a mo-fo that stole my wife keitai. I hate this as per manual approach from Kafka.

Do you agree with everything back in your home country, or are you a conformist?

I am not whining for the sake of it, I am not a griefer or forum troll, and have better things to do, I simply say what I think based on what I have experienced. what?

What a novel approach... Who would think that in a country that was not your own that being polite would actually help you...

This time I agree with you 100% man.


What I am saying is simple, their politeness has nothing to do with them being competent and willing to solve the issue, even if you speak to them in fluent Japlandese, which is what I did this weekend btw.
Sorry, I still think they are useless.
 
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Ryuurui, do you think it was possibly just a once in awhile situation? That wouldn't happen in a perfect world. They would have checked the security cams, and done their job the best they can. However, much like the USA, I guess the kind of cop you'll get depends on their attitude, your attitude, and where you're at.
 
Ryuurui, do you think it was possibly just a once in awhile situation? That wouldn't happen in a perfect world. They would have checked the security cams, and done their job the best they can. However, much like the USA, I guess the kind of cop you'll get depends on their attitude, your attitude, and where you're at.

You are absolutely right. Although my wife's phone is insured, so we don't really care whether it was lost or stolen. My wife wanted to report it as she was certain that it was stolen, that is one, and two she was concerned for other people that may lose their wallets or keitais that very day or so. Do you know what Police said? They can't do anything, because even though they check the recording of bouhan cams in the subway it is necessary for them to record a very clear and focused close up of someone taking the phone. We knew the time down to 15 min, and the place was in front of the gates, where all the cams focus on. The police ended up talking us into reporting the phone as lost item, because "we for sure won't find it". (we neededreport no. for the insurance ppl at docomo) . How am I supposed to have any confidence in ppl like this?

12 policemen, 100m to the sub. station, and they were sedning me back and forth because no one wanted to move his arse and check the cams. Even the kanrinin in the sub. while calling his superior, aside excessive bowing asked a question in a suggestive way as: "we cannot check those cameras, right?". 3h total on the police station. If this is efficiency, I'd not like to see your definition of laziness lol (not you Thorr I meant in general).

I still hear beep whenever they pass by, sorry.

Perhaps I am unlucky and I get to meet twats and useless units running on diesel oil (with few noble exceptions of people I have met through calligraphy and cultural gathering, though 90% of them is well above 60), b ut this is what I can see. What do you want me to lie or something? Do you guys think I enjoy investing time sharing all this? I do it so others can see both sides of the coin. It does not mean that I don't like the country or I hate all the Japanese. I had good experiences too, frankly a lot of them, but not with the police. They have not been malicious, simply useless.

Besides I moved from hatred to idleness long time ago. I am not emotional about it anymore. I was, but I got over it. As you said, anywhere we go, there will be another issue. So, today, I accept and appreciate all the good things, and try to dodge and avoid all the crap. Unfortunately when one loses a phone he can't complain to the owner of the sushi bar, got to be the Police, ya.
 
I got a ticket in January '09 for "running a stop sign". In reality, I hit the breaks slowly on a patch of ice in front of a stop sign, and a cop was coming from the street to my left, saw me go into the middle of the lane, turned his sirens on, and wrote me up a $70 ticket for it. He also cited that I am lucky his speed gun wasn't working, or lol, he would have also ticketed me for going 30 MPH(48 KPH) in a 35 MPH(56 KPH) zone.

In addition to that, my car broke down on a highway once. A state police officer stopped as he was driving by, ticketed me for broken glass on my left rear light, and was kind enough to drive off afterward and call a tow truck, whereas I told him a relative was coming by to pick me and my car up.

Last but not least, in high school, I had some very wrong cops come by my house in the wee hours of the morning and try to arrest me for punching/assaulting the son of our town's fire department chief at a music joint I've never been to, based on a photograph my school gave to the police when they asked for any students with my last name.

Cops can really suck sometimes, ryuurui. I just try not to let the idiot cops ruin my opinion on all police officers. I can't say that I haven't met some good ones before.
 
I got a ticket in January '09 for "running a stop sign". In reality, I hit the breaks slowly on a patch of ice in front of a stop sign, and a cop was coming from the street to my left, saw me go into the middle of the lane, turned his sirens on, and wrote me up a $70 ticket for it. He also cited that I am lucky his speed gun wasn't working, or lol, he would have also ticketed me for going 30 MPH(48 KPH) in a 35 MPH(56 KPH) zone.

In addition to that, my car broke down on a highway once. A state police officer stopped as he was driving by, ticketed me for broken glass on my left rear light, and was kind enough to drive off afterward and call a tow truck, whereas I told him a relative was coming by to pick me and my car up.

Last but not least, in high school, I had some very wrong cops come by my house in the wee hours of the morning and try to arrest me for punching/assaulting the son of our town's fire department chief at a music joint I've never been to, based on a photograph my school gave to the police when they asked for any students with my last name.

Cops can really suck sometimes, ryuurui. I just try not to let the idiot cops ruin my opinion on all police officers. I can't say that I haven't met some good ones before.

Bloody hell. I admire you hope though. Truth is that police sucks anywhere, so yeah...
I have met really nice highway patrol officer recently, the speeding cam got me, that was actually a pleasant surprise. I guess we will live and see, eh? Sometimes I am wondering if I should not move out of Tokyo. I hear that a lot of people on the country side are simple and open. They have to help each other, so it's in their nature. Tokyo has tested my faith in this country many times.
 
In any case a bright smile plastered on my blond haired, blue-eyed face (no matter how I felt inside) has done wonders for me in dealing with people here, police or whoever.

Works wonders at the supermarket when the cashier looks like they'd rather be anywhere but behind the counter :(

I've only had 4 interactions with the police, never an issue. I think that I'm polite, speak Japanese, and unusually that I have Japanese insurance, makes them feel comfortable about speaking to me.

Those 4 interactions would be a small car accident (no injuries, no report), gold licence renewal at local police station (yay!), question about my car parking (no issue, just asking), and numerous koban visits to ask where something is :sorry:
 
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