Police Harassment

[Reyter]

I am an average white guy from northern Europe. No tattoos, no long hair (not short enough to be mistaken as someone in the USA army), no police record, a full-time occupation, dont wear weird or unique clothing and etc. Yet 3 times the police have stopped me and demanded I show I.D.

The first time I was shocked and just complied. The second time I got a little pi##ed off, asked why and refused to show it. They then prattled on with some nonsense about a foreigner being reported doing something nearby (obviously if someone had just committed a crime he wouldnt have been casually strolling along a busy street as I was.), called for back-up and when another car pulled up and 2 more of the angry little pigs got out and started getting in my ear. At that time I had had enough and handed over my I.D. Both times they wrote down my details.

The third time, 2 weeks ago was the final straw. A guy I knew was in a little trouble. Very little. He was never charged, taken for interrogation of anything like that. I was there only to help translate for both parties. The guy couldnt speak any Japanese and the pigs couldnt speak any English. Suddenly, they turned around and demanded to see my I.D. After some harsh words were exchanged and i was surrounded by literally 10 of them, I again relented.

Japan is a nice and civilised place and Japanese people are generally very decent and thus, it came as a shock the pigs could do this. Well, it turns out that if you know your rights, they cant lawfully.

Some of you probably know of Arudo Debito and for those who dont, he is a white Japanese citizen, an associate professor and I guess you would say an activist for foreigners rights here in Japan. I guess he became sick of the pigs stopping him for no reason too and did some research on the topic.
Read some general info here and the specific laws here.

Now I understand why the pig came up with a childish story about a foreigner being reported doing something when I asked "why" he wanted to see my I.D. the second time.

Basically, the police cant stop you, ask for I.D. and question you unless you are under suspicion for a crime. Simply "because you are a foreigner" isnt sufficient.

Now, some people will probably interlope to this thread and say "no, Debito is wrong" and etc etc. Trust them if you like but then think about the kind of people they obviously are and the kind of person Debito obviously is and think for yourself who you would believe. Also, ask yourself why they are so desperate to make you believe they are right. Why would they care? Debito is an activist who was tired of being harassed by police because he has white skin. His motives are very clear.

One thing everyone agrees upon is that even if you are suspected of a crime you have the right to first inspect their I.D. before showing your own and if you are in a hurry this would be enough. Take time and do it as publicly as possible and the pigs little power trip will be shot down in flames. Thats what its all about. They want people to see how "powerful" and "important" they are and I guess it would be quite humiliating to have a foreigner publicly inspect their I.D.

If stopped in such a way as I outlined above, if you simply pass over your I.D. without question, in my opinion you are a pityful and docile lackey and are doing a disservice to all foreigners here.

On this thread, people please recount their recollections/confrontation and dealings with the police.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Anyone reading this thread should first peruse the original "Police Harassment" thread, located here:
Police Harassment

 

[Haruspex]

As I have already stated, they have the whole system on their side, and the average person is unarmed. If you truly wish to achieve something and decrease the rate at which the police misuse their discretionary powers, you need more than demonstrating defiance occasionally. If you really want to bring about changes, you need to take positive action on a different level. Seeing how collectivist eastern civilisations are subordinated to authority, disobedience appears to be futile because of the myriad excuses and tricks the police has. What you could do is to flood the police with complaint letters and report the event to any and every authority and make accusations that your temporary detention and questioning must have been unlawful as the possibility of a foreigner committing an act of crime every single time is unlikely. Authorities dread additional paperwork.

Here's a tip. I don't know about Japanese legislation, but in most countries there is a right to receive information. If that is the case in Japan, and you can request the disclosure of certain information held by the police, you may actually clog their system with trifle request frequently. You will obviously have to look it up, but that is a major human rights weapon against authorities worldwide, one which authorities dread more than additional paperwork. I am well aware that it is not immediately related to police detention and whatnot, but may be a way to exact revenge in some sense. Vexatious requests for information! If they refuse you can probably bring up personal safety and whatnot to cause them some headache.

 

[Chidoriashi]

And for those of you who would like to know the facts about Japanese laws and not somebody's unrelenting biased opinion, be sure and visit the original thread: Police Harassment

It is a long and drawn out thread but anybody who can read Japanese will be able to understand what the law really says about the authority of the Japanese police in regards to foreigners. In fact i will just post the law here so everybody can see it.

Here is a law stating that police must reasonably suspect you of a crime before the can stop and question you about that crime. Note that it says nothing about showing one's ID and therefore does not in any way invalidate the next law posted below which states you must show ID to authorities when requested.
警察官職務執行法

（質問）
第２条 警察官は、異常な挙動その他周囲の事情から合理的に判断して何らかの犯罪を犯し、若しくは犯そうと していると疑うに足りる相当な理由のある者又は既に行われた犯罪について、若しくは犯罪が行われようとして いることについて知つていると認められる者を停止させて質問することができる。
２ その場で前項の質問をすることが本人に対して不利であり、又は交通の妨害になると認められる場合におい ては、質問するため、その者に付近の警察署、派出所若しくは駐在所に同行することを求めること ができる。
３ 前２項に規定する者は、刑事訴訟に関する法律の規定によらない限り、身柄を拘束され、又はその意に反し て警察署、派出所もしくは駐在所に連行され、若しくは答弁を強要されることはない。
４ 警察官は、刑事訴訟に関する法律により逮捕されている者については、その身体について凶器を所持してい るかどうかを調べることができる。

Here is the law about carrying ones gaijin card clearly stating that you must show your ID card when requested by the police.

（登録証明書の受領、携帯及び提示）
第十三条 外国人は、市町村の長が交付し、又は返還する登録証明書を受領し、常にこれを携帯していなければならない 。ただし、十六歳に満たない外国人は、登録証明書を携帯していることを要しない。
２ 外国人は、入国審査官、入国警備官（入管法 に定める入国警備官をいう。）、警察官、海上保安官その他法務省令で定める国又は地方公共団体の職員がその 職務の執行に当たり登録証明書の提示を求めた場合には、これを提示しなければならない。
３ 前項に規定する職員は、その事務所以外の場所において登録証明書の提示を求める場合には、その身分を示す 証票を携帯し、請求があるときは、これを提示しなければならない

That is all I'm going to post, so all intelligent posters please use this as a reference for discussion, and if you cannot understand Japanese ask a Japanese friend to explain it to you. I would just translate but its getting to be past my bedtime and I don't want to bother with this discussion anymore. Enjoy!

Oh and also note that these are the same laws that are posted on Debito's website, just without the mistranslated, and misleading comments in English. Let the Japanese text speak for itself, because believing in any other source really does not make sense now does it?

 

[bruno]

I am an average white guy from northern Europe.

TROLL ALERT !!!
See : Police Harassment

 

[Reyter]

As I have already stated, they have the whole system on their side, and the average person is unarmed. If you truly wish to achieve something and decrease the rate at which the police misuse their discretionary powers, you need more than demonstrating defiance occasionally. If you really want to bring about changes, you need to take positive action on a different level. Seeing how collectivist eastern civilisations are subordinated to authority, disobedience appears to be futile because of the myriad excuses and tricks the police has. What you could do is to flood the police with complaint letters and report the event to any and every authority and make accusations that your temporary detention and questioning must have been unlawful as the possibility of a foreigner committing an act of crime every single time is unlikely. Authorities dread additional paperwork.

Here's a tip. I don't know about Japanese legislation, but in most countries there is a right to receive information. If that is the case in Japan, and you can request the disclosure of certain information held by the police, you may actually clog their system with trifle request frequently. You will obviously have to look it up, but that is a major human rights weapon against authorities worldwide, one which authorities dread more than additional paperwork. I am well aware that it is not immediately related to police detention and whatnot, but may be a way to exact revenge in some sense. Vexatious requests for information! If they refuse you can probably bring up personal safety and whatnot to cause them some headache.

Thanks for your ideas, thought out opinions and useful information.

 

[Mycernius]

The last thread on this subject was closed for a period of time to allow people to cool off. Starting another one, after given a reason by a mod, is frowned upon. This one is locked for good. Do not start another one on the same subject.