3 foreign-born residents in Japan file suit over claims of racial profiling by police – The Mainichi

8 comments

1. They’re lucky they even allowed to file suit

2. Good luck to them. My Japanese friend’s husband is Nigerian and the stories she shared with me about this are infuriating.

3. I used to think I was being racial profiled by police but then I realized many of my japanese friends were stopped by the police too. What we all had in common: young men walking alone at night.

4. I’m an Asian and I may pass as Japanese. I was only stopped once by a police when I was walking with my obviously foreign friend who was half white and half pacific islander. So, yeah, Japan scrutinizes obvious foreigners. It’s a form of racism. Owing to my more native like look, I get away with this type of harassments.

5. I am German, but look more like middle eastern. I have lived in Japan for quite a long time and I am frequently in the country for business. I have never been stopped by the police, not even once.

   But I appeochaed police men many times to ask for the directions and my requests were always welcomed I think because their job is oftentimes not very dynamic.

6. My favorite police story in Japan: imagine a dude 6 years ago walking into his apartment building toting two big packs of baby diapers and two eco bags of groceries at 10PM. Police cars rolls by windows down. Passenger cop says something along the lines of “chotto hen da ne”. They turn on their lights ask the dude to stop entering the building (that he had just unlocked with a key) and proceed to ask him why he is here. “I live here” “jaaahh, we need to see your residence card.” At this point the owner of the building comes down sees the dude talking to the police, gets in the car and leaves. While thoroughly checking the residence card they ask about how long they’ve been in japan, what they do, why they have diapers and groceries. Why they are coming home so late (work) etc etc. finally they write his info in their handy dandy notebook and say have a good night (20 minutes later). The owner of the building comes back at that time looks at the dude and says “ah, gaikokujin dakara…”

7. It’s Japan, it’s a thing, some people might not have an issue, others might.

   At least they are usually polite about it when it happens to me.

8. Not gonna lie, experienced it personally while doing absolutely nothing. Took everything on me and patted me down everywhere. Would normally not support professional victims but honestly they needed a bit of a wake up call. I don’t even mind being searched if I’m doing something weird or fishy, but just being a foreigner is not grounds for being searched, touched and your valuables being taken off you.