Here in eastern Tokyo it’s getting very frequent. 2-3 weeks back I was going on for a late night walk and was surprised to see ton of police patrolling and almost checking very ones ids they see, this is in Katsushika ku. I heard that happened in Edogawa and in Ichikawa area. Me being a foreigner I had been stopped for ID checks for 5 times just in the past month. It’s frustrating.
Is this the case in western Tokyo?
by SillyDot3305
31 comments
I haven’t noticed any upsurge in activity in this area (despite a shooting nearby earlier this week), but I’m just one person.
What’s happening in the area to prompt such police activity? Never been stopped in 20 years.
Haven’t seen a noticeable increase in Western Tokyo, but the Japanese police quite often have “campaigns”.
For a certain period of time, they will crack down on one particular “crime”.
So maybe the police had a meeting where the boss said something like “*Over the next couple of months we will crack down on foreign criminals. So I want you to stop and check anyone you see having a suspicious skin color*”.
Many drivers are well aware of the Spring Road Safety Campaign (春の全国交通安全運動) where the police stop and fine a lot of drivers for things they would normally ignore.
In Western Tokyo, I haven’t encountered any police checkpoints. There has been an increase of patrol cars and police motorcycles of random speed traps and catching people using the wrong lane.
I wonder if the police stepped up patrols due to the home invasion/robberies that were occurring a few weeks ago.
The suspects were caught a few days ago.
I’m in nishitokyo and a police stopped me and took down my ID and asked me if I’m going to HUB lol
Sounds normal. Depending on area, gender and skin color you’ll get stopped more. It’s pretty shitty. Sorry you’re dealing with it.
Perhaps a safety campaign or there’s been some crimes in the area? I’ve lived in Tokyo for over 2 decades and have never been stopped or asked to provide ID in the street.
Last week in Shibuya the police were stopping and checking the ID of girls who looked 20 or younger
I have one that stands on the top of a bridge randomly stopping cyclists. I don’t even stop for him anymore. He yells, I keep pedaling. See you next week friend.
Sometimes it just happens and it’s difficult not to have your personal experience lead you to think it must be happening to everyone else.
My wife has only been stopped once and that was at 2pm while crossing the street in Ginza. Police walked her to the other side of the crossing and did questioning, ID check etc. We started immediately Googling to confirm that some sort of campaign or action was taking place in Ginza…
Nope! Just unlucky.
I was told this happens when the recruits graduate, but I have no evidence
Could be some bullshit ‘training’ for rookie officers so that they aren’t afraid to approach an unrestrained gaijin in the wild. But really there is no reason to play along. If you are on a bike or in a car that is one thing, but just walking down the road and minding your own business? No need.
Just walk past, don’t make any physical contact, and say, “sorry, I am busy” and carry on. Never speak Japanese to them either, this puts you at a huge disadvantage. If they DO stop you, just stand still and say “no thank you” and “may I go now?” to whatever request they make. If they get stroppish and demand to see your ID, then SHOW it to them. Do not let them take physical possession if at all possible. Also record and photograph their badge numbers, names, and station.
Unless they are looking for a specific person matching your description for a specific crime, they are just on a fishing expedition.
I live near Ichikawa and haven’t been stopped to show ID in literally 2 decades in the area
Still waiting for my first stop in 26 years here. I live in eastern Tokyo.
Got checked 6 times so far, every time i ride my ママチャリ😂
Im in Katsushika/Kanamachi area for work mon-fri evgs around 9pm and have NEVER been stopped, walk right past kobans & coppers on bikes…mind you I’m n business clothing and always moving so that could be one reason why?!
They’ve asked to see my passport a few times
I live on the West side and saw something funny the other day.
I was walking home from a gym at night and a student on a bike stopped at an intersection by a police station. The cop was looking bored and I saw the moment he was like “fuck it” and started harassing this kid by shining his flashlight in his eyes. Pretty sure he was trying to search his school bag.
I try to avoid that intersection now 😅
But I’ve never been stopped as a foreigner, pretty sure I give off nerd energy or something
I haven’t seen it in Suginami-Ku, and hopefully it stays that way. That sucks.
Ayase had a mysterious gas smell two days ago which prompted the biggest congregation of security staff at the station. Maybe they are monitoring for unusual activity. Although profiling is not uncommon
Every time a Logan Paul/Jonny Somali type makes the headlines, more pressure is going to be put on the police to check tourists.
The crazy few ruin it for everyone else.
There was no police check in Shinagawa-ku, but I went to Setagaya-ku recently to catch up with a mate and got stopped five times for an ID check
Not in Chofu. The main issue here seems to be people cycling where the train station used to be. Lots of volunteers prompting people to walk their bikes 20m or so until past the koban.
No. Foreigner here never stopped even once.
Never got stopped in Yoyogi, been walking past two different Kobans every single day in the last two years lmao probably they just remembered my face
I live in the same ku and I’ve never been asked for ID.
Never happened to me, mhhh, I guess i’m lucky
Japan now has a rash of overstaying “tourists” because Japan has opened blue collar jobs to foreigners. There are many companies hiring undocumented foreigners for cheap labor cost. Even if Japanese see a foreign worker doing blue collar jobs, most Japanese think they are legal imported labor so don’t report them to the police.
Police is under the Justice Ministry. Immigration control is also under the Justice Ministry. So the police is under heavy pressure to catch overstaying, undocumented foreigners here seeking work or working illegally.
Random checking of foreigners’ ID has drastically increased after Japan has reopened its doors to tourists and “legal” foreign workers. This is the result of reality – Japan is seeing a very sharp increase in overstaying foreigners seeking jobs or working illegally in Japan.
mantapp
Living in Nerima since a year now, never happened to me. A friend in Ueno witnessed that tho