As the title says, I was stopped by police on my way home from work.
The officer wanted to check through my bag because ‘I started walking faster when I looked at him’, which is just flat out BS, because I didn’t even see him until he talked to me.
As some of you may know, this is what’s called 職務質問 (shokumu shitsumon), a routine practice to check if someone is carrying weapons or drugs.
At first, I refused to let him check my bag, because A) I’m germaphobic and B) legally I’m not required to do it. But this officer kept saying that ‘If you have nothing to hide, what’s the problem?’ and kept following me around.
After a few blocks, I let him go through my stuff because I didn’t want him to know where I lived. Naturally, he saw that there was basically nothing in my bag and left without saying anything.
Now I’m pissed, firstly because of this guy’s attitude (he kept blocking my way, and while he didn’t touch me, he was very “forceful”, if you know what I mean), and because he had no legal right to go through my stuff.
What has your experience been being stopped by the police in Japan? Would you have dealt with it differently??
42 comments
Only once a cop tried to ask for my ID, I told him no, Im busy and walked through him. Didnt wait for any reply.
The strategy of blocking people is so they hope you bump into them while walking and then they can pull a Neymar and claim assault against an officer, and then you’re really in trouble. Unfortunately, if an officer is determined to search you then you might as well just get it over with, unless you’re willing to be hauled off for questioning to defend your legal rights.
> After a few blocks,
Heh, you did quite well all things considered.
I love the idea of punishing a police officer who abuses their authority by making them follow you on a long walk somewhere out of the way and unpleasant.
Tbh, just comply. You will never win a “this is an illegal search” argument. You are an immigrant in another country. Unfortunately, your rights are not as guaranteed as say a japanese persons would be. It sounds shitty, but that’s unfortunately the life of an immigrant in any country.
Well,.you wasted your time while he was being paid and can claim some more sweet 残業 to fill his quota.
Just get it over with, I think…
That being said, if it happens again, you may want to go to the police station to complain about the harassment.
I’ve not been stopped by police so far (7-8 years). If and when that happens, I will just show my ID/bags and go on my merry way. Just comply and get it over with. This isn’t America.
While *technically /* legally (?) you are not forced to show anything, a vengeful cop can make your day a lot worse as I’m sure you’ve heard the stories.
You may request them to put on gloves, although I’m unsure how/if that would work.
If you are stopped and searched numerous times you can complain to the station (not koban) for harassment / profiling.
My experience was this.. What country you from? I told him.. he said cool, have a nice day. Pleasant experience. I would have let him check my bag too.. cause I don’t really care.
Never been stopped in 20 years. Generally, I’ve had good experiences with the 5-O here.
That is just one of the few inconvenience of living as foreign in Japan.
We just have to deal with it, or risk being locked in prison for 23 days?
We just have to let them search our bag for dangerous stuff, and check ID, and answer a few questions like “Why you in Japan, what you do, where you going..”
Did he present his police ID?
If not, call the cops, and tell them that a police impersonator is acting very suspiciously, possibly attempting identity theft. He could be a rapist, like that police inspector.
The guy is obviously unfamiliar with the procedures very clearly laid down in the Police Duties Execution Act.
Police here have been very professional and respectful in my experience. Havnt had a bad experience (yet).
This has been debated here before and the conclusion is that it is better to comply with what they ask, even if it is frustrating sometimes. Saves you lot of trouble in the end.
Yesterday I witnessed the same thing happening to a Japanese dude outside of a bar near Harajuku. I was drinking at the bar, the guy was at the bar too. He left and after a while I left as well. I noticed 3 police cars outside and the guy surrounded by like 10 cops arguing about searching his bag. Shit happens to everyone, not just foreigners.
As a foreigner are you allowed to refuse to show your ID if you’re not being charged with something or are you required to show it when asked no matter what?
I got stopped to see if “I’d found some stuff and forgotten to hand it in”. I was just cycling in town (Nagoya).
>As some of you may know, this is what’s called 職務質問
Was it though? If the officer actually suspected you of a crime – a prerequisite for shokushitsu – he wouldn’t have been trailing around behind you begging to look in your bag.
>a routine practice to check if someone is carrying weapons or drugs
Happy to have someone cite the law and correct me, but my understanding is that “shokushitsu” requires the police officer to either have reason to believe you are connected to a crime, have knowledge of a crime, or are in the process of committing a crime. It’s not for random drug or weapon checks.
>legally I’m not required to do it
I’m 99% sure you are legally required to comply with legitimate “shokushitsu.”
>Would you have dealt with it differently??
The only thing you can do is ask for his ID to prove that he is, in fact, a police officer, and ask him what the basis of the stop is, and try to get him to follow proper procedures. If he’s just intent on harassing you, then as everyone is saying, your only *real* option is to comply – but I believe it’s legal to record police interactions, so getting a recording so you can report him is a good idea.
Also worth noting that the law says *nothing* about you allowing police officers to handle and copy information from your zairyu card. It literally only says to “present” it. It’s obviously batshit insane for cops to be carrying around immigrants’ private information in unsecured, unregulated notebooks in their pockets. Edit: OP has added in the comments that the cop didn’t even demand his papers.
Well, lets think about this.
Are you really angry with him because he is abusing his authority or you are just not happy because of your thoughts on his motive?
What would have happened if you complied and let him check your bag in the first place without having any of those thoughts? Wouldnt your commute just happened without any negative thoughts lingering and you get on with your evening unbothered? And why bother enforcing your rights onto someone so insignificant as that police? Isnt that inviting unnecessary pushback? Lets say, you successfully enforced your rights in this situation, then you still get bothered by his actions and come on to reddit and post about it and thus, disturbing your quiet evening.
I feel the only part where you can rightly get bothered and enforce your rights is, after complying and he wanted to do something more to you. Other than that, I feel getting home and not get bothered the rest of the evening is more important than anything else.
If anyone wants to know more about a possible class action lawsuit regarding illegal profiling by the police, contact me in the DMs.
It happened to me once. I was too busy thinking to myself “Oh man, it’s finally happening to me”. I just showed my ID and they thanked me and sent me on my way (wasn’t carrying any bag). It was all a blur.
Am Japanese by the way
Unless it’s a detective who is following up on a crime, it’s just some dumb cop who has a quota of people to stop because they were told there’s “a crime crackdown. If it’s a detective, 100% comply and help out, they are trying to find someone else and it’s not you, gaijin card, a few questions and you can go. If it’s one of those random stops that they do to foreigners, just don’t engage with them in any kind of conversation and just bow and keep moving.
I see police doing that to Japanese individuals every other day near my station. I don’t think it has anything to do with you being a foreigner.
I know you aren’t going to like this advice, just let them search and let them have their power trip. There isn’t really much you can do. Random searches can be requested. You might be on their radar now.
I saw a short video about this recently. The police asked the woman to open her bag and she refused and he asked why, so she said “I have my panties in there” and he immediately walked away. LOL
I got stopped for my first time in 9 years here 3 weeks ago. He pulled up asked if I spoke Japanese then asked for my zairyu card. I immediately took out my phone and told him I’m recording and then gave him my zairyu card. I filmed from the neck down and he was so nervous he basically threw my card back at me and rode away.
There is nothing you can do other than submit. It will just cause you stress and potentially into something that will cause you a lot more stress.
The only time i’ve been stopped by the police is when i ran a stop sign . The officer kept saying sorry as he wrote and gave the ticket to me lol.
But i’ve seen japanese people stopped and searched randomly too (albeit rare) if that is any consolation.
Walk into a conbini and say you’re being stalked by a cop-pretender next time it happens. Please film the hijinks.
I’ve been stopped before. I chatted him up about the similarities of Japanese and Korean grammar until he became disinterested.
Smile. Be a token foreigner to them. Elicit some English out of them. Give them an 英語上手だ！They love it and leave you alone.
If you are really adverse to being searched you could carry around a pair of undies in a ziplock bag and let them know that you have underwear in your bag. That may deter the search.
Do as the pros do, next time simply sit on a bench and wait, wait, wait.
lol. Last month there was a post on Reddit by a tourist who was wondering if they had to carry their passport with them all the time as is required by law.
So many people were replying that it’s not necessary because the police don’t actually check, but looking at this thread, it does happen of course, and tourists would be better off carrying their passports as they are supposed to.
ACAB yo
Before I moved to for the first time Japan in 2004, I had the police pull me over (I was driving) because I was driving extra carefully (I had a police car following me for 2 miles) he then searched my car under anti terrorism laws. B.S of course but it happens every where. Don’t take it personally.
I am from the U.K. and the police can be pricks everywhere.
Last time I was there I got stopped 5 times in 6 days, right by hotel in Shinjuku. I just went along with it since it’s not really a big deal, but still annoying. Much better than in Bangkok where I’ve had police pulling my pants off in the middle of the day on the crowded street looking for god knows what. The joys of being a heavily tattooed white guy in Asia.
You can save time by answering police questions right away. If you refuse, they will follow you endlessly and it is a waste of time.
This happened to me a month ago but he caught me as I was leaving a bar and I had been drinking so I was walking home and was fumbling with ny headphones and didn’t notice this cop trying to stop me but since I’m out of it I didn’t even acknowledge his existence for several seconds and he gave up..as soon as he turned away I noticed him and was like “wtf?” Lol
At least you were not bodyslammed like that guy in the us who was just going to work
>Would you have dealt with it differently??
Depends. If i have something to do then just get it over with but if I’m free all day, i might be tempted to just sit down hugging my bag, start recording and become a broken record of “do you have a warrant”, “am I being detain/arrested”.
But also I haven’t been stop yet as I’m east asian so with a mask on I blend in quite well.
I used to get stopped several times a year, most of the time on my bike. Have also been flat out lied to “you didn’t have the light on your bike” even though it comes on automatically. Really tiring, and I’ve actually lost my cool with them a few times.
Strangely though, after some mainstream press coverage about racial profiling of foreigners on Japanese TV it’s gotten wayyyy better for me and gainin friends (Nagoya).
Never ever ever ever speak a single word of Japanese to the police. It’s the only thing that levels the playing field for a foreigner. I have had them bother me for no reason twice. I now only speak Spanish to them. They left me alone.
Be nice. Do what they say. Just lower your IQ by 15 points and… don’t speak any Japanese.
They’re not playing by American rules, just show them your ID. You’re not winning anything here.
Even if you are a germaphobe, that’s no excuse. If you got nothing to hide, just show them the bag. Other wise you’ll probably have more issues and suspicions because you refused.
You’re not just trying to win over that single Japanese policeman; you’re aiming to positively influence the entire Asian culture. If you ask other people living in Asia, you’ll find they have similar stories to share.
That being said, I agree with the person who suggested recording the encounter. Simultaneously, I would also cooperate and allow the policeman to search my bag. The recording is for my own protection, in case the policeman attempts to place something in my bag and falsely accuse me of wrongdoing. I would comply because, in that moment, it would be the safer course of action for me.