Not proud of any of this but over my 14 years in Japan I’ve been to Japanese jail 4 times.
I’ve seen a lot of posts here with incorrect legal information. Ask me anything!
My rap sheet:
Pickpocketing (suspended sentence 2 years)
Pickpocketing (not guilty)
Shoplifting (300000¥ fine)
Consumption of psychotropics (1 year suspended sentence)
47 comments
Psychotropics are horrible! Where would you get those things!? Where? 😅
How do you not get deported once you’ve been found guilty (as I assume you were from the one “not guilty” mentioned)?
I guess I assumed that one conviction meant you were out of here.
I’m very curious as to what you stole on those separate 2-3 occasions. Do you consider yourself a kleptomaniac? I’m asking these questions in a respectful manner.
How’s the food in there? They eat damn well in Canadian prisons.
Do you look Japanese?
How were you treated by other inmates? Anything worth sharing?
How did you deal with anxiety or paranoia, when you were continuing your illegal career?
What is your main source of entertainment there? Also the social life.
Are there washlets in prison?
From your point of view, do you think the Japanese legal system is 1) too strict/too lenient, 2) fair/unfair, 3) doing any good? If you were in jail in your home country, how did the Japanese jail compare?
(I’m from the US and have thoughts about the US system. Curious how the Japanese system is by comparison.)
Were you able to secure work after all these jail time?
Are you forced to disclose your rap sheet when finding work?
Not trying to be super negative or accusotory, just genuinely curious. How are you managing being married, having kids, getting arrested, and using drugs? Does your wife know? How has it affected work? Also, looking for dates amidst this while being married seems like it would add a ton of stress. What’s your rationale for that?
For the legal outcomes you got, how important it was having a “good lawyer”?
When you first got caught, you were on a spouse visa I believe I saw you say?, how many years at the time?, How did your history affect applying for a new. Spouse visa / PR?.
I like that you actually don’t blame the police/system for your mistakes, you know Reddit isn’t usually the “nah, my bad” type of community. Lots of people blame the police when they get caught doing something.
With all the records in your file, what kind of jobs are you able to get or do to support your family?
You weren’t guilty the second time? How did that happen?
Could you point out some of the misconceptions you’ve seen often in this subreddit?
This is the content we need haha
This was fascinating to read through. Thank you OP.
Takes a lot of courage to put this up and answer all questions.
Glad that you are doing better.
Amazing AMA. What drugs were you addicted to, and how does that happen in such a strict country?
How much money did you make during your pickpocketing spree before you were eventually caught?
Did the drug conviction scare you off using again? Did you observe that the harsh laws go some way to actively discouraging those who get caught using? (you said you were inside w/ ppl who got caught for meth)
Rather than ask you about jail: as an addict, what turned it around for you (if it has),?
Like for example: my grandfather FINALLY beat alcoholism when my grandmother developed breast cancer. It just 180’d him completely.
I’ll be the one to ask the tough questions?
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Is there a rape culture inside Japanese prisons?
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Did you get raped?
Assuming that those are only the crimes you have been caught with, do you feel like you have learned from your mistakes – in a sense that imprisonment has helped you stop with that behavior ? Or was it just cruel and pointless?
You don’t seem to be very good at stealing…maybe try another hobby?
How have you stayed married/kept your spouse visa after going to jail so many times?
interesting thread, thanks for sharing.
i think i saw you mentioned kids/a child? personal q if you feel like it – will you tell them what you’ve been through? how will you deal if your child were to do something similar?
take care of yourself out there 🙂
I truly hope the shit that got you into those huge errors is behind you mate. Life is not an easy ride and it sounds like you have seen a few downs.
have you ever been in jail in any other country? If yes can you compare?
Do you um wanna hang out sometime?
What was the daily routine like? Did you make any good friendships? Were you allowed to write and receive letters and did you have any visitors?
You keep mentioning in the thread you paid back the victims, what about those who you weren’t caught stealing from? Just tough luck for them?
Does your spouse participate in these activities?
How does he/she feel about you doing these things / getting arrested for these things?
Not putting any judgement on you or your spouse. Just curious and its impressive that he/she stuck it thru with you.
Did you feel that the treatment from the officers was worse towards you as foreigners compared to Japanese inmates?
How many times have you been on national news on the telly?
how would you rate japan jail on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being I will never ever do anything remotely bad again?
Very interesting content, you said you were dating, that was even after beeing married? Wife never found out? Or didn’t care?
How was it to replace drugs for dating? I have done the later one but never drugs, didn’t know they were similar lol
Did you ran into any other foreigners at jail?
I was not expecting the amount of respectful comments when I opened this thread lol.
In the 14 years, did you notice any changes in terms of treatment? Were they more/less lenient 14 years ago compared to now, or generally the same?
What’s your current situation, do you have a job? If so, what do you do? From the way you’re replying to others I don’t think you’re as bad as you described. I don’t know you but I truly hope you do well from this point on.
Thank you for doing this post
Did they tell you your 日本語 was 上手 while on the inside?
Can you confirm – the whole western idea of “don’t talk to cops until lawyer gets there” does not work here, right? They do or do not have to abide by this and provide you with a lawyer ?
Can you describe the process of what happened with you post arrest? They take you to the station jail and then what happened? Were you held for the 23days or w/e before even being heard out ?
I hope you’ve cleaned up and moved past that crap
It’s crazy reading the semi-weekly divorce threads about Japanese wives terrorizing their gaijin husbands over the most trivial shit, and yet OP has apparently found a lady who will stand by him despite him being arrested multiple times, addicted to drugs, and cheating on her…
Where are the regular know-it-alls to tell OP what he experienced, how he should feel, and what he should have done instead?
The absence of those posters here is hilarious, imo. You know the few I’m taking about.
Anyway, thanks for the thread OP!
I talked to a Japanese-descendant Brazilian about cars years ago. He said he and his friends had been to detention many times for racing on the streets and drifting on some port piers and never lost PR as well.
According to him it was not too bad. I remember he called it “just a month vacation from the factory”.
Do you plan on not breaking the law?