Discrimination in Japan

[BlogD]

Wow. I have noticed that police behavior is specific to certain areas--in Tachikawa I was never stopped, for example, while in Koganei, just a few stations down the Chuo, I got stopped constantly.

Sounds like you have a bad area.

[Maciamo]

Wow. I have noticed that police behavior is specific to certain areas--in Tachikawa I was never stopped, for example, while in Koganei, just a few stations down the Chuo, I got stopped constantly.

Sounds like you have a bad area.

Well, my area is near Nihombashi (I was checked once just at the crossing of Chuo-dori and Eitai-dori near Nihombashi bridge). This is an area with lots of foreign business people. The largest building in the area is the American Merrill Lynch Building just at the crossing I mentioned. IBM and other foreign companies also have buildings in the area, so it's only obvious that there are lots of Westerners around (giving good jobs to thousands of Japanese). Several apartments blocks near where I have been checked are for (highly paid) expats, so I don't understand why the police care so much about checking them there, when a bicycle must cost less than their shirt or neckties. Why not checking if they haven't stolen their brand clothes, watch and bag then ? They just want to cause trouble to foreigners so that they can write how obnoxious and petty the Japanese police is (do you see another purpose ?).

[BlogD]

Well, my area is near Nihombashi ... They just want to cause trouble to foreigners so that they can write how obnoxious and petty the Japanese police is (do you see another purpose ?).

Hmmm, could very well be exactly as you say. My guess, however, would be that in the post-9/11 Tokyo, the police are being really stupid in their security methods. You know how they recently "protected" the Keio line by removing garbage receptacles? As if a terrorist would leave a bomb there and not on an overhead rack on the train itself, where a bomb could easily be left unnoticed. That's a prime example of "we've want to look like we're doing something so let's do something really annoying and stupid."

Maybe the Nihombashi police--being so close to downtown, the financial district (which is after all a terrorist target)--are thinking, "we've got to respond to this terrorist thing, so let's just stop any foreigner at random." And they probably feel that they're "doing their job."

Take the Japanese motorcycle police. They set up ticket traps in the same place every time, and it is never in a place where safety is at stake--the prime determinant in setting up a ticket trap is "how can we ticket the most number of people with the least amount of effort?" Speed traps are set up on lonely, deserted straightaway roads with no pedestrians or intersections and the speed limit is ridiculously low. Never any accidents, but like shooting fish in a barrel for catching "speeders." Or the infamous intersection/underpass traps, aimed primarily at bikers who commit the unholy crime of crossing a yellow line when there is no traffic around, or 49cc scooters making a right turn at an intersection with more than two lanes. Stuff like that. I see incredibly dangerous streets with pedestrians, blind corners and narrow ways that are virtual death traps, but the police never police those--I know one such street in Chofu which is never patrolled despite being just a block away from police stations!

I have respect for many institutions in Japan, but the police are not one of them. They know how to put on a show and harass innocent people, but they would be hopelessly lost and vastly undertrained if they were ever presented with a real challenge.

[Buddha Smoker]

I have respect for many institutions in Japan, but the police are not one of them. They know how to put on a show and harass innocent people, but they would be hopelessly lost and vastly undertrained if they were ever presented with a real challenge.

Yes, the Japanese police are basically worthless in my opinion. Like the saying goes "when the tough get going then the Japanese police find a way to runaway"

[Duo]

Yes, the Japanese police are basically worthless in my opinion. Like the saying goes "when the tough get going then the Japanese police find a way to runaway"

Maybe they should give them back the privilege of being the only ones to carry a sword. Then they could do something.

[Buddha Smoker]

Maybe they should give them back the privilege of being the only ones to carry a sword. Then they could do something.

But could you imagine the corruption that would start from that ....I mean, the Japanese police are already pretty bad.

Also, everybody please take what we say as opinions only...even though this stuff happens it is not stuff that tourist people usually see or short-timers. Japan is still one of the safest countries in the world.

[Elizabeth]

I have respect for many institutions in Japan, but the police are not one of them. They know how to put on a show and harass innocent people, but they would be hopelessly lost and vastly undertrained if they were ever presented with a real challenge.

I was with a Japanese friend in Tokyo (near Takaido) last Sunday when he was stopped about 2 am on suspicion of bike theft for nothing more than a broken headlight. How that could be the basis of anything but a cooked up show of force I still haven't figured out.