Illegal Parking

[Tommybar]

Just got back from Aomori. Had been driving all night and switched up with the wife around Tokyo. I crawled in the back of our Surf and went to sleep. My wife drove to the house and went up to pick up the dogs before heading to her mothers house. While getting the dogs, the Japanese parking police ticket my car...

Not that I wanted to tell this storey, I want to share the information I got afterwards...

I called the police station and here is what I have learned:

If you do not respond to the ticket, they will send you a notice in the mail.
Along with the notice you will recieve a 'complaint' form. If you want to fight the ticket, this is the forum to do it in I was told.

The ticket states in English:

ILLEGAL PARKING
This vehicle was identified as "Hochi-
sharyo" (an "abandoned vehicle" or a
"vehicle left unattended"). The user of this
vehicle may be subjected to the order by the
Public Safety Commission to pay
"Hochi-ihankin" (infraction money).

I asked what all this 'may be subjected' part means, he told me if I don't fight it, I would have to pay. And if I did fight it, I MAY have to pay...

[FG Lurker]

Sounds to me like a parking ticket in any country...

You will get 1 or 2 points on your license too, not just the fine. You can decide who will take the points, either you or your wife. Or you can find someone else to take the points if you pay them some extra cash... (Illegal no doubt.)

[Tommybar]

Nope, I was in a 'NO PARKING' area, not a 'NO STOPPING' area. I just talked to Mr. Kobayashi (the guy who issued the ticket) and he gave me the 'gomens' and told me to forget it. He had not bothered to check to see if anybody was in the car.

[Taro Toporific]

...I just talked to Mr. Kobayashi (the guy who issued the ticket) and he gave me the 'gomens' and told me to forget it...

Damn, it almost sounds like Officer Kobayashi is trying to lull you in a false sense of security. I get many parking tickets every year on my car with a handicapped dash plate---I ALWAYS have to go to the station house to get the ticket invalidated (Kanagawa-ken, Chiba-ken, and Tokyo-to).

Is Officer Kobayashi actually the sergeant-of-the-watch or assistant chief of police?

[Tommybar]

Actually, I just got lucky.

He is neither, he was the issuing officer.