Crackdown on illegal gaijins?

[Mr Doricar]

What's going on....Either I suddenly look like a complete criminal or there is something going on. I got stopped twice today and asked for my alien card. Both times at JR stations. Saw a couple of fellow FG's talking to the cops also.

[GomiGirl]

What's going on....Either I suddenly look like a complete criminal or there is something going on. I got stopped twice today and asked for my alien card. Both times at JR stations. Saw a couple of fellow FG's talking to the cops also.

Have you finally arrived in Japan? When did this stealth mission take place?

[Mr Doricar]

I didn't tell you because I forgot to bring lollies and I sure as shit didn't want to get my arse kicked by an Aussie chick

[GomiGirl]

I didn't tell you because I forgot to bring lollies and I sure as shit didn't want to get my arse kicked by an Aussie chick

No probs on the lollies. We have had so many visitors lately that we won't need any lollies for ages.

Good to know you are in town though. Should all head out for a welcome drink for you.

[Mr Doricar]

Sounds good to me, I'll be free from Sunday onwards, so any day would be cool. Was thinking of coming in and saying hello this week but probably won't have much time

[Takechanpoo]

[blackcat]

he means
"Foreigners are mostly treated as criminals in Japan."

[Takechanpoo]

he means
"Foreigners are mostly treated as criminals in Japan."

By the way, are you black girl/lady?
Tell me.

[canman]

I've lived here in Japan going on 15 years, and have never been asked to produce my gaijin card. I believe the lot of you when you say it happens, but I guess that is one of the benefits of living in the Inaka. One of the only benefits. I have had the police come to the door a couple of times, telling me they were canvassing the area and wanted to know who lived the neighborhood, how many people in the house etc. But I don't think that had anything to do with me being a foreigner, and they still didn't ask to see me gaijin card.

[Iraira]

I've noticed a bunch of security folks milling about Shinjuku station. They tend to only search the J-folks bags, particularly the J-folks who look like hippies. I've walked by these security dudes and tried to look suspicious, holding my gym bag as if it was loaded with 50,000 MDMA pills or 25 lbs. of C4 (or both), but they never seem to even look my way. Damn, I just want one of them to open my gym bag and pass out from the putrid stench vapors creeping out of my rancid socks...probably happened before, so they have standing orders not to search gaijin's gym bags.

[Oradea]

I also have never been asked for my Gaijin card. The police here in nagoya, usually just wanna try out there english. Ive been in a few situations where there has been some rouwdy gaijin, the police have been called to the party or bar, and all they ever do is say things like (try to party less hard, and have fun more quietly).

[GomiGirl]

I have been stopped recently for "Walking while gaijin" and have seen lots of people being searched around Shinjuku station.

It really does seem to be a crackdown lately. Kinda sad really.

[Buraku]

On-the-spot inspections are rare but the best way to get the J-fuzz attention is to ride around on a bicycle

Within a few hours you'll have some J-cop stop you and ask you "did you steal this bicycle"

[ttjereth]

I've lived here in Japan going on 15 years, and have never been asked to produce my gaijin card. I believe the lot of you when you say it happens, but I guess that is one of the benefits of living in the Inaka. One of the only benefits. I have had the police come to the door a couple of times, telling me they were canvassing the area and wanted to know who lived the neighborhood, how many people in the house etc. But I don't think that had anything to do with me being a foreigner, and they still didn't ask to see me gaijin card.

When I lived in the inaka the police made period visits to my apartment. They were there the day I moved in, and the day I moved out, and would stop by occasionally in between just to "see how things were going".

Oddly enough, none of my Japanese neighbors got these "courtesy visits".

[FG Lurker]

On-the-spot inspections are rare but the best way to get the J-fuzz attention is to ride around on a bicycle

Within a few hours you'll have some J-cop stop you and ask you "did you steal this bicycle"

I traveled mostly by bicycle for 9 years here and never once had a cop stop and ask me for ID or if the bike was mine. At the peak of my riding I did nearly 200km a week so it isn't like I never went anywhere. I've ridden everything from "mama cherries" to full carbon mountain bikes and not once had a problem.

Maybe your face says, "I'm a loser and probably had to steal this bike."

[American Oyaji]

Only time police ever asked me any questions is when I ran that old lady over.

They tried to lay into me asking why I ran away from the accident scene, and I had to set them straight.(the lady refused ALL help, but I left her my info just in case). In any case it was her fault and they agreed.

After that it was tea and biscuits and talk of drinking and Japanese women.

[Greji]

Only time police ever asked me any questions is when I ran that old lady over.

They tried to lay into me asking why I ran away from the accident scene, and I had to set them straight.(the lady refused ALL help, but I left her my info just in case). In any case it was her fault and they agreed.

After that it was tea and biscuits and talk of drinking and Japanese women.

I have another such lucky story! The yaks have a quaint trick of walking into the side of moving cars and then demanding a large sum of money for the injury/insult (even if the cops are called). I was cruising down bar row one afternoon and apparently the dude's timing was off. When he jumped out from between two parked cars, instead of hitting the side of my ride, I made a hood ornament out of him. When I determined he wasn't in immediate danger of death (unfortunately), I called the cops who were on the scene instantaenously as it was a gaijin calling and they probably smelled great kudos and fawning publicity for helping the "Rid Japan of Furyo's Campaign". The luck came in when we all went to the nearest police box, friend yak, yours truly and a few good citizens that witnessed the incident and smelled a sagi rat. It turned out that the yak was wanted for questioning on another investigation and cops told me to beat it as this dude had done this accident scam several times in the past and they also (apparently) didn't want to compound the other investigation. Not being one to question authority, I left a small cloud of dust in the koban when I rather hastily departed.

[halfnip]

I have another such lucky story! The yaks have a quaint trick of walking into the side of moving cars and then demanding a large sum of money for the injury/insult (even if the cops are called). I was cruising down bar row one afternoon and apparently the dude's timing was off. When he jumped out from between two parked cars, instead of hitting the side of my ride, I made a hood ornament out of him. When I determined he wasn't in immediate danger of death (unfortunately), I called the cops who were on the scene instantaenously as it was a gaijin calling and they probably smelled great kudos and fawning publicity for helping the "Rid Japan of Furyo's Campaign". The luck came in when we all went to the nearest police box, friend yak, yours truly and a few good citizens that witnessed the incident and smelled a sagi rat. It turned out that the yak was wanted for questioning on another investigation and cops told me to beat it as this dude had done this accident scam several times in the past and they also (apparently) didn't want to compound the other investigation. Not being one to question authority, I left a small cloud of dust in the koban when I rather hastily departed.

How many beers did you have before this incident? I would be itching to get out of there as well.

[Greji]

[quote="halfnip"]How many beers did you have before this incident? I would be itching to get out of there as well. ]

This was many years ago before the big crack downs on DUI began. But as it was, it was a work day and I had been doing some errands before going into the office. Not a drop. If I'd of had a couple of snorts, old no-fingers would of got a ride all the way down town, if he wasn't dumped in Tamagawa on the way!

[alienchu]

I have been stopped recently for "Walking while gaijin" and have seen lots of people being searched around Shinjuku station.

It really does seem to be a crackdown lately. Kinda sad really.

this must be a mainland problem, I've been on Okinawa for 17 years now and have never been asked for my card

[GomiGirl]

this must be a mainland problem,

More like a Shinjuku problem. And that I must look awfully suspect.

[Greji]

And that I must look awfully suspect.

Well, I didn't want to say anything, but since you went ahead and mentioned it....

[Mike Oxlong]

Things are definitely different here on Okinawa. A far cry from Nagoya...

I imagine Oyajikun would concur, if he's still around.

[oyajikun]

*raises hand

When I lived in Tokyo, on average, I would be stopped about once a year. More so back when I was a student and riding a bicycle around town. There was a time when I was very cautious of those checks. So cautious in fact, I would not even hold a bicycle up for a friend that needed to tie their shoe. But I digress..

The only people checking IDs in Okinawa are the bouncers outside of the dance clubs. And that's only to prove that you're not in the military.

[Neo-Rio]

I've lived in the inaka for years and never even run into a police officer.

However, I've been stopped and approached by police three times since I moved into Tokyo proper. I've even had police bang on my gaijin ghetto door and do a sweep at stupid o'clock in the morning - without any warrants - looking for illegals.

[Greji]

I've even had police bang on my gaijin ghetto door and do a sweep at stupid o'clock in the morning - without any warrants - looking for illegals.

I am going to assume you were living in a dorm, or hostel of sorts, because if it is your apartment, they cannot do that without a warrant!

[amdg]

[Buraku]

By the way, are you black girl/lady?
Tell me.

what to do with the zainichis ?

[yt]BnP-t-Z_o7A[/yt]

[GomiGirl]

I am going to assume you were living in a dorm, or hostel of sorts, because if it is your apartment, they cannot do that without a warrant!

Happened to me in my last apartment. They had heard that a foreigner had moved in and needed to know "who was living in the area" for "emergency" reasons. They didn't want to search, just wanted me to fill out a form to keep a register of who was living in each apartment.

When we moved into the new place we voluntarily went to the koban to register our residence. Not had any visitors from the police.

[Greji]

Happened to me in my last apartment. They had heard that a foreigner had moved in and needed to know "who was living in the area" for "emergency" reasons. They didn't want to search, just wanted me to fill out a form to keep a register of who was living in each apartment.

When we moved into the new place we voluntarily went to the koban to register our residence. Not had any visitors from the police.

I don't know about now, but they were actually supposed to do this on at least annually. It used to be a requirement levied on all kobans that they fill out a resident sheet on all residents, not just FGs, in their area assigned to them. They would check rentals on a semi-annual schedule, or more frequent, but usually home owners only occasionally as they were assume to be less transient.

Now that privacy is becoming more and more of an issue, more people are telling them to go pound salt, so they may not be pursuing the requirements as much as they should. i.e. go to the owner or realty and get a listing and let it go at that.

I'm like GG, when I bought the current place, I went to the koban with an a twin isshoibin pack as an omiyagi filled out all the forms and shot the shit for about as much time as I thought he could take and have been on pretty good terms since.

I also figure that if a guy has got a live banger on his hip, a very large club that can break heads and has the ability to help put you so far back in the slammer that they have to pipe sunshine to you, you would want the guy for a friend, even if it means going a bit out of your way.