[Sangetsu]

People seem to have a lot of misconceptions about the police in Japan. The police you usually see here look a lot like bank security guards. They typically sit in their police box for most of the day, getting out from time to time to ride their white Bridgestone shopping bikes around the neighborhood so the old housewives won't complain about them doing nothing.

But, in reality, police in Japan have quite a bit more power than police in places like America do. In America police need just cause to stop you and question you. In Japan there is no such requirement. In America if the police arrest you, they must give you access to a lawyer, allow you to make a telephone call, and they are required to let you appear before a judge with 72 hours of your arrest. In Japan you can be held for weeks without being allowed to contact or see anyone.

In America police can get in trouble for "getting rough" with you. In Japan people who are arrested often look like they fell down a flight of stairs after they are "questioned". If you are abused by the police in America, you can sue for damages, in Japan the most you will ever get is an apology (and only if you are found innocent of any charges).

Foreigners are often questioned by police in Japan and asked to show their passports or residency cards. If you are asked, you have no choice but to comply. The officer needs no reason to ask you, and if you refuse, you are violating the terms of your visa.

Few western foreigners are bothered by the police, as the police tend to focus on those who are most likely to be in the country illegally, such as those of Filipino or Korean descent. Racial profiling is perfectly acceptable in Japan.

For those who are stopped by the police, just smile and do what you are asked. Once again, you don't have a choice.