Originally Posted by
bmwe92fan
As someone that has lived in Japan for 15+ years I have never been asked for my passport. But it IS the law in Japan -- and you could be escorted back to your hotel / home to produce your passport -- but it is very unlikely....
Or, it could be worse, and they ask whoever is at your home to come to the police station with your passport or alien registration card, that's what happened to me at about midnight one night. Very inconvenient for that person.
Originally Posted by
bmwe92fan
This is like jaywalking in NYC -- technically it's illegal and you can be detained -- but in reality it never happens....
Never say never....40+ years in Japan and it did happen to me, but only once. Yet, I'm a bit surprised it doesn't happen more often to people.
Of course, if you are not a tourist and have an alien registration card, you do not need to carry a passport, just the card, and vice-versa. If you have neither, you're sunk and fair game for the police, but as you say, the odds are low that they'll ask for your papers but "never" is a stretch.