Hassled in Tokyo
 

I bring this up only because it happens every time I am in Tokyo. I travel throughout Asia including Communist Countries and never get even a look from the police. In Tokyo I get stopped for simply walking down a plain street in the middle of the day and asked to produce my passport. Both times on both trips I did not have it with me. The first time they radioed and got the “OK” to let me go. :rolleyes: On this last trip an undercover agent approached me while I was paying for my subway ticket and showed me his badge and demanded a passport. I showed him my driver’s license but he could speak English so within a minute a dozen undercover agents surrounded me asking why I was in Japan. :rolleyes: Eventually I mentioned something about living in Ichiro's team city and everyone went away after apologizing. Seriously, I have been to a lot of places in Asia and Eastern Europe but never been treated like this. I feel like the secret cameras see a Caucasian and instruct the agents to intercept me. Truly I am doing nothing suspicious. It seems almost racists to me but may be part of Japans effort to keep their culture closed off from outsiders.

Is there anything unusual about your appearance that causes them pause?

I've never been hassled in Tokyo... unless you count comments about how pale my skin is... but I've gotten that throughout Asia (usually from women accompanied by questions about what beauty products I use to get it/keep it that white).

I find your post most odd. How old are you, are you a linebacker, and how do you dress? Is there something that might trigger their curiosity? Being a white male of rather non-descript character I have never been approached in Tokyo or anywhere else in Japan. I do get approached by young women students on the streets of China. And once, 30-years ago, I was asked by a French policeman for my documents getting off a train in Paris, but never what you describe. And I would never leave my hotel without my passport when traveling abroad, even when visitng in the United States!

I also find this very odd. In many trips to various parts of Japan, I have never, ever been approached by police. In fact, the only times I have ever spoken with police officers was when I went to the koban seeking directions. I am really curious as to what there is in your appearance, dress, demeanor or locations you visit that is triggering their profiles.

As to the passport, why do you not have it in your possession as is required? That is just asking for trouble, regardless of what country you are visiting.

JR

...I thought the passport was supposed to stay with the hotel desk?

(never really been comfortable about that, must say.)

This has never happened to me in 14 years of living here but I do know people who were subjected to a random ID check while walking through Ueno station. (Two caucasian males. Casually dressed, with nothing "provocative" in their appearance. Just walking through the station. Not doing anything suspicious). The police officer told them that he was checking for "overstayers."

According to Arudo Debito, the law states that the police should only ask ID if there is a suspicion of crime etc.:
http://www.debito.org/instantcheckpoints2.html

With this in mind, you should ask the police about their reason for subjecting you to the ID check. However, as a visitor you are required to carry your passport. A photocopy would be enough to get you out of the situation very quickly.

Believe it or not, you can walk around the UK with no ID at all.

Definitely not. The hotel desk will ask to see your passport. But you keep it.

I have to agree with the frequent visitors and/or residents. I've never been stopped by the police once in the past ten years. OTOH, Mizuho bank usually wants 50 different forms of ID and proof of blood type anytime I want to deposit money in my account. :rolleyes:

Different styles of dress and fashion which are totally acceptable and possibly normal in other countries can appear to be "different" here and may be considered suspicious. What may be considered "normal" to the OP may be highly unusual in Japan.

So much so that until now I had no idea I was required to carry it with me in Japan. I mostly don't - just so I don't lose it.

Stopped once in 11 years for a passport check, obviously didn't have it or my gaijin card either. They were happy with my driver's license. I routinely never carry ID here. The Japanese don't have to, why should I?
To the OP, you're just unlucky.

I never carry my passport around while traveling; I always leave it in the hotel.

The chances of losing it due to theft out on the street are probably considerably higher than being asked to produce it by local authorities.

The driver's license will have to do, if I'm even carrying that. If they want, they can accompany me back to my hotel where I will be happy to show them the passport.

I have also never been asked by the police in Japan for my passport or any other form of ID. I've heard stories, but these seem to mainly involve checks of bike registrations, rather than just random checks of pedestrians.

I also find it highly unlikely that you would be "surrounded by a dozen undercover agents" for no reason other than that you didn't have your passport with you...

I have never been stopped in the one year plus that I have been living in Japan. I don't carry passport but make sure wife and I always have our military ids. Although not required for locals to carry id, I don't find it an onerous requirement for foreigners to carry ids. As for random stopping by police, I like OP, would be annoyed if this were a frequent occurrence.

Marc

I think they have more problems with Chinese, Philippine, Indian over staying their visa. Most of the Caucasian over stayers seem to be street vendors, lower ranking musicians etc. When dressed in similar style, then they will be more prong to be checked.

I've never been stopped on the street, but then again there might be other reasons for that. The only time I have been asked to produce passport to law enforcement is at Narita Airport, but thats part of their standard security procedures for all passengers.

Like it or not Japanese law requires you to have your passport on your procession at all time if you are a visitor. It is very unlikely to get stolen in Japan, if it is lost most likely someone would turn it to lost and found (eg railway station) or to a police koban.

Yes I understand the pain of getting a new passport if lost, but I'd rather deal with that then spend time in a detention cell until they can prove your identity. Though I don't think it will come to that point. But there was that case involving an old lady that it happened to, but turns out she was a Japanese citizen!

Wow, so many questions. I knew people would be saying "I lived there for years and no one stopped me." Don't know what to say other than this happend to us. The first time I was stopped it felt like they really wanted to know if I was overstaying but I find it unsettling for them to just randomly just stop me without reason but I guess I play by their rules. They asked me a bunch of questions about when I got there, when I was leaving etc. which they wanted to match with my passport. My partner does not allow me to carry my passport. Affraid I will lose it. Now I am white and he is Asian. Maybe that seems "odd" to them.
The 2nd time they concentrated on my partner. The "dozen" agents converged BECAUSE the first agent could not speak English and they were confused why my partner could not speak Japanese. What was freaky about the agents is they were normal looking people in regular clothes standing around the subway pay station during rush hour and they came out of the blue both male and female showing us their badges. The country must be crawling with undercover people. They did say it was "mistaken identity" but it seemed like a lie to me. We were arguing as we bought the subway tickets so maybe the thought the "Asian" was trying to scam me. There was also an incident many years ago of some people gasing and killing other passengers on the subway so maybe they are on high alert from "evil" Americans.
However, anyway you look at it is very unsettling considering I have been to Vietnam so many times over the past 15 years and have never even got a look.