Your Experiences With The Police In Japan

[MikeH]

They said I'd been in there for 1 km or so and passed a few trucks but even though I could have moved back over into the center lane I stayed on the right and, as such, they had to stop me.

The limit is 2 km. They told me when they wrote me the ticket... After that I have seen unmarked police cars tail people exactly 2 km before they flash their blue lights and write them a ticket. If you move to the center line even for a moment then the count starts again from zero.

 

[roots reggae]

The limit is 2 km. They told me when they wrote me the ticket... After that I have seen unmarked police cars tail people exactly 2 km before they flash their blue lights and write them a ticket. If you move to the center line even for a moment then the count starts again from zero.

Good information! I've driven for seventeen years in Japan and did not realize this. Normally I get out of the fast lane as soon as possible, just to keep a low profile. I look in the rear view mirror, always ready to allow a faster car to go past-and draw the attention of any police.

I believe the 2K rule is not enforced when there is heavy traffic. I know I have stayed in the fast lane longer than 2K on the way to Tokyo, and hitting heavy traffic around Haneda to Oi Minami, just like everyone else. I hate all those big trucks that block the view ahead!

But compared to any US city, driving in Tokyo is a breeze!

 

[MikeH]

Good information! I've driven for seventeen years in Japan and did not realize this...I believe the 2K rule is not enforced when there is heavy traffic.

Of the Japanese I've talked about this maybe half new the rule... And they have to be following you the whole 2K so that's not possible if the traffic is heavy!

I've become quite good at spotting the cops on my rear mirror, they always drive the same style and similar cars. Unfortunately that skill came only after several incidents; learning can be sometimes expensive!

 

[KumaDog]

I would note to all gaijin on the board to carry their IDs with them at all times. Even in bed.

 

[just4fun]

Maybe this is to much info but here it goes. 17 years here and got stopped maybe 2 years ago while I was on an eye candy stroll by a really young uniformed guy. (I've heard stories about plain clothes police checking ID's) and he was all smiley and stuff and he asked to see my passport. I said who are you? He politely spoke in Japanese something or another and I said I couldn't be bothered and started walking away. He hurriedly walked up to me and in broken English asked to see my passport again. I again asked "Who are you"? He said I'm police officer. I told him to prove it. I said I can rent that same outfit at a costume shop and maybe you're trying to hit on me or some other devious thing in your sick little mind. Now mind you, I'm talking a million miles a minute here and was bored out of my mind so any entertainment is better than nothing. He got his radio and said "please wait" I said you got 2 minutes and luckily there was a public ashtray close by so he got a time bonus. Shortly a patrol car rolls up and low and behold it's the 1st police officer I met when I moved into my new neighborhood. I make it a habit to say hi to all the cops in my neighborhood with a big smile and a bow......it gives them a good impression I feel.....more stories about that but.....another time. He must have seen me from the car and he gets out smiling and shaking his head and says "you giving him a difficult time"? I said yeaaaa and I'm sorry...I thought you were gone cause I haven't seen you in while blah, blah and while we're talking I pull out my gaijin card and show it to the rookie. The rookie tyanks me and we said our good-byes and I haven't seen that cop again.....either of them. The cop I knew helped get my best friends son (a half Canadian-Japanese) into the police academy.

 

[just4fun]

Last night I'm in a park with my.......well....whatever she is doing a pokemon go hunt. (btw...you pua artists......do it.....trust me on this ...... and this commotion breaks out between these 2 young girls and some guy. He's all buffed out and is accusing these girls of following him. The girls are standing up for themselves and saying we're not following you.....ur following us and he's getting real loud and says he's gonna call the cops. There's a decent crowd gathering and I ask her "wuts goin on and this is what she told me was happening. Within minutes 5 cops show up and break up this confrontation. The girls leave and this guy is flexing and stuff for the cops for at least an hour cause we walked about and eventually came back to this same spot and he was still there wasting to police's time. Maybe he was a gay attention seeker.....pretty funny but a fast response time by the police.
I think being a police officer in Japan is a really boring job....maybe as boring as a firefighter.

 

[TAG Manager]

If you haven't seen 警察24時 (TV program), plug that into YouTube and watch some of the stuff police videos. Gives some great examples of interactions with other Japanese people and foreigners, haha.

You can plug in 'エステ' to see some of the busts of those chinese massage places or something similar...