The two officers asked for my
resident card and one copied all the information while the other asked me
questions – What is my name, what am I doing, where do I live, where do I work,
how long have I been here, how much longer will I stay, how do I like living
here, etc. Finally they gave my resident
card back and told me if I get in an accident, call 110 (the Japanese
equivalent of 911 in the US). I've never been stopped before and couldn’t
help asking why they stopped me now. The answer?
Because I don’t look Japanese.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Guilty of Being a Foreigner
I’ve been walking slowly each day as
surgery recovery. The better I feel the
farther I walk. I was walking down Eki
Mae Dori, a fairly busy street leading to the train station, when a police car stopped and two local police
officers got out. I hadn't crossed on red or jay walked, I was just walking down the sidewalk. All the people in the
cars going by were twisting their heads off to see what was going on.
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4 comments:
Ah! The joys of small town Hokkaido. I had that happen several times while up there but never in Tokyo. Still, another story to add to the collection for your memoirs:-)
That's hilarious Pamela.
Goodness, at least they were nice to you...
The police regularly come to each home to check the names of every household members. Drivers are often stopped at night for DUI checks. This is a country of 'control', of both Japanese and foreigners.
I would not say that you are 'guilty of being a foreigner'. The authorities want to know who is where, and one reason is to know whom to look for in case of an earthquake or natural disaster.
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