My scuffle with Japanese cops

[Cedophile]

I've had two encounters with the police since I came to Japan in January. The first can be summed up like this:
loud music at 2am + drunk + scared of being arrested = remarkable willingness to do anything asked of me

Now for my second encounter:
I bought my bike from a guy named John.

I rode out to the QQ (a local 100 yen shop) to grab a CD. I got there around 3am, and proceeded to go inside as some police were looking suspiciously interested in my bike.

Note about Japan: Bikes are generally registered with the government to deter theft. They get stickers with license numbers on them.

Back to the story: I figured, hey, I feel better knowing bike serial numbers are being checked in case someone's bike is stolen.

Then it dawned on me: oh crap, this isn't going to end well. I never changed the name on that bike.

They told me to go ahead and do my shopping. So I bought my CD, came back outside, and two officers were standing next to my bike. One of them called me over and asked me to show him my alien registration card (the most common form of ID that any non-citizen will have). Said and done!

He tells me the bike is registered to a guy named Alex (he had a cool PDA so he could check the serial number). Oooh, this must be the Swiss guy who owned the bike before John. Or some guy farther back in the line of ownership. Who can tell?

I start thinking about what kind of deep shit I might have gotten myself into by having this bike. I then think, hey, I covered all my bases when I bought this bike, less the name change on the registration. I shouldn't have any problem once I explain my situation.

Though upon being questioned, I wouldn't have been able to produce any of the previous owners, because I never met Alex and John is somewhere in Italy.

After a bit of considering, they take me to a police box (read: small police station). They even let me ride my bike there behind them (this must be a sign of trust, like "This guy probably won't run off").

I joke it up with one cop about how unbearably cold it is until the other one comes. They hold me in there for another good 10 minutes while they ask me some questions about the ownership lineage and repeat to themselves "What am I gonna do..." over and over.

Then they let me go. They tell me that I'll probably go through this again, and they advise me to inform (someone?) on the change of owner. They never specified who. I'll figure this info out later. Probably before I ride the bike at 3am again.

[ditchdj]

If it's any comfort I once saw a piece on "60 Minutes" about Japanese prisons. They're so big on maintaining law and order inside their prisons rape is almost nonexistent. They even have the prisoners line up in the mess hall in military formation and no verbal contact is allowed except during designated times.

[Crazyredhead]

They even let me ride my bike there behind them (this must be a sign of trust, like "This guy probably won't run off").


I guess they have never seen "Cops" before?? Over here in the states people will run from the cops on anything.

[Cedophile]

The prison aspect didn't even occur to me. I was more like, crap, are they going to void my visa now?

Good to know being the only foreigner among a complex of thousands of violent murderers and yakuza won't necessarily end too badly...

[Cedophile]

I guess they have never seen "Cops" before?? Over here in the states people will run from the cops on anything.

True... but that show's always been more of a worst-case-scenario. I can't imagine the people on that show are representative of normal Americans. Though it has been 10 months, and while I remember telling myself I wanted to get out of Merced at all costs, I'm finding myself missing Taco Bell. So I might not be remembering America as well as I think I am.

[ArenaBoy]

I envy the fact that you're living in Japan, I can speak Japanese quite well read it well but I just can't write it well and can get by easily. I've considered studying there for a semester but the only thing I'm unsure of is the food, other than sushi and soba what kind of food is popular?

[Cedophile]

Hmm well I've found that most of the food available here is pretty easy. The one thing I'll miss most about this country in terms of food is the instant ramen. See, in America (as you may be familiar), you get cups with noodles, 3 one-square-centimeter veggies, and "flavor dust". Here, there's actually enough variety and vegetable input to make a damned good meal for under $1.

It really bothers me that I'm coming from a country where 100 yen stores actually stock respectful goods and serve every type of NORMAL person, to America, where $1 stores tend to be full of the lower end of the social spectrum (rednecks, hicks, idiots, etc) and don't have very much that I want to get close to eating.

[ditchdj]

Hey check out wrestling there if you can. I hear Japanese wrestling is much better than American wrestling because they actually appreciate the art of it where in America the emphasis is on entertainment. A lot of new wrestlers go to Japan to train.

[Cedophile]

HAHAHAHAHA

I'm sorry.

I saw Japanese wrestling.

There is more of an art to it, I'll admit. They have a skill for glass and blood. Everywhere. I've seen some attacks that would kill regular people. And I've seen phosphorous lights broken over people's bodies over and over.

It's never ending carnage, I tell you.

:deadhorse: