The Dark side of Japan Tourism.

[Katie]

Holy cheeseballs.

 

[Pushka]

Fortunately before my formal arrest on Saturday night I was allowed to go over the road to a Lawsons to buy some food. followed by 3 policemen though. So my final meal in Freedom.
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The police were obviously baseball fans.
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So now continuing on with my experience. I didn't sleep on Saturday night mainly because I was worried as to how Mrsdrron was going. mind you a little hard to sleep as the lights are kept on all night and guards fairly regularly walk up and down the corridors on both sides of the cells. On top of that the police station is besides the railway line reasonably close to Otaru station and a level crossing.

At 0530 you have to roll up your bedding and then tke it to a cupboard to store it for the day. The first day i made a real hash of it but by the last day it was nearly perfect. When you come back to the cell you are patted down and wanded. Then handed a dust pan and a short handed millet broom. You then have to sweep the cell floor and empty it into your cardboard box. You empty that every 3 days into another cardboard box the guards bring around. All the time you have lost your identity. I was detainee number 59. all conversations from the guards I was simply called 59. even when required to sign something my signature was just 59.

At about 7 breakfast appears. On the first day it was from Lawsons as i had missed out on having breakfast ordered the night before. the meal was 2 triangles of rice one with a tiny bit of tuna inside-tinned tuna of course. it was accompanied by some Japanese pickles. I ate the pickles and half the rice. After breakfast was one of the highlights of the day. you were allowed to go out of the cell to clean your teeth and wash your face. every second day you are allowed to shave which I declined.

At about 9 I was asked If I wanted a shower and i said I will have it tomorrow before I am taken to see the prosecutor. After the boss moved on the only guard that showed a bit of compassion told me that showers were only Sundays and Thursdays So I said I had changed my mind. the boss just said no. Also at 1030 or 1430 you are meant to have an exercise session. In my 4 days i was never given that privilege. Besides at 1030 I was again handcuffed,tied to a guard and taken downstairs for another police interrogation.

Now I have a mobility problem with little balance so normally going downstairs I hang onto the railing. Try doing that when handcuffed. Besides that I could try hanging on to the railing or holding on to my trousers to prevent them dropping down past my knees. I could not do both. I kept thinking how i might end up falling, hitting my head and being on an anticoagulant ending up with a brain bleed and dying or permanently in a wheelchair.
My interrogation that morning was conducted by the interpreter. at the end he just said Ron I feel very sorry for you. Words can really mean a lot.

Back upstairs and time for lunch which came around noon. You soon learn that about 20 minutes before both lunch and dinner they turn the radio on. By the second day i was just like Pavlov's dogs and waiting at the place they served meals through just like the other 5 detainees.

The only thing I'm hanging on to here is that you are writing this up safely back in Australia. I'm thinking you just put your mind into a different place (disassociated) from what your body is going through.

As @love_the_life has stated, you both love Japan so for this to happen to you is just sad.

Such a horrible time for you both @drron
Thank you for sharing such a personal experience.
I hope you and @mrs.dr.ron are more settled and feeling well now.
I can now understand why Mrs.dr.ron posted along with her hydrangeas, it may be your last trip to Japan...

Ah. I didn't pick that up.

 

[drron]

After lunch when the boss finished his shift and the young guard who was compassionate came back and asked if i still wanted a shower - yes please. You certainly do feel better. On top of that he opened the window opposite my cell the full 2 inches it could open. great to actually smell the fresh air and also be able to at least see the changes with time. No clocks visible from my cell. Unfortunately on Tuesday the boss noticed the open window and it was shut.

from then on all meals were basically the same Japanese style. A bento box with at leat half of it rice. There were Japanese pickles with a salad and what would have been a hot option. the protein was chicken ,fish or pork However when it arrived it was cold. Perfect breeding environment for bugs causing food poisoning. so I would eat the pickles and salad and at most half the rice. They did get concerned that i was not eating all of my meals when everyone else finished theirs. despite being careful by Monday my bowels were quite loose. not that that worries you as at least you have something different to use up time.

however my opinion of the Japanese legal system was about to get worse. At about 2030 I was taken down for another police interrogation. the 4th one. and nothing changed through out every one including still showing skid marks on the police diagram of the incident despite objecting to that twice. however when getting back to my cell and going through the wanding and pat down as usual when you got back to the detention centre I was handed a document from a Japanese lawyer responding to my ticking the box that I wanted to see a lawyer. he had come at 9pm. At that time I am sure he needed to have made an appointment. I have photographed the letter and it makes some points that I really do agree with.

 

[Cynicor]

F me dead, this thread is nuts. So sorry this happened to you. I have only heard how corrupt (or biased/useless etc) the Japanese criminal system is in the media. This is crazy.

 

[drron]

By this time I was exhausted and actually slept like a log. Probably snored as well but then i would just be repaying the fellow in the next cell.

So Monday morning at about 1000 I was taken to the prosecutors office and put in a cell. when I was getting out of the paddy wagon one of the officers trod on my left big toe. When in the cell I noticed blood and my toenail sticking up in the air. I told one of the staff and their interpreter was called and i pointed out the damage done. Basically nothing was done. of course it was accidental just like my experience on the Saturday.
i was given lunch again from a convenience store and basically just rice. I ate very little,

i was then taken before the prosecutor. A tall man in a tall chair so he looked down on me. Probably in more ways than one. the interpreter I was assigned wasn't that great. I was told that the motorbike rider suffered a broken right clavicle. that is what I thought at the time of the accident. I was then told he was going to need 2 months hospital treatment. at that I objected reminding them that I was a former medical practitioner and that back in Australia he would have just had outpatient treatment and that recovery was generally very good. As i found out later appearing before a judge i discovered that my objection hadn't been accepted.

I didn't feel confident leaving the Prosecutior's office thinking here comes another 10 days in detention. That would be after our booked flights home. that had me worried.
So back to the Detention centre. I was told that seeing it was the afternoon I would likely to see the judge the next morning. However at 1730 I was handcuffed again and taken to the judges office. He could obviously speak English but not one word of English to me.

Arrived back at the Detention centre at just before 1900. Handed my now quite cold dinner and then a document that had been left for me when an Embassy staffer had left when he visited to see me at 1800. Sure it might have been coincidence but i really was convinced it wasn't.

The hand out from the Embassy included the figures for Detention. 98% of those sent before a prosecutor and judge got an extra 10 days detention. At 13 days they can ask for another 10 days detention. at that time 91% of those initially detained will get the extra 10 days approved so 91% of those detained will be detained for 23 days.
Fortunately by this time our son had been in touch with the Embassy and had arranged for their preferred lawyer in Hokkaido to see me at 9pm that night.

 

[auriga]

OMG
what a nightmare!

 

[Human]

I don't want to go to Japan anymore....

 

[CaptainCurtis]

@drron following along with total disappointment and horror at what you went through. I had a feeling something was off as the updates on your trip report had trailed off.

Have you considered sharing your story with a media outlet? Japan is a major tourist destination for Australians, and while I'm not naive enough to think it will make any difference to the big picture, it may just force some hands in getting answers for your own case.

I hope you and @mrs.dr.ron are recovering nicely back home.

 

[RooFlyer]

If this had occurred in Russia or China, we all would’ve nodded and said yeah that’s right. They’re just a corrupt bunch of thugs.

 

[Pushka]

If this had occurred in Russia or China, we all would’ve nodded and said yeah that’s right. They’re just a corrupt bunch of thugs.

It really makes you think about how an even innocuous slip up could go rather horribly wrong. It's all very disturbing and I expect my mother would be nodding in understanding.

 

[elanshin]

If this had occurred in Russia or China, we all would’ve nodded and said yeah that’s right. They’re just a corrupt bunch of thugs.

Or many other countries. I think it's just Japan is often heralded as this poster country and many people that haven't lived there don't quite see the ugly side of Japan very much. There are definitely many things - a few that are big human rights problems that are very much swept under the rug.

 

[Quickstatus]

countries. I think it's just Japan is often heralded as this poster country and many people that haven't lived there don't quite see the ugly side of Japan very much

If you have lived in Japan long enough, you would realise that while non Japanese are tolerated or treated in a friendly manner on the surface, there remains an underlying negative attitude towards foreigners - they are too polite to make it obvious. Worse if you are Chinese in Japan. Additionally, Japan does not have anti discrimination laws. It is not just a Japanese thing but is widespread throughout Asia.
....

Very sorry to hear @drron

 

[Denali]

Or many other countries. I think it's just Japan is often heralded as this poster country and many people that haven't lived there don't quite see the ugly side of Japan very much. There are definitely many things - a few that are big human rights problems that are very much swept under the rug.

I know all nations have a cruel history and are capable of terrible things but one thing I often muttered to myself during our stay in Japan was that I love the place and people but I couldnt forget what they did during WW2.

 

[Matt_01]

Or many other countries. I think it's just Japan is often heralded as this poster country and many people that haven't lived there don't quite see the ugly side of Japan very much. There are definitely many things - a few that are big human rights problems that are very much swept under the rug.

I also suspect that there are many who are not aware that Japan has capital punishment. Last year was the first year since capital punishment was reintroduced (1993) that no one was executed.

 

[hwy]

What a screwed up holiday. Cant wait to keep reading more as it is posted.

 

[ketsuzei]

If you have lived in Japan long enough

How long did you live here?

 

[NoName]

If you have lived in Japan long enough, you would realise that while non Japanese are tolerated or treated in a friendly manner on the surface, there remains an underlying negative attitude towards foreigners - they are too polite to make it obvious. Worse if you are Chinese in Japan. Additionally, Japan does not have anti discrimination laws. It is not just a Japanese thing but is widespread throughout Asia.
....

Very sorry to hear @drron

100% this!

I worked for a well-known Japanese conglomerate for several years and this is exactly my experience. Australian staff treated politely on a surface level but work there for more than say 6 months and you realise that we were treated like the dogs of the office. An inconvenient necessity who would be quickly dispensed of if their Japanese expat staff had the knowledge and skills to do the job properly.

Has not put me off visiting and can’t wait to do it again but would never even consider working for a Japanese company again.


Very sorry to hear of this ordeal @drron

 

[Quickstatus]

How long did you live here?

Not me. I have some friends who live near Nagano

 

[UP4014]

Sorry to read this story. I’m shocked, but when you read up on the judicial system in Japan it is pretty primitive. (Look at custody battles between locals and westerners)

Others have presented percentages on convictions and they’re right as well as the Japanese superior view of themselves.

It’s all good when you’re on vacation until it’s not.

Hope it fades from the memory bank as best it can.

 

[bashworth]

This thread really reinforces my decision when I reached the age of 60 to avoid driving in any country except Australia, and the UK (where I drove for around 18 years before I emigrated)