THE JAPANESE LAW ON SPOT CHECKS (PRINTOUT)

*HINT: CUT & PASTE, REDUCE SIZE OF FONT AND WIDTH, PRINT OUT & HIGHLIGHT THE JAPANESE TO PUT IN YOUR GAIJIN CARD. CARRY AT ALL TIMES TO SHOW THE POLICE WHEN YOU ARE UNFAIRLY STOPPED ('SPOT CHECKED').

**IF YOU CAN NOT VIEW THE JAPANESE CHARACTERS CORRECTLY CHANGE YOUR TEXT ENCODING TO UNICODE (UTF-8) AND THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEMS.

THE JAPANESE LAW ON SPOT CHECKS
(GIVE TO THE POLICE WHEN STOPPED)

警察官職務執行法　第二条　警察官は、異常な挙動その他周囲の事情から合理的に判 断して何らかの犯罪を犯し、若しくは犯そうとしていると疑うに足りる相当な理由の ある者又は既に行われた犯罪について、若しくは犯罪が行われようとしていることに ついて知っていると認められる者を停止させて質問することができる。
In Romaji: Keisatsukan Shokumu Shikkou Hou, Dai Ni Jou Keisatsukan wa, ijou na kyodou sonota shuui no jijou kara gouriteki ni handan shite naniraka no hanzai o okashi, moshikuwa okasou to shiteiru to utagau ni tariru soutou na riyuu ga aru mono mata wa sudeni okonowareta hanzai ni tsuite, moshikuwa hanzai ga okonawareyou to shiteiru koto ni tsuite shitteiru to mitomerareru mono o teishi sasete shitsumon suru koto ga dekiru.
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YOU: According to the KSS Law, only suspicious characters can be questioned. Excuse me, but specifically what am I doing that is so suspicious?
(In Romaji: Keisatsukan Shokumu Shikkou Hou ni yorimasu to, kyodou fushinsha dake ni shokumu shitsumon suru koto ga dekimasu. Sumimasen ga, gutaiteki ni donna fushin na koui o shiteimasu ka.
(In Japanese: 警察官職務執行法によりま すと、挙動不審者だけに職務質問することができます。すみませんが、具体的にどん な不審な行為をしていますか。)
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This might stop the cop in his tracks. If the policeman comes back with:

COP: This law applies to Japanese only.
YOU: No. According to the Police Law Number 162, it applies to all individuals in Japan.
In Romaji (ie, chigaimasu. Keisatsu hou dai hyaku roku juu ni gou ni yorimasu to, wagakuni no kojin ni atehamarimasu. Kokuseki wa kankei arimasen.
いえ、違います。警察法第百六十二号によりますと、我が国の「個人」 にあてはまります。国籍は関係ありません。)
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One fine but important point. Can't he just drag you to the Kouban and preserve his secret identity? Actually, no. Unwarranted demands to come to the Kouban are illegal too. According to that fat law up back up there called the Keisatsukan Shokumu Shikkou Hou, Clause Two, I quote:
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"It is possible to ask a particular person to accompany the [police] to a nearby police station, police branch [i.e. kouban], or any police administration area for questioning if it is determined that this place is unsuitable for questioning because it obstructs traffic or is disadvantageous to the questionee."
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which means that the police have the right to ASK you. However, the next clause, Clause Three, says you have the right to REFUSE and they have no right to restrict your movements without a formal charge or arrest. I quote:
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"Unless there is a regulation relating to criminal action, officials may not confine, bring back to any police administration area, or else coerce a person to reply to questions against his will."
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This is pretty straightforward and deserves to be known about. So if the policeman demands in public that you come with him to another area, like a separate room at Haneda Airport for questioning, refuse. Print up and pull out this law:
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警察官職務執行法　第二条　第二項　その場で前項の質問をすることが本人に対して 不利であり、又は交通の妨害になると認められる場合においては、質問するため、そ の者に附近の警察署、派出所又は駐在所に同行することを求めることができる。 警察官職務執行法　第二条　第三項　前二項に規定する者は、刑事訴訟に関する法律 の規定によらない限り、身柄を拘束され、又はその意に反して警察署、派出所若しく は駐在所に連行され、若しくは答弁を強要されることはない。
In Romaji: Keisatsukan Shokumu Shikkou Hou, Dai Ni Jou, Dai Ni Kou, sono ba de zenkou no shitsumon o suru koto ga honnin ni taishite furi de ari, mata wa koutsuu no bougai ni naru to mitomerareru baai ni oite wa, shitsumon suru tame, sono mono ni fukin no keisatsusho, hashussho mata wa chuuzaisho ni doukou suru koto o motomeru koto ga dekiru. Keisatsukan Shokumu Shikkou Hou, Dai Ni Jou, Dai San Kou, zennikou ni kitei suru mono wa, keiji soshou ni kansuru houritsu no kitei ni yoranai kagiri, migara o kousoku sare, mata wa sono i ni hansite keisatsusho, hashusso moshiku wa chuuzaisho ni renkou sare, moshikuwa touben o kyouyou sareru koto wa nai.)

Note: Do this at your own risk but remember you are doing it for the greater good and if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to answer for!