I have been living in Japan for almost 5 years, so far I have never been stop by a policeman or have the nasty experience that a lot of foreigners suffer with the Japanese police force. Maybe because I live in an isolate part of Japan or because around here nothing happen.
Anyway they other day, for the surprise of everybody, it was a robbery close to my house. I don’t know the details but the next day a detective visit my house. Just after I open the door and see him, immediately all the bad experiences from other foreigners and their advices came to my mind, the first thing he did is introduce himself and show me his identification giving me enough time for check his name, number ID and photo after that he explain me that last night was a robbery and he need to collect information about me and my neighbors for his research about the case.
He asked me the usual things that the cops ask in this kind of situations, all the time he was smiling, talking in a simple but respectful Japanese so I can understand him. After talk around ten minutes and of course he notice I’m a foreigner, he ask me for my Alien Register Card. I didn’t deny to show him as he had a true purpose. After that the questions keep going for another 20 minutes. asking me for different details about the previous day. At some point we start talking that I work in a famous bakery and he ask me if my bakery is a nice place for have date. I told him: Of course, specially if you go to our main shop, it will be great.
He was leaving, when he saw the pictures we have in entrance of my house of Sachi, so he ask me if I have pictures of my wife, then I show him another collage of pictures we have in another wall, he was surprise that Hiroe was Japanese and that we had a Japanese style weeding after that he ask, where we got married. After explain him, he said for him is a little bit difficult to marry in the same place and need to safe more money.
So, from Robbery we ended talking about wedding stuff. Really nice guy and I feel happy that my first encounter with the Japanese police went so smooth after know so many bad experiences.
About the robbery I don’t know any other details just that next day at the train station was pack with detectives waiting for someone.
