My early experience with the police here was positive. Officers manning police boxes were kind, giving directions when I lost my way. Since then, what I have read and heard has spun my view 180 degrees. Japanese police are a danger to law-abiding foreigners and Japanese citizens alike.
Chilling news came close to home recently when a Japanese friend fell victim to a scam and was again victimized by police. The scam artist, a woman, was walking along a sidewalk while my friend, alone in his car, stopped for a signal. The woman feigned tripping, lurching toward his car without touching it. She assured him she was fine, but reported his number plate to police as a hit-and-run vehicle.
He was promptly summoned and grilled for hours in tight quarters while promised that if he signed a confession he would be released; otherwise, he could be held until . . .
While Japan's police boast a 99 percent conviction rate, the people should pause to think a moment. No police agency operating under a justice system can be that good, no suspect sampling that bad. Innocent people pay with their reputations, careers and lives for the Japanese police's stellar record.
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