JR East to inspect baggage at Tokyo stations during Olympics

Let the profiling begin …

A good way to make more congestion in tight, indoor places where congestion should be avoided due to viral spread.

ohhhh dear !!!!!! must remember not to look suspicious when I go to Tōkyō during The-5-Ringed-Circus. oh, but hang on... "with the consent of passengers"..... that's a relief! oh! but won't declining to have my bag searched be regarded as.... umm.... "suspicious"... ?

Stepped up security! I love the Olympics!

As a foreigner might as well don’t carry backpacks during this garbage Olympics since foreigners would be the main targets!

Terrorists and criminals DO NOT use the obvious routs especially after this announcement unless they are rookies. LOL

Terrorists and criminals DO NOT use the obvious routs especially after this announcement unless they are rookies. LOL

Speaking from experience there Mark?... Better search his bag. JK LOL

If they do not have a warrant, you do have the right to refuse the searching of your bags by police. That will cause the police to up the pressure on you. So, if you know that you have nothing on your property that will get you arrested, have free time and a bug up your ass at the time, have at it.

On the other hand, I got no problem with a cop wanting to search my bag if my sweat-soaked gym clothes are in there.

Translation: Those 50,000 officially invited foreign athletes and their retinue, along with press and government representatives, might be terrorists.

Or else, the terrorists must come from home grown Japanese sources. Right? Otherwise, who is there to fear?! They aren't letting in hardly anyone for this Olympic Farce, and presumably these foreigners must have been searched to the bone back at immigration at the "welcome" gates, right?

So who exactly are the people police are soon to start searching for? It couldn't be any of those irate 70% of the citizenry who have voiced opposition to these farcical "games" and have had their voices thrown into the trash in response, now, could it?

Does that mean if you are a Japanese, you will not be searched?

How will they tell the difference between a foreigner tourist, a foreigner resident and a foreigner olympic athlete?

they won’t, inspect them all! There’s no way a Japanese planted that bomb! It’s definitely a foreigner that did it!

@iraira

But if you read the article, you would know these are not police they are just some bozo security guards hired by JR.

As a foreigner might as well don’t carry backpacks during this garbage Olympics since foreigners would be the main targets!

Sadly I have to agree!

I often have to go to Akihabara both on foot and by car.

I regularly get stopped by police to search by bags and car and I watch a great number of obviously foreigners going through the same thing.

I have asked many times the reason for it.

The reply is always the same. They police use the Akihabara truck and knife attack as a reason.

Then I generally P the police off by reminding them that not only was the Akihabara attacker Japanese so we're the Subway sarin attackers the school attacker, etc...

This factual information isn't something they like to be reminded of.

 JR East plans to inspect belongings with the consent of passengers after looking for suspicious individuals using detection dogs and security cameras.

If they ask to check your belongings it can be inferred that thy find you suspicious, as opposed to this being random searches.

If the individuals reject cooperation, they could be asked to leave train stations,

Sure, ask me to leave. Ever get asked to leave the Women's Only car? Hold your ground. The train officials can't do anything to you.

Let them search. I honestly doubt that any potential miscreant could do more damage to the games than the combined efforts of the IOC and LDP.

Police are sooo smart and the criminals are sooo stupid!

AntiquesavingToday  09:18 am JST

As a foreigner might as well don’t carry backpacks during this garbage Olympics since foreigners would be the main targets!

Sadly I have to agree!

I often have to go to Akihabara both on foot and by car.

I regularly get stopped by police to search by bags and car and I watch a great number of obviously foreigners going through the same thing.

How strange. I lived in Tokyo for 18 years until 5 years ago. I was out and about in the city a lot both for business and pleasure and in Akihabara at least once a month. I drove almost every day too. I was never once stopped and searched and in fact was "carded" only once during that time and that was whilst walking my dog in Komazawa Koen.

East Japan Railway Co said Tuesday it will inspect the belongings of some passengers

Want to bet which passengers they are talking about?

So maybe this is JR’s way of promoting official olympic warm up gear. I don’t think security will want to stop anyone wearing ichi-man plus warm up with an ichi-man plus sports bag out of fear spotlighting false checks.

I've been randomly carded only twice, in nearly 25 years.

Maybe I just look innocent. I don't understand why I'm not pulled over weekly like so many other foreigners on JT.

@Harry_Gatto and @zichi

I have 2 neighbours both here legally and for decades, one from Africa, the other the middle East and they will be carded on a regular occasion just walking the 100 metres to 7-11 and pretty much everywhere else.

The African neighbour drive a construction company truck and is stopped a minimum once a week and the police don't ask for the driver's license first, no it is always Alien card then drivers license then they "ask" if they can search the truck.

Not his truck, his employer has gone to the point of having legal documents to give to the police threatening legal action if they even try searching without company permission.

Now again, you are both going to claim nothing has ever been asked of you it is just all the other Gaijin's imagination?

Oops, the first half my post should not have been a quote. I wasn't quoting anyone.

If dogs are involved, I hope they’ll check me on a daily basis. Multiple times. ^_^

And FYI, they’ve been doing something similar at least in London, for years, as a normal procedure. If you’ve done nothing wrong and have got nothing to hide, then it shouldn’t be a problem, should it? I’m glad they’re doing this.

If dogs are involved, I hope they’ll check me on a daily basis. Multiple times. ^_^

Well soon if the dog is a "foreign breed they may be stopping to check if the dog has the required microchip.

Yep I did say foreign breed because the new law only requires non native breeds to have a chip.

Now someone, tell us again how Japan doesn't profile!

Alien Cards ended in 2012.

Oh now playing that game!

Call the card you have in your wallet whatever you like.

But tell me you do not have a card that is only issued to foreigners Alien card/residence card different name same smell.

Wasn't planning to visit Tokyo but maybe I will, with 2 suitcases..... Sorry, no consent given.

Could be? hahaha

 JR East plans to inspect belongings with the consent of passengers

> could be asked to leave train stations

Not sure if the cops should/would be focussed on foreigners. Considering the terror attacks in Japan have always been committed by Japanese ie the multiple Aum terror attacks.

i thought the athletes and their hanger ons etc, everybody arriving for the Olympics were NOT allowed to use public transport. So does this story mean that JR already expects many athletes and hanger ons to break their olympic bubbles and do the wrong thing and travel on the trains around Tokyo and the country!

I did not and am not referring to the article at all in my comment. It is a general comment about the police needing a warrant to search your pockets, your bags, etc., here. Many people (Japanese, too) do not know this.

Antiquesaving

@iraira

But if you read the article, you would know these are not police they are just some bozo security guards hired by JR.

the police needing a warrant to search your pockets, your bags, etc., here. Many people (Japanese, too) do not know this.

Actually that isn't exactly true.

A citizen can refuse but not a non citizen.

The Japanese courts have been very consistent on this, the"rights" in the constant and Japanese laws apply only to citizens and not non citizens.

A Japanese can refuse to show ID a foreigner is required to show ID if ask by the police.

If a fusosan put a sign no Ainu, that would be illegal and discrimination, but a sign "no foreigners" it perfectly legal.

This is not a western country where the rights apply to all including tourists, immigrants, etc...

@Harry_Gatto

How strange. I lived in Tokyo for 18 years until 5 years ago. I was out and about in the city a lot both for business and pleasure and in Akihabara at least once a month. I drove almost every day too. I was never once stopped and searched and in fact was "carded" only once during that time and that was whilst walking my dog in Komazawa Koen.

It can really depend on your appearance and skin color, people from with certain appearance and skin color will get more compared to others. Like @antiquesaving stories.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2017/01/22/our-lives/meet-man-gets-frisked-tokyo-police-five-times-year/

@BurakuminDes

Don't point that out it only gets down voted by the "nothing wrong in Japan" crowd.

The fact you are correct is irrelevant. They hate facts.

During the 17-day Olympics that will begin July 23 and the Paralympics, JR East plans to inspect belongings

This security check just add another way to make pandemic worse. So infected people can spread viruses from things that already touched. After that those security staff will touch those infected people belonging. Those security staffs might be already protected since they might wear gloves ,even with current delta variant they might be infected as long they exist in close proximity with infected people. 

After that they will infected healthy people who really need to pass that station but need to pass security check. This is just add more problem for existing pandemic problem.

Several years back a Black man in Osaka was told to leave an eyeglasses store and told they don't serve blacks.

He took the case to court and the court was very clear, he is not a citizen and therefore the laws regarding discrimination do not apply.

Then we have this:

https://amp.observers.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210205-japanese-police-officer-admits-to-searching-black-man-because-of-his-dreadlocks

Read/watch it, my daughter sent me this, being mixed she knows all about this type of thing.

Never was asked by the police to show my Alien Card/Residents Card. Even when once a year they do the home visits to check who is living at an address.

The last time the police came here to do the residence/address thing, it did not go well.

Asked if our place was a "share home" because I have one name, my children have their birth mother's name ( ex-wife) and my wife has her maiden name.

My wife said no and gave a quick explanation.

Then things turned sour, the police asked for "poof" of her owning the house, proof of her and my children being Japanese.

Wrong move!

2 more police on bicycle, 1 police car and a senior officer later and a whole lot of her calling her lawyer and threating to sue, things ended with the police apologising and leaving with their tails between their legs.

She is Japanese but even then she didn't let it go and filed an official complaint.

I learned one thing in Japan don't P off Japanese women because once they blow all hell breaks loose.

Back on topic please. This story is not about foreigners.

So finally give the games quickly to Pyongyang. They have officially no viruses there and of course much more expertise in baggage checking. lol

Those 50,000 officially invited foreign athletes and their retinue, along with press and government representatives, might be terrorists.

But, but, but.... the officially invited Olympic crowd will all stay in their bubbles, no travelling on public transport, no mixing with the locals, locked in their rooms on their cardboard beds unless they're running, jumping, swimming or throwing things.

....won't they?

There's not doubt racial profiling does happen.

I'm not sure if it's down to inept policing (they don't have to try to get a conviction as everyone is expected to confess, regardless of the facts) or "something else".

We had an experience in my office when one afternoon all the foreigners came back late from lunch one by one. Turns out the police had been hauling them into the local Koban just so a new joiner that spoke some English could question them.

Those that were questioned were from Norway, India, US and Spain and did not resemble each other in any way, other than all being foreigners. They were also not together when they were brought in.

We never found out if there was a real investigation going on, or if it was some weird training exercise for the new joiner.

Aren't the not allowing visitors from other country? Are Japanese police really idiots?

Are Japanese police really idiots?

It's the railway operators, not the police.

AntiquesavingToday  10:37 am JST

@Harry_Gatto and @zichi

Now again, you are both going to claim nothing has ever been asked of you it is just all the other Gaijin's imagination?

Are you suggesting that I am lying? 23 years here, carded once about 8 years ago in Tokyo whilst walking my Japanese Shiba Inu dog and never in the 5 years I've lived in Okayama.

I fully agree that skin colour is a major influence in the police's decision to stop and search and don't doubt your story about your friends at all. I'm white skinned, white haired and usually fairly smartly dressed and I know that makes all the difference in the world.

If the individuals reject cooperation, they could be asked to leave train stations

Sure... I'll leave the station by getting on my train and continuing my journey!

A citizen can refuse but not a non citizen.

The Japanese courts have been very consistent on this

Got something to support this? I've never heard it myself.

@Antiquesaving

2 more police on bicycle, 1 police car and a senior officer later and a whole lot of her calling her lawyer and threating to sue, things ended with the police apologising and leaving with their tails between their legs.

What are the commenters scared of?

Do you always carry drugs in your bag?

@Antiquesaving

2 more police on bicycle, 1 police car and a senior officer later and a whole lot of her calling her lawyer and threating to sue, things ended with the police apologising and leaving with their tails between their legs.

It's easy for them to give judgement that something that not common to be suspicious case. Especially when they need people to fill that form door to door they just facing ordinary case, father, mother and kids all with same family name. While in your case can be complicated, they just suddenly consider that as suspicious case, asking your wife for additional proof which make her really angry.

Yes, they should apologize. When they bring more people with car, they already ready to take you and all your family for further investigation.

@igfklin

What are the commenters scared of?

Do you always carry drugs in your bag?

When they touch your belonging, do you have any idea which belonging people before you that? Are you sure all those people are Covid negative?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/well/live/whats-the-risk-of-catching-coronavirus-from-a-surface.html

Beside that when they check your belonging they need to be in close proximity with you even in limited time but that's sufficient for transmit Delta variant.

igfklinToday  02:17 pm JST

What are the commenters scared of?

Do you always carry drugs in your bag?

Yes! We won't be having any of that "innocent until proven guilty" stuff around here!!

Police don't need to prove your guilt. YOU must prove you are innocent.

@igfklin

What are the commenters scared of?

Do you always carry drugs in your bag?

Scared is not the term. People want to practice their rights and freedom as guaranteed by the constitution.

People who submits to random unconstitutional rules and checks like these are the reason why the world can't escape injustice.

Glad to be out of Japan while this comedic farce is being

played out..

I have never been stopped by Police and asked to look in my bags. I have known other gaij that have though......certainly more are non-white gaij.

Keystone cops. I once got beaten up by a bunch of Navy guys coming out of a Yokohama nightclub, they gave me a few slaps, prevented my friends from helping me (a guy pulled a knife) and then casually sauntered away off down the road, past the 2 cops dashing to my aid on their trusty bicycles. When they asked me what they looked like, I pointed at the still visible group at the end of the road and said "it was them!" and the cop replied, "ok, so you are saying they were black?"...........that's all he wanted to know, not that the actual guys were still in catching distance. I guess that the Japanese arm of the law isn't as long as those in Gaikoku.

When on the phone to the cops that afternoon (I wanted to make sure a report had actually been filed so that my company couldn't shaft me for taking a day off to calm my frayed nerves), the cop said to my wife, "tell your husband to stay home more. Also stay away from nightclubs...we always have black on black and black on white trouble......never yellow trouble" his ACTUAL words!!