Long-time readers of The Japan Times will already be aware of some of the information in today¡¯s column. But within is an important update, so press on.
As you no doubt know (or should know), non-Japanese residents are required to carry ID 24/7 in the form of wallet-size ¡±gaijin cards,¡± nowadays known as zairy¨± k¨¡do (resident cards). (People without those cards ¡ª i.e., tourists here for less than three months ¡ª must instead always carry a passport.) Don¡¯t leave home without yours, for you could face detention and a criminal penalty if a police officer suddenly demands it.
Which they can do at any time ¡ª underscoring the weakened position of non-Japanese under domestic law and social policy. According to the former Foreign Registry Law, any public official empowered by the Ministry of Justice may demand ID from a non-Japanese person, more or less whenever.?Inevitably, this encourages racial profiling, as cops with systematic regularity target people who ¡°look foreign¡± (including naturalized citizens, such as this writer) for public shakedowns that are intimidating, alienating and humiliating.
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