Police Hunt Otaku

Funny, he seems to be dressed like an average American high school kid.

So does that mean Storm Trooper can't carry his gun next time he goes out chilling?

umbrae,
The police officer didn't mention blasters so I guess its still OK ^^;

Perhaps from all the complaints that there was little police enforcent in general. More of a force, "we are doing something" type thing. Why bother Yakuza when you really don't want to be doing this in the first place. It's not like Otaku are gonna give them trouble.

Are they looking for pedo porn

Ozumi-san is brave.

Often what seems to be the oddest things will motivate police to start checking. chojin is probably right. Wonder if it could have anything to do with Otaku being hunted by criminals? Have you heard anything more about that Danny? Is it still happening a lot or has their been a drop in that activity.

I guess in Japan people may not ask police questions if they get stopped. Only contact I have had with the police in Japan is directions and like you, lost and found.

Wow! Is it legal for the police in Japan to do that kind of profiling? Wonder what would happen to a gaijin dressed the same way.

@Steve Keys: They sure can and do. For us gaijin we better have our passport or gaijin card. If one does not have it with them, it's BIG trouble... ^^;

i know japan has some weird things that even make me scratch my head and this is one of them *scratches head*

i'm starting to wonder what's the general public or at least the police force's current perspective, opinion and take on the otaku. maybe otaku racism is still in the minds of the general public

Wow, I am shocked and amazed that authorities *anywhere* in the world would profile and harass people who are being attacked rather than the aggressors, simply because they're easier to intimidate.
Shocked and amazed. Aren't you shocked and amazed? I know I'm shocked. AND amazed.

god....pretty tough to be an standing otaku this days looks like we are not good looked in certain places...guess just have to keep a low profile

well im glad my best friends got a law degree, saves me from getting caught with weapons or anything else i might have trouble explaning

Srsly, are Otakus that dangerous and alarming that authorities take such measures?

what can otakus do? attack people with their dakimakuras, PVC figures and Idol DVDs?

O.o

Ah oui, sometimes I carry a weapon :3. Not a gun or anything, but when I'm walking around downtown (especially late at night), it's always good to have something. I've been jumped before (kinda funny though, i beat the guys up that jumped me ^_^;;;) but you know... better safe the sorry right?

I always have my CRKT M16 daily carry knife in a pocket. I carry a Kimber Lifeact in my backpack. I also have a Surefire Defender flashlight with the 120Lum bulb in the car. I need to get a new pistol to make use of my CCW permit though.

Don't know about other countries... but here in Brazil, it's not really good to carry a weapon around.
Even if you do have a license.

Mainly because robbers here won't hesitate to take a shot at you if you have one. So you put your life more at risk if you carry a weapon.

And believe me... all the macho talk about how you need a weapon to protect yourself in case of robbery won't work in a real life situation, unless you have not only weapon training, but also police training.

Someone without those will only put his/her life and other lives at risk.

IMHO.

Anyways, nice one from Tantei File.
But as long as policemen aren't abusing on this, they just might have reasons for that... who knows, maybe they have some criminal profile that just fits those characteristics.

After all, those don't necessarily describe otakus... right?

That profiling is really something else. Profiling isn't uncommon among police, but FRUITLESS profiling is. This could be discrimination at its height, or they may have seen some issues kept private. FWIW, I've heard more than one American police officer say they keep an eye on Star Wars fanatics because of the number of pedophiles who end up having tons of Star wars memorabilia. Many obsessive people tend to latch on to something they can indulge in, so I'd imagine otaku pursuits are known in a similar way.

HOWEVER, for the police to profile based on otaku stereotypes is to seriously mistake the correlation and the demographic. I don't doubt that this is possible in Japan, but... the list sounds more like a description of gang attire that is easily confused with otaku attire. (The "looks weak" in combination with any of the above would be a good sign of a weapon, since larger gang member sorts wouldn't necessarily be as inclined to carry them).

Or it could be an effort to simply harass obvious otaku until they stay out of the area.

As for carrying weapons, yes, I do. I am licensed to carry a firearm, and do so every day. My pocketknife doesn't count as much of a weapon, but ignorant people who apparently never need to cut anything find it threatening. People being unarmed works OK until some one comes along to take advantage of their vulnerability (like any school shooting, or any case of a large person assaulting a smaller one). God made men, Samuel Colt made them equal.

Those guys wearing blue jackets and blue caps look weird to me ! The Akiba/Shinjiku otakus should create a milice and check them out when they are spotted around !

XSportSeeker,

It's true that without training a weapon can be a liability, but it really does not take much to achieve competence. Mastering can take time, but learning the basics (more than enough to adequately defend yourself without harming others) is actually an easy process that takes not much time at all.

Great police officers often have much firearm training, but most (perfectly capable, good) police officers have very little.

To Danny:

"..A good question was raised as to why people who look and dress like Yakuza (plenty of them in Shinjuku who definitely carry knives) don't get stopped by police and yet otaku (who are unlikely to be carrying a knife) have a high probability of being stopped..."

The reason for this is, that Japanese Police wouldn't DARE to stop a Yakuza member on the street, for a couple reasons.

1. They are too scared of the Yakuza.
Yakuza thugs are real tough, where as the police are like reject Safeway security guards.

2.The Police know EXACTLY what the Yakuza are doing at all times. They just dont care. Often the chief of police will be sitting down for drinks the the head of a local Yakuza family any given day.

3.The Yakuza actually keep the streets safe (!) Ever wonder why there is so little street crime in Japan? The Yakuza won't tolerate it. They are into big-time corporate style crime, and extortion.

More info available if anyone wants it.

Sean,
Thanks for the info! More please!
How does one befriend Yakuza for example and how much does one have to pay them?

Ridiculous, but not surprising.

Carrying a weapon? Well that depends on what you define as a weapon.

I always have my leatherman surge with me and it has an 8cm long locking blade. Not a weapon in my opinion but in the UK they define that as a weapon and you are not allowed to carry it on you :p.

Do they have the same kind of restrictions in Japan?

I also carry pepper spray and a collapsible baton with me when I go out. Usually the pepper spray is enough.
I was thinking about carrying a pistol as well but it is usually quite easy to spot and then you become the target.

Are you allowed to carry handguns in Japan?

Hey Danny,

To befriend the Yakuza is free, to do business with them is another thing..

I have made quite a few Yakuza friends over the years (not close friends, mind..) in Osaka, Kyoto & Tokyo (Hachioji).

Someone like your self - a successful Gaijin entrepreneurs may NEVER have to really deal with the Yakuza families. Its probably better that way, anyway.

My first Yakuza experience was in Kyoto back in 1999, when I went to stay with my girlfriend who still at university at the time. I was trying to get a job at some Gaijin bars but it was too hard without any kind of visa... Then I met some Israelis on the street who were selling jewelry and watches, mostly brought in from Thailand. I started to work for the Israelis, who would take advantage of their "white Gaijin" looks to sell WAY overpriced necklaces and rings to drunk businessmen. The prevailant Yakuza group in the area was the Yamaguchi-gumi, the biggest Yakuza family in Japan. I was told by my Israeli boss "If they come by your stall give them ANYTHING they want." One Yakuza in particular stoodd out to me , really, really friendly guy. He always did martial arts demonstrations in front of me, which was supposed to be (and was) very impressive. We owed 40% of all earnings to the Yamaguchi-gumi. In returned the police would NEVER bother us (even though what we were doing was illegal). If there was going to be a police raid, we would know a week in advance. That way we knew to not have our pass-ports on us, etc. Sometimes the Yakuza boys (the younger ones) would invite us for drinks and we would have a right laugh. Kansai people are fun to drink with anyway, but these guys lived life on the edge, so they really knew how to let loose!

I quit after a few months, as I got a better paid job teaching English to 7 year olds at a private school.

Generally I found the Yakuza to be really interested in foreigners, obsessed with American gangster films, Elvis, etc. They are some of the most honest Japanese people I've ever met. They just say whats on their mind (like we do in the West, and are always expecting Japanese people to do at some point..)

Nowadays, it seems like most of the Israeli street dealers are gone, sadly. Last time I was in Tokyo, I could only find one!

But to answer your question a little more, no matter what business you are in you will end up giving money to the Yakuza.

They own a large percentage, if not all of the proceeds from Pachinko (Billions of $$ a year), Pornography (I think most people here have part-taken in a lil' Japanese porn..) the Hostessing industry, the sex industry (100%), but also normal places like bars, restaurants and even whole department stores and whole train stations in down-town Tokyo !!!!

More info available if anyone is interested.

Maybe they're actually searching for otaku hunters to aid the "defenseless otaku." Lol, tough luck...nice.

Collapsible steel baton, pepper spray, high-powered flashlight and a folding blade. Standard issued, goes with me anywhere from shopping trips to eating out. Perhaps a little paranoid but anything that would give me a little bit of fighting chance when things turn ugly helps. Never been stopped by an officer though. Not like as if authorities here are any reliable anyway.

Wow, talk about biases...

i guess the police are afraid of the yakuza (whom, in my opinion, seems to be much bolder and better armed). but the otaku appears 'soft', so ( to keep in check growing cries from critics who label otakus as pedos?) the policemen go for 'em.

Thanks Sean... very interesting infos about yakuza ! ;)

@Sean,

thanks for the info! :) that's really helpful.

i carry a switchblade.. from the army surplus store which is pretty good quality but.. yeah... the cops around sacramento ca usa dont pull me over because i dont dress emo or ghetto...

@sean

that was really interesting - would you consider putting more stories online somewhere?

Andy - I'll be in Birmingham soon, could just tell you in person!

But seriously, I feel bad now after such a massive post which is supposed to be all about the Otaku Police Hunt!!

What else do people want to know about the Yakuza system? How they treat their women? How they dispose of bodies? How much money they usually carry around?

hell, u can always use pen or pencil as a weapon if u stab it in the neck.
anything is a weapon in human hand

@sean
dispose of body? u got involved in that 1? ;). and nice to know yakuza are not an a-hole.
we got what we call "preman" here. a truly mere unorganized thugs, mainly sell drugs, or "asking" money to ppl(i dunno how to word this :) ), and they are an a-hole

Ozumi-san is pure win lol.
I might have missed something here, why the otaku hunt?

I dont dress like one, but I AM an otaku so if i do roam there i possibly could get in trouble with my knife. =/

Coppers are stupid everywhere lmao. I loved the article.

I'm sure the police are looking for the Droids.

I know now why the profiling works like that.

These same set of clothes mentioned in the OP are the same kinds that gangsters/delinquents/etc would be likely to wear.

But I know one thing for sure. Do not judge a book by its cover :D

tell u wat:
i'v always got a bbgun with me everywere i go!

LOL, I can imagine the Japanese police seeying an otaku and a yakuza walking over street and then they think hmmmm.... lets take the most dangerous one! the otaku ofcourse!
lol, this is sooooooo corrupt i wouldnt be happy with this news if i were a Japanese citizen, if it happened here it'd be my first time i would walk in a demonstration.

This is an abuse of privacy, now police in Japan are stopping people by what they're wearing? That is something that would never happen or never has happen here as I recall. I wonder if they stop gaijins to ask the same questions and do the same thing. If I was stopped more than once by this in a week I would probably make a complaint at my embassy. I was only stopped like this in New York to enter the Empire State Building but nothing else.

i always carryed with me a pepper spray not those weak civilian versions but the ones used by police especially when i was going out at night
but got rid of it because i could risk 5 years just for carrying it

Sean,

I am really surprised to find that Yakuza is the main reason why street crimes rate remains low in Japan.

This raises the question to me: are there other factors that are contributing, as much as what has been contributed by Yakuza, to the low street crimes rate in Japan?

I am really curious since I personally dislike Yakuza and their types (mafia in Italy and triad in China), hence I really find it hard to believe that Yakuza is actually the main reason of Japan's low street crimes rate.

I prefer to believe that it is due to the higher moral quality of the Japanese that street crimes rate remains low in Japan, but I am prepared to accept the otherwise, especially after reading this article about Japanese delivery driver raping his customers..
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080109p2a00m0na001000c.html

Sean,

I forgot to say thanks for the information ^_^

Would like to see the police go through that belongings of a Otaku , only to see a picture of the otaku holding a rifle (Real). Would love to see that.

1-People wearing camouflage trousers or jacket
2-People with chains or keys (hanging off trousers)
3-Looks weak (!)
4-People wearing a bandanna
5-People wearing leather

Hmmm looks like I would be ok, you could really only get me for #2, but if I were to visit Japan there is no need to carry around my house key or car key since they are 8,000+ miles away!

I think it is a major coincidence though- even if the majority stopped are otaku. Police will do that a lot here in the States- anyone who looks like they could cause trouble will, in general be questioned briefly.

I'd understand if dressing like this is a "personal expression" as it is called here in the USA, however the reality of it all is that people who cause trouble dress like this, and if you dress like them too then you will be questioned. I have nothing against "personal expression" but common sense tells me to find another fashion style.

I will be prepared when I visit to Japan! I'll make sure to have me passport with me.

its like zetsubou sensei ep12. if you look so obviously guilty, you cant be guilty.

one thing i always tell myself most of the time u can't trust the system to protect u all the time.cos they wuld only take action only after the crime has been comitted rather than preventing it when you have the chance to fight back.meaning to say fight off your attacker.

@setsuna san
I remember that, hah good example XD

I was thinking about this while walking and remembered that there are a form of otaku known as military otaku. Perhaps it might be unrelated, but some military enthusiasts might take to carrying around some sort of weapon.

Just my thoughts on this.

4chan weapons board =P

the guy in the pic sorta reminds me of a character in some old King Of Fighters game called Benny or Benny maru??? i cant remember but her more or less dressed in exactly the same way.

which makes me wonder...

if me & a buddy were to dress up as Goku & vegita including the blonde & dark spikey hair wigs - running around having mock fights with each other would we get pulled over for questioning also? ^^ man i cant wait to go to japan

If a Leatherman multi-tool is a weapon, then yes I have. There was this other instance where I carried around my grandfather's 16-inch bayonet to a military model/gear enthusiasts' meeting.

Seems a bit overboard and I somehow feel that otaku still are not accepted in the Japanese society. Too much zeal coming from the police, also.
Sad, really sad.

Sean, thanks for the great little pieces of info.

Setsuna-san: This part made me laugh and be sad at the same time, on how human logic can be twisted to a point. Can't wait to watch season two.

Hayden: Benimaru? You sure? I don't see anything resembling the weird MALE (yup, that's a guy) character of KoF.
He wearing the bandana makes me more think of Benitora from Samurai Deeper Kyo, but hey...

Oh what I'd give to see the look on the policemen's faces XD

I don't carry a weapon, nor do I dress in that fashion (mostly), then again, I don't see the police here doing random searches anyway.

Well,I don't know about Japan,but generally,it's not allowed to search others' belongings without a warrant,consent or arrest.

hoho hunting otaku, i don see the reason to stop otaku and doing some searching XD

Why do the bother stopping MALE otaku...?

I think this has been going on for some time now. Apparently the police consider Otaku easy targets because they often carry craft knives or scissors to open the shrink wrap on their ero game purchases. I saw one being stopped by police in Akihabara last year. I carry a Leatherman micro tool everywhere, including in Japan, but I doubt if the police would stop a foreigner...

I dont think there are many societies that DO understand the otaku culture. It seems we are outcasts everywhere, and of all places.. in Japan too. People dont like what they dont understand, foreigners, different religions, otakus... sigh. I think we need to tell the older generations to grow up.

In a way, yes Otakus are still not widely accepted in open areas, especially in commerical and administrative areas like Shinjuku (people would think: "Why should they be here?").

And are you sure that they don't check on people suspiciously linked to Yakuza or Triads? I am pretty sure that I see a lot of people similar to that in Kabukichō (歌舞伎町) when I was there.

Surely it's at least a bit counterintuitive to pick out people that are weak, of all things? Then again, I've never really known authorities to think with any logic.

police sucks all over the world. who decide to be a policeman often has some mental problem

So I guess if I wear my leather jacket to Shinjuku I got some explaining to do...

Sean: Thank a lot for this very interesting insight into the life of Yakuza :)

XSportSeeker: I think you are 100% right - police just "working the profile" given to them. They may not targeting otaku as a group but just someone who fits that description.
After all, why could not some sick person do something stupid while pertrnding to be otaku? Everyone knows otaku are harmless (more or less), right?

I don't understand why the police have to do a routine inspection on people who wear those listed above...

Aren't Otaku begining to carry knives as a means to ward off Otaku Hunters?

Most people I know would never use a purely defensive weapon as something offensive. With that being said such "measures" by the police are only going to strengthen the mis-conceptions about Otaku, as the more defensive weapons they find, will only heighten the perception that Otaku are social outcasts and "non-conforming" citizens of Japan.

Can you not even have a knife on your person in Japan?...Didn't know that.
I personally have whats called a carry conceal license. I carry a sub compact Beretta 9000S as my side arm. I'm able to carry this so long as it is not in view of the public and does not cause civil unrest. I just can't believe there are countries that wont even allow a pocket knife.

Jeeze, and I thought the Suffolk Police were a bunch of mindless rejects. I guess stupid cops are a world wide plague.

has there been any crime that inolved someone with a concealed weapon, and fits those clothing descriptions? Otherwise, couldn't you refuse them searching your belonging, because they don't have a warrant or probable cause? Honestly, some law otaku should get caught and sue the police for unrightful search...

Yeah more like a rocker than a otaku. But it´s nonsense anyway

@Sean: Wow interesting stuff. You have seen a few things so far in life... ^^ I have never spoken to Yakuza, but have gotten the impression they where straightforward guys. Thanks for tell us...

I always keep a few spare rubber bands around my wrists. It's for the people who piss me off. I'm skilled enough to put somebody's eye out with them. :P

I witnessed this first hand with my cousin. He is an Otaku but dresses in baggy cloths. We were walking along in Akiba when two plain dressed detectives grabbed my cousin and pulled him aside for a search. I didn't notice the detectives until my cousin grabbed my shirt. They went through his bag, wallet, hat, patted him down, asked questions, etc. It was crazy. He told me it happens all the time due to the way he dresses. My cousin said that they were looking for drugs since its a problem in the area.

Don't they need a warrant or something to check anything that isn't exposed out in the open. (ex: not any that is zip up.)

If you really think about it, it is pointless to search for weapons, because with a little imagination, anything can and will become weapons.

Uhm, i have a question. I am going to Japan with a tourist visa this august, and then moving there with a work visa or student visa (not sure about the latter, my japanese doesnt quite meet the standard yet ._.). I have heard that being a gaijin greatly increases chances of being stopped by the police. But eh, i am afraid coz my behaviour is a bit, eh.. unruly, i might fight off a police man (be it verbally or physically). What would happen to my visa if i did that?

Bulat,

If you argue with police you can make things hard on yourself, but if you assault an officer, just like anywhere else you could easily get arrested and potentially do time (deported at best, but don't count on it). Though it's not as bad as many places can be, the Japanese police are NOT fun to deal with if you are arrested.

If you know you have a temper, you can control it. If you can't control it, DON'T go to Japan or any other foreign country! Heck, don't go past your front door until you can.

I carry a Swiss Army Knife with me at all times ._.
Good God, I am screwed lol

Here in Texas, and many other states, a law abiding citizen can get a permit to carry a concealed handgun. I had one when i was living in Virginia and I have one now in Texas. On TWO occasions my weapon has prevented a crime.

In Virginia my wife and I were exploring old town Alexandria when a fellow attempted to mug us with a knife. I drew my 9mm Beretta 9mm and the entire incident ended with this guy running for his life.

A few years later in Texas, in a road rage incident, a guy approached my car with a baseball bat. Again I just needed to flash my pistol and the situation ended with him departing quickly.

I understand the fears of the Shibuya police but it has always been clear to me that if you outlaw a weapon then you are just leaving law abiding citizens defenseless or your are turning them into criminals. In either case, the criminals already have weapons and they don't care what law you pass, they will always have weapons.

@Bulat

Plain and simple. Do that in Japan and you're going to find out just how crappy their jails are, especially for a foreigner. Once the Japanese legal system is done with you, you're visa WILL be revoked and you will be deported. Depending on the severity of the crime, you will likely never be allowed back in. If you assault a police officer, you can expect to remain in jail for a fairly good amount of time.

The main reason they pick otakus are the exact opposite of why they don't pick on the yakuzas. I'd say it's akin to bullies during our school days; pick on someone weaker and you'd be safe...

two words:

Injustice and corruption.

Heh, when I first saw the 'ask questions, occupation, etc.' my mind flashed responses like: "Tsundere! Twintail! Little Sister!" (though I'm sure the last one could end badly...)

But being serious, i would have to agree that this "search for weapons" is kind've a crock... It sounds a lot like the "random searches" we get here in the U.S. They say it's a random search, but what they are looking for are people of Middle Eastern discent. (not very politically correct, but true).

@ Sgt Beavis: because of the restrictions on Concealed Carry, I feel that it is a better way of keeping the peace.

Hats off to you, Ozumi-san!

Hobbes, as long as you don't randomly yell "Fight the power!", the worst is still avoidable. ^^;

they should be careful, Otakus are the less harmful people of the world and also the ones that are more productive in Japan, heck they help to keep jpop industry, anime, figures, plamos and more, is good to know that internet can help to stop any kind of abuse

I think this might just be another form of discrimination. If Otaku are being hunted by both Police and muggers, I say that they SHOULD have a right to carry some form of protection. Not a knife, or a gun, something subtile like pepper spray, or a hand tazer, which is what I have.

And if the Japanese police force is badgering the victims(the otaku), then they will miss the muggers!

This is ridiculous. I remember being stopped by 2 police officers in simmilar circumstances (I was wearing a militar jacket). I was going home from the university, and these 2 guys stopped me and asked me to show what was inside my backpack. I opened it and they only found 3 notebooks and 2 math books. Then they asked me from where I was coming, and I showed them my student ID. Then they said "Go ahead". End of story. They probably thought that I would be carrying a weapon or something like that. And in fact, I was. Those math books (with hard covers ) were thicker and heavier than the Holy Bible itself, so I could easily kill anyone with 'em... Just kidding XD

Yes, animes, otaku people are dynamic, integral members of the Japanese economy... And some tend to forget that. ^^

i wonder if i'll get stopped when i decide to visit japan.

They're not looking for weapons at all!

They're probably too scared to buy grot mags so thought "otakus wax-the-dolphin a lot, they must always carry 'art pamplets' we'll just confiscate theirs!"

That's what my old Maths teacher used to do anyway....

oh s@&t i must change the way i look if i'm planning to go to Tokyo (man that sucks police hunting Otaku)

i think the police just need to do something to prove their existence

Last time I was in Tokyo, I get stopped by them 2x in Tokyo Station and 1x in Akiba.
Did I look that suspectos?

What the hell????

How interesting.... and Americans are worried about "profiling". If the cops did this in America, they'd be up to their necks in ACLU lawsuits faster than you can say, "person of interest." This is really good to know, should I ever go to Japan.

That's it all police in japan are infact Otakus and just want to steel my merch.... Those bastards!

I wonder what an otaku cop would like compared to a normal cop?

that's to stupid why would they have weapons? well i don't understand it because you don't have any weapons in Denmark not even the police may use one without getting alot of problems after xD

I've been thinking, what could the objectives of those policemen be?

Well due to the recent terrorism acts around the world, i guess they are just being cautious.

But the fact that they would target otakus is just WRONG in every sense of the word. But if i remember correctly, in japan there is a law permits an individual to carry a small blade eg a survival knife. Is that true? My memory seems to be failing me now a days.

Cops are just as mubch pig in Japan who harrass those who are not part of what they call formality.

Reminds me of this Barber Shop in my my town. Their moto "No long-hairs"

I was only stopped by the police once but many foreigners and otaku who get stopped frequently especially if they are on bikes.

I carry a folding cutlery set with me. It's got a knife on it, but it's really just so I can eat stuff when I get emergency munchies. I guess I could repel an assailant with it, to some degree.

Does carrying an assault rifle count? I had it on my back while riding on the motorcycle on my way to the military camp training exercise ;p

otaku have been given a bad name lately majority for stereotypes it sucks seriously.

The only thing bad about japanese is they discriminate. Even if they didn't mean it negatively. Look at that commercial with a monkey saying CHANGE. Anyone who watch the news regularly will presume it's a parody of Obama.