{"id":3305,"date":"2009-05-21T00:36:48","date_gmt":"2009-05-20T15:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=3305"},"modified":"2009-05-21T00:36:48","modified_gmt":"2009-05-20T15:36:48","slug":"various-respondents-police-crackdowns-in-roppongi-and-elsewhere-olympic-bid-cleanup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=3305","title":{"rendered":"Various respondents: Police crackdowns in Roppongi and elsewhere, Olympic Bid cleanup?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Handbook<\/a>\"\\\"<\/a>\"Foreign<\/a>\"\\\"<\/a>\"\u300c\u30b8\u30e3\u30d1\u30cb\u30fc\u30ba\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30ea\u30fc\u3000\u5c0f\u6a3d\u5165\u6d74\u62d2\u5426\u554f\u984c\u3068\u4eba\u7a2e\u5dee\u5225\u300d\uff08\u660e\u77f3\u66f8\u5e97\uff09\"<\/a>\"JAPANESE<\/a>\"sourstrawberriesavatar\"<\/a>
\nHi Blog. \u00a0I’ve been receiving bits and pieces of information from people who frequent Roppongi, with rumors of police cracking down on this foreign enclave. \u00a0If not nationwide at places of business. If others have more experiences to share, feel free to comment. \u00a0The US Embassy has indeed warned people to stay out of the area. \u00a0Read on. \u00a0Three posts follow. \u00a0Arudou Debito in Sapporo<\/p>\n

\n

============================<\/p>\n

May 15, 2009<\/strong><\/p>\n

(identifying details redacted upon request)<\/p>\n

Big heads up to any of you who may be inclined to stray into Roppongi and sample the more exotic mind-altering products…\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/em>A friend a friend who is a bilingual, long-term resident has just found himself in the clink facing down a multi-year jail sentence for simply testing positive (urine test) to a “Class A substance” … whatever that means. Apparently a couple of weeks ago 100 police raided a regular nightclub (not a rave or trance party or anything like that) and dragged out 100 people and held them for testing.<\/em><\/div>\n

Also, apparently, the police are on a drive to “clean up” Roppongi as a part of the Olympic bid (OK, we are getting into big-time hearsay\/rumour there, but that is what my friend heard), and before this incident the US Embassy had issued a warning to all its staff to simply stay away from Roppongi. Even if you are completely clean, getting caught up in one of these raids could cost you several days of liberty before you are processed, cleared and allowed to go. No apologies, nothing.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/em>So, be warned, tell any of your friends who may have a predilection for such activities.
\n<\/em>============================<\/p>\n

From: American Embassy Tokyo [<\/strong>mailto:tokyoacs@state.gov<\/strong><\/a>]
\nSent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 12:36 PM
\nSubject: Warden Message \u30fbRoppongi Security Notice\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Date: March 17, 2009<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is to inform the American community that the U.S. Embassy has
\nrecommended that the embassy community avoid frequenting Roppongi bars and\u00a0clubs in Tokyo due to a significant increase in reported drink-spiking\u00a0incidents. \u00a0American citizens may choose to avoid frequenting drinking\u00a0establishments in this area as well.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The number of reports of U.S. citizens being drugged in bars has increased\u00a0significantly in recent weeks. \u00a0Typically, the victim unknowingly drinks a\u00a0beverage that has been secretly mixed with a drug that renders the victim\u00a0unconscious for several hours, during which time large sums of money are\u00a0charged to the victim’s credit card or the card is stolen outright. \u00a0Victims\u00a0sometimes regain consciousness in the bar or club, while at other times the\u00a0victim awakens on the street.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Because this type of crime is already widespread in Roppongi bars and is on\u00a0the rise, the U.S. Embassy has recommended that members of the embassy\u00a0community avoid frequenting drinking establishments in this area. \u00a0American\u00a0citizens may consider this recommendation as it applies to their own\u00a0behavior. \u00a0If you, nevertheless, choose to participate in Roppongi night\u00a0life, we urge you to remain extra vigilant of your surroundings and maintain\u00a0a high level of situational awareness. \u00a0Establishments in the area of\u00a0Roppongi Intersection (Roppongi Dori and Gaienhigashi-dori) have had the\u00a0highest level of reported incidents.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/em>For further information please consult the Country Specific Information\u00a0Sheet for Japan, available via the Internet at\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>http:\/\/travel.state.gov<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.\u00a0U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the\u00a0nearest U.S. embassy or consulate through the State Department’s travel\u00a0registration web site at\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>https:\/\/travelregistration.state.gov\/ibrs\/ui\/<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0so\u00a0that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. \u00a0Americans\u00a0without Internet access may register in person with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. \u00a0By registering, American citizens make it easier for the\u00a0embassy or consulate to contact them in case of emergency.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/em>U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance,\u00a0be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their\u00a0personal security. \u00a0For additional information, please refer to “A Safe Trip\u00a0Abroad” found at\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>http:\/\/travel.state.gov<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/em>For further information or any emergencies involving American citizens,\u00a0please contact the American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit of either the U.S.\u00a0Embassy in Tokyo or one of the U.S. Consulates in Japan listed below:
\n<\/strong><\/em>
\nU.S. Embassy in Tokyo
\nAmerican Citizen Services
\n1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
\nTel: 03-3224-5174
\nFax: 03-3224-5856
\nhttp:\/\/japan.usembassy.gov\/e\/tacs-main.html<\/a><\/div>\n

ENDS<\/div>\n
\n

============================<\/p>\n

May 17, 2009<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Debito,\u00a0I enjoy reading your blog as always!<\/em><\/p>\n

These days I have been going to bed early but I happened to find my way to a Roppongi club for the birthday party of a friend. The club is called Muse and is quite popular in the area. I always go there and have no problems with the staff, but I noticed an interesting sign in English. It said something to the effect of “To all foreign customers, we are checking Japanese government issued ID of all foreigners on the advice of the police. Thank you for your cooperation”.\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n

\n<\/em><\/div>\n
I in fact did not experience a check in spite of the sign, but the sign seems to indicate to me that the police are pressuring places to make alien card checks on foreigners. This wouldn’t be the first time, even today. Earlier in the day I went to Nissan Rentacar when I often rent cars and for the first time was asked for my alien card. I said “nande?” in Japanese and the staff member promptly said “Umm… ohh.. never mind, actually you live in Japan right? So no problem.” The same sort of thing has happened to me at a hotel in Mie prefecture where the guy specifically asked for my alien card before promptly withdrawing the request when I questioned it.<\/em><\/div>\n

\n<\/em><\/div>\n
These three things lead me to the same conclusion. There seem to be multiple campaigns underway by someone (perhaps the police) for a number of establishments to check alien registration cards. For me this is not acceptable. The club was the worst example but the other two are not far behind. Perhaps the police are an organization that can be targeted in a demand for change. \u00a0Best Regards, AM<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
ENDS<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Debito.org has received word of police crackdowns and raids in Roppongi these days, perhaps in a bid to weed out the marijuana so popular in sumo circles, perhaps in a bid to clean things up for the 2016 Olympic Bid. The US Embassy is also advising Americans to stay away. Feel free to share similar experiences in this blog entry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,46,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-policeforeign-crime","category-practical-advice","category-problematic-foreign-treatment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3305\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}