A couple of weeks ago I had to make a photocopy of my passport. When I turned to the page containing my Japanese visa I realized that it had expired the day before. I had mistakenly assumed that it expired a couple of months later.
I went to the Japanese Immigration Bureau’s website to find out what documents I had to submit to renew my spouse visa (配偶者ビザ). Afterwards, I called the immigration office in Shinagawa to make sure the site was up to date and that there were no changes to the paperwork I had to present to the authorities.
When I explained to the officer that took my call that I had made a mistake because I had written down the wrong expiration date for my visa, she told me –in a polite, yet grave and terse tone– that it was urgent that I fix my situation at once since the expiration of my visa had made me subject to deportation. I replied that I understood and that it was my intention to renew my visa. The officer, with a certain tone of annoyance, emphasized that I had to take immediate action because my expired visa simply meant that I had no visa at all, which further meant that I was illegally in Japan, contravening its laws and thus in a “criminal situation.” She also told me that I had to furnish a letter that carefully explained why I had let my visa expire and why I deserved a new one.
While I was preparing all the documents required by the immigration bureau, I read several gaijin fora and postings on visa renewals and cases similar to mine. I was surprised to read that apparently in Japan it is not rare for a person with an expired spouse visa to get deported, regardless of how long he or she may have been married and any children he or she might have. Having a family does not change the fact that you are a guest in Japan, which reserves for itself the right to deny admission at any time.
The day I went to the bureau I put on my best nice guy face and made sure that my explanation letter was thoroughly apologetic and sang the praises of Japan. I had to line up twice at the immigration office. At the second counter I visited I had to wait some 20 minutes (of the 35 I spent on the whole) while immigration officers checked my documents and my odes to Japan and while I answered some redundant questions about my mistake/lapse and my enduring desire to have the honor and privilege of having a Japanese visa.
When I was done answering questions, a very polite officer asked me to wait. He returned with a sheet that was written, singled spaced, with a list of the gazillion documents they could ask for (there was no request for DNA samples). He asked me for certified copies of my most recent tax return and a transcript from the most recent educational institution I attended. I thought the second requirement was odd, but did not ask any questions about it (later I would find out that somehow good grades are a sign of being an upstanding citizen). Nevertheless, I did ask what was the maximum number of documents they ever request since the list was truly gargantuan. The officer replied that there are cases in which they ask for every document from that near-infinite list.
When my visa was finally ready (exactly on the day they had promised), I went Shinagawa again. While I was waiting for my ticket number to be called, I amused myself observing other gaijin. Fate would have it there would be an ugly westerner, who was furious because they when they called his number they returned his passport with a visa denial and telling him how many days he had to pack his bags.
Later there were two rather taciturn men waiting to be called. When they got their passports back they were so happy they began to jump, hug and kiss because their visas had been extended for three more years. I thought their reaction was a little bit over the top until they walked right past me, allowing me to see their Iranian passports. That brief moment definitely reminded me that simple things one takes for granted are considered a privilege by others, even a Japanese visa. As a result, I stopped looking at my situation as a comical case of absent-mindedness and decided to be glad I am no longer a criminal.
Japanese cops are usually very nice and the National Police has been, for a great many years, one of the most respected and trusted institutions in this country. Despite this, among some segments of the gaijin community there is great animosity and disdain towards cops. There are quite a few urban legends about how police officers in Japan practically spend all their time scheming how to harass foreigners living here.
I had alluded to this issue indirectly in my previous post; in it I briefly mentioned how a friend had not really believed me, one night when were lost, that we could ask the police for assistance. My friend had not believed me because she had heard that Japanese cops usually mistreat foreigners. I told her that was neither my experience nor the experience of my close friends. I mentioned that I always look for a Kōban (交番 –police box) whenever I cannot find an address and that I cannot help but think there is a good reason children in this country are always taught to look for a cop if they need help. In fact, from the time they are kids Japanese are taught to address police officers affectionately as omawarisan (お巡りさん –Mr. Go Around).
To be sure, like any other place, Japan has its share of bad cops. But I am willing to say those are few and far between (in Costa Rica things are quite the opposite). Be that as it may, I explained to my friend that one of the distinguishing characteristics of the police force in this country is that most of its members are there as a matter of vocation and not because they had nothing else to do. I also mentioned that by far most of the complaints you hear about cops come from citizens of a particular western country. Although more often than not they are unaware of how their own country’s police and migratory authorities work, they whine profusely about what they consider an egregious abuse by the Japanese police; namely, occasionally asking a foreigner at random to furnish his alien registration card showing he is legally in this country.
In the time I have been in Japan I have been asked for my ID thrice. I have always been treated with great courtesy at time of the request and have always received an apology for the inconvenience after showing my document. I have plenty of friends who will tell you the same story. A couple of months ago, Murphy’s Law punished a Filipina friend who has been in Japan for more than ten years. She forgot to take her gaijin card and, needless to say, got asked for it for the first time since moving here. Not having that little document meant she had to accompany the police officers to the station, where she had to wait until a relative brought her alien registration. Once she had shown that everything was in order she apologized for the inconvenience brought on the cops; in turn, they thanked her for her cooperation and apologized for any trouble they might have caused.
The friend that I was talking to about the police was unconvinced and insisted that undoubtedly I was conveying exceptional cases; she had heard about stories of police aggression from several friends. I asked if those friends were from country “X”. She replied that all of them were. Not only was that what I had suspected, I also learned that most of those individuals who “knew” about alleged aggressions had never had problems with the police and never witnessed any of the stories they told.
I told my friend that within the Gaijin community there is one small but strident group made up of querulous whingers whose only hobby seems to be mewling at the legal authority of the police to request an identification document. I filled her in on how in most cases of alleged police harassment against the members of that group one usually ends up discovering that these individuals, when asked for their id card by a police officer, respond that they cannot be bothered because they are citizens of country X (their citizenship somehow gives them a disproportionate sense of entitlement and self-righteousness) and try to remain on their way while ignoring the cops.
In such cases it is common for the police to walk with the person while they continue to request the furnishing of some identification document. Almost inevitably, at some point the person refuses to comply in a bad way; this simply happens to be the best way to ensure the cops ask you to accompany them to the station or the kōban. Failing to heed the officer’s request will induce the cops (usually two) to stand by your side and grab your arm as they become sterner in their request to visit the station. This is where things can go wrong sometimes. The person often “breaks loose” from the officers’ hold and demands not to be touched. This is not bad in and of itself and the situation remains manageable. However, there is always some fool who, in addition to freeing themselves, shove the police. When this happens, the person brings about an entirely different game.
