Gaijin, foreigners, are one of the few sources of crime in Japan. Yes, the Yakuza exists, but they are a dwindling source of crime. However, immigrants, legal and illegal, are in large numbers criminals, although crime in general is on a downward trend in Japan and the police have the time to be proactive, which means questioning suspicious foreigners.

Some immigrants in Japan, presumably the non-criminal types, are upset that the Japanese police pay special attention to foreigners, even those foreigners who have obtained Japanese passports—though none are considered Japanese by the Japanese—but more non-Japanese are given passports of convenience. Some of those ingrates from countries like Pakistan don’t like being questioned and investigated by the Japanese police who do target foreigners, as that is where much of the crime in Japan is. And they are filing a lawsuit against racial profiling. (h/t W.R. Flynn)

A group of Japanese citizens, including a man of Pakistani descent, launched a civil lawsuit against the country’s police on Monday, accusing the authorities of racial profiling and discrimination and demanding an end to the alleged practice.

The case, to be heard in Tokyo District Court, comes as Japan in recent years has seen an influx of workers from abroad. The number of non-Japanese living in Japan reached a record high last year, at nearly 3 million people.

One of the three plaintiffs, Syed Zain, a 26-year-old Japanese citizen of Pakistani descent, says he has been repeatedly stopped by police, including getting searched in front of his home. He has lived in Japan for two decades, attended Japanese schools and is fluent in the language, he said.

A Group Of Japanese Citizens Launches A Lawsuit Against The Police To Stop Alleged ‘Racial Profiling,’ by Yuri Kageyama, AP, January 29, 2024

Three foreign-born residents of Japan filed a lawsuit against the national and local governments over alleged illegal questioning by police based on racial profiling https://t.co/Nio9G4hryg pic.twitter.com/OTH3cAumqD

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 29, 2024

Nothing says Japanese like Syed Zain, nor does he look Japanese, nor act Japanese. Such ingratitude as suing the nation that let you leave Pakistan, one of the worst places to live in the world, is decidedly not behavior accepted in Japan’s social compact. A real Japanese would accept the situation and make the best of it. Instead we get the Globohomo lawsuit about racial profiling.

And the Japanese profile for a reason—foreign crime.

Having a look at the statistics above, the highest rate of criminals and offenders combined by nationality is found respectively among Russians (0.871%), Chinese (0.860%), Thais (0.530%), Brazilians (0.428%) and Philippinos (0.409%). Considering continents, the highest crime and offence rate is however held by the Africans (0.954%).

Foreign Criminality In Japan,Wa-pedia, June 15, 2004

The complainers are the usual crowd, an Indian, a black American, and a Pakistani. Hardly the cream of the crop. Blacks especially are a problem.

Even in a country like Japan which has less migrants than the west, these parasites can't help themselves and they start causing problems and be disrespectful to the people and the country they're in. pic.twitter.com/c2jVddvoxR

— D. Scott @eclipsethis2003 (@eclipsethis2003) May 20, 2023

And the Globohomo connection is not histrionics—this lawsuit was encouraged by the U.S. Embassy, which falsely claimed that the Japanese police were racially profiling.

It has come on the heels off a renewed debate on what it means to be “Japanese”, after a Ukrainian-born model was crowned Miss Japan last week. While some see her victory a nod for diversity, others have said she does not look like a “Miss Japan” should.

In December 2021, the US embassy in Tokyo warned citizens of “suspected racial profiling” of foreigners by Japanese police.

“The US Embassy has received reports of foreigners stopped and searched by Japanese police in suspected racial profiling incidents. Several were detained, questioned, and searched,” it said on Twitter then.

Japan: Foreign-Born Residents Sue Government For Alleged Racial Profiling, by Kelly Ng, BBC, January 30, 2024

What the BBC and AP did not report is that the Japanese police did a profiling investigation and found the alleged problem was minuscule.

Japanese lawmakers demanded the NPA report on the situation, and in April 2022 the agency began examining complaints, inquiries, and other consultations with police forces across the country. In November 2022, the NPA announced that it found six cases of police officers questioning people inappropriately or without cause based on national and racial stereotypes in 2021.

3 Foreign-Born Residents In Japan File Suit Over Claims Of Racial Profiling By Police, by Jun Ida and Robert Sakai-Irvine, Mainichi, January 29, 2024

Instead of profiling, this is data-driven policing: crime is a foreign problem in Japan and foreigners, even those who obtained a piece of paper saying they are Japanese, should not be surprised, especially blacks [The Talk, For Japan, by Federale, Federale Blog, May 26, 2023].

Here is a video unintentionally explaining why Japanese police stop blacks and other foreigners, they commit the crime.

This whole controversy is being manufactured with the intent on destroying Japan by immigration. Some foreigners get it, though. Keep your nose clean and you won’t have a problem.

As a frequent visitor to Japan, I can say I have only been profiled in the positive way, being waved through immigration and customs with no questioning. Similarly, I have been all over Japan, from major metropolises to small cities to rural Japan, I was never stopped by the police and for obvious reasons. Why waste time on the least likely suspect? The police in Japan are rational actors; blacks, Pakistanis, and other non-whites are a major pool of criminals in Japan. Why bother the indigenous Japanese or white visitors when your likelihood of finding drugs is higher with blacks and Pakistanis?

This is a contrived controversy: note the initiating reporter in The Mainichi, Robert Irvine, the France 24 network, the AP, and the notorious BBC, all the usual suspects from Globohomo.

Here is a more amusing take on being stopped by the police in Japan; it’s just busy work by the police.

Going to disagree with the major conclusion, but agree with the appropriate response: just show your bag and passport. That is the Japanese way. The nail that stands up gets hammered down.