CHAPTER 11

Police and Emergencies

Socially, male-dominated Japan may not be the modem woman’s ideal place. On the street, though, Japan is nearly ideal, as crime rates are low and a woman can generally travel alone in most areas with little fear of attack or abuse. However, violent crime, while rare, does exist and women should exercise caution when walking alone at night. Some intoxicated Japanese males may become rude and sexually harass women on the street or on public transportation, and after dark it is always better to travel in groups and stick to well-lit streets with heavier foot traffic.

There is another uncomfortable, though not dangerous, place for a woman: the train. During rush hour, when they can take advantage of the incredibly packed train, sad perverts called chikan grope women standing next to them. Most subways and trains now have female-only cars operating during these times to help address this problem.

The police have considerable power, including detaining suspects for up to one month without charges. Like the ubiquitous police boxes, or kōban, police power (and the obedient behavior of citizens) are a residue of samurai times, when a wrong word or act could bring the unfavorable verdict of a swift sword.

In a low-crime place like Japan, the police spend most of their time patrolling on bicycles and giving directions.

EMERGENCIES

Help!	Tasukete!
I’m lost.	Michi ni mayotte imasu.
Please help me.	Tasukete kudasai.
Come with me.	Issho ni kite kudasai.
Where’s the police box?	Kōban wa doko desu ka?
How do I get there?	Dō yatte iku n’desu ka?
Call the police, please.	Keisatsu o yonde kudasai.
Call a doctor, please.	Isha o yonde kudasai.
I must go to the hospital.	Byōin e ikanakute wa narimasen.
Please call an ambulance.	Kyūkyūsha o yonde kudasai.
Where is the lost and found?	Ishitsubutsu toriatsukai-jo wa doko desu ka?

POLICE QUERIES

If you’ve gone to the police with a problem, or if they’ve come to you with a problem, they may want to know a little more about you—see the questions below. Oblige. They are usually very fair and you can usually find a police officer who knows some English. Furthermore, they understand that you are scared and may struggle with the language.

Excuse me, what’s written here?	Sumimasen ga koko wa nanto kaite arimasu ka?
Excuse me, could you write it in Roman letters?	Sumimasen ga rōmaji de kaite kudasai.
I need an interpreter.	Tsūyaku ga hitsuyō desu.
Does somebody here speak English?	Dareka Ei-go o hanaseru hito wa imasu ka?
Do you have a passport?	Do you have money?
Pasupōto wa arimasu ka?	Okane wa arimasu ka?
Do you have an ID card?	How long are you staying in Japan?
Mibun shōmeisho wa arimasu ka?	Nihon ni wa donokurai iru tsumori desu ka?
Where did you come from?	Please come with me to the police box.
Doko kara kimashitaka?	Issho ni kōban made kitekudasai.

LOST OR STOLEN

Excluding the danger presented by pickpockets who work places like airports, crowded trains, and busy shopping areas, money and belongings are relatively safe. A lost wallet or bag will usually turn up, and with all its contents intact. If you lose something on a train or subway, go to the Lost and Found office at the station you just got off. Please let them know what you have lost, at around what time you boarded the train and which direction the train was headed to. They will contact all of the possible train stations that it could be and if found, they will have a person bring you the item. If the item cannot be located at that moment, you must fill out a lost and found form. Please put down a phone number that they can contact you or the name of the hotel. If you lose something outside of the train and subway station, please go to the nearest police box and you will need to describe what you have lost. You will also need to fill out a form.

Any traveler should always have photocopies of his passport, visa, and other important papers. Likewise, serial numbers are invaluable in retrieving lost (or, rarely, stolen) items like cameras and laptop computers. Keeping a card from your hotel in your bag will aid in getting the bag back to you. Should you require a police report in order to be reimbursed by your insurance company for lost or stolen items, you should be aware that it will be difficult to get one outside of the major cities. In any case, it’ll be in Japanese. It will be the luck of the draw whether the person is proficient in both English and Japanese. If you have bought travel insurance, like from Medex, they should be able to assist you through the process.

I lost ~.	~ o nakushimashita.
I left ~ in a taxi/train/bus.	Takushii/Densha/Basu ni ~ o wasuremashita.
My ~ was stolen.	~ o nusumaremashita.
wallet	saifu
cash	genkin
passport	pasupōto
driver’s license	menkyoshō
ID card	mibun shōmeisho
camera	kamera
glasses	megane
handbag	handobaggu
package/ luggage	nimotsu
suitcase	sūtsukēsu
watch	tokei
laptop	rapputoppu
tablet	taburetto
smartphone	sumaho

Please write down your name, telephone number, and address in Japan. Koko ni namae, denwa bangō, jūsho o kaite kudasai.

Please describe the item(s).

Dōiu mono desu ka?

PROBLEMS

There’s a/an ~.	~ desu.
fire	kaji
accident	jiko
traffic accident	kōtsū jiko
crime	hanzai
theft	nusumi
fraud, scam	sagi
pickpocket	suri
thief	dorobō
Whom should I tell?	Dare ni shirasetara ii desu ka?

FIRE	ROAD ACCIDENT	CRIME	FRAUD, SCAM	DETECTIVE
kaji	kōtsū jiko	hanzai	sagi	keiji
FIRE TRUCK	AMBULANCE	THEFT	POLICE	POLICE STATION
shōbōsha	kyūkyūsha	nusumi	keisatsu	keisatsusho
FIRE STATION	INJURY	PICKPOCKET	POLICE OFFICER	POLICE BOX
shōbōsho	kega	suri	keisatsukan	kōban
NATIONALITY	JUDGE	CRIMINAL	OFFENSE	EVIDENCE
kokuseki	saibankan	han’nin	hankō	shōko
EMBASSY	LAWYER	THIEF	GUILT	PRISON, JAIL
taishikan	bengoshi	dorobō	yūzai	keimusho
COURT OF LAW	WITNESS	LEGAL ADVICE	INNOCENCE	INSURANCE
saibansho	shōnin	hōritsu sōdan	muzai	hoken