Danger, Will Robinson

I was in Tokyo for about 9 weeks last summer, and not even once did I feel unsafe. As a white male between the ages of 18 and 25, I am, after all, invincible. Combine that with being in Japan, and, like Kal-El beneath the light of a yellow sun, I gain additional powers such as incredible strength, laser vision and the ability not to pay for the subway.

However, recent events have led me to doubt my purported invulnerability. First, there was that thing in Akihabara. As if that weren't bad enough, I've begun to suspect that I should be wary of the local law enforcement.

Remember that place I mentioned, Geronimo's? Well, apparently a friend of one of the bartenders was recently caught without his Japanese resident's card on his person and thrown in jail for 28 days. It's not like he didn't have a card--he just didn't have it with him whenever they did an ID check for whatever reason. I assume that Japanese prison is clean and well-mannered, like the rest of Japan, but apparently it's somewhat fascistic, too. This guy isn't allowed to speak English to his visitors, as if some sort of secret and dire message might be passed between them. He speaks English to a translator, who tells another translator, who translates it for the visitor, or some crazy shit like that. So the story went.

At the time, I guessed that the police had originally detained this dude for a good reason, like drunk and disorderly conduct. Based on my experience last year, it seemed like it would take an awful lot for anyone to confront a gaijin. But this assumption was challenged when I went out tonight. (By the way, I don't recommend going out alone on a weekday night--it's not easy to meet anyone, since, for the most part, the only people in the bars are suits getting their drink on before the last train leaves.) On my way back, I was stopped by a police officer who wanted to see my ID. I calmly explained that I'm here on a tourist visa, which was in my hotel 10 minutes away. The hotel is pretty well known, so he took me at my word, but not without giving me a brisk frisk. In his words, "Roppongi is dangerous area."

What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Roppongi is dangerous, so I get frisked? That's just not even a good excuse. And what could be the actual rationale? I realize that I've a bit more bulk than the average 日本人, but still, I don't think I look all that sketchy. I suppose it comes down to this: I was a lone foreign male wandering around after midnight. Who knows what sort of mischief was running through my head?

So, yeah. I got racially profiled. From now on, I'm carrying a photocopy of my passport and tourist visa in my wallet, just in case the next curious cops I meet aren't so nice.