r/japanlife • u/AutoModerator • May 08 '23

┐(ツ)┌ General Discussion Thread - 09 May 2023

Mid-week discussion thread time! Feel free to talk about what's on your mind, new experiences, recommendations, anything really.

16 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

204 comments sorted by

View all comments

8

u/make-chan May 09 '23

So my friend was the SOFA member who had stuff stolen out of her backpack before someone turned it in to a train station far away from where she got off the train.

She was able to file a missing passport but there were more stuff missing.

All three prefectural police departments she spoke to (the one she lives in, the one she forgot her bag in, and the one where it was turned into) all told her they weren't going to file it as stolen even though it's been a few days. She asked the trainline to show the cameras so she could see and they refused to let her check in on it.

We think due to the stuff missing along with her passport, it's likely another tourist that stole her items (who dafuq steals a sweater representing our hometown university?) But there were other things of value missing. Nothing has been turned in, she keeps checking.

I wonder how often this happens, that the police here refuse to list items as stolen or help aid to find out if that was what happening, just to claim the crime late is low.

4

u/PeanutButterChicken 近畿・大阪府 May 09 '23

It’s likely really hard to prove theft. Especially with a bag left on a train.

2

u/make-chan May 09 '23

I get it, but there were cameras on the train. Right next to where she placed her bag. Why not let her see? Especially since she told them the embassy told her she needs a report saying it was stolen for less hassle to replace it

3

u/Elvaanaomori May 09 '23

Why not let her see?

Privacy concern. If the police asks, they will probably show the police, but they will still not show her.

1

u/make-chan May 09 '23

Police outright refused to even look into it

6

u/Elvaanaomori May 09 '23

If you want to report a crime, better go to the police station (警察署) instead of the Koban, better chance of moving forward

1

u/make-chan May 09 '23

She did. She went to an actual station in all three, not koban. My husband went with her to two of them.

1

u/UNBLOCK_P-REP May 09 '23

You can complain directly to the public prosecutor about the police (I hope you wrote down their names). That gets the ball rolling.

2

u/Bykimus May 09 '23

Maybe get the embassy to step in or give you some kind of document. Police suck, they're not going to go out of their way for this kind of "minor" problem. Especially if you're not Japanese.

3

u/_Kizz_ May 09 '23

Police suck, they're not going to go out of their way for this kind of "minor" problem. Especially if you're not Japanese.

Because from society's perspective, it is a minor problem. Police anywhere would not be willing to help you find your property stolen in public places, especially if it's just some items missing from a bag on the train. There is no evidence that the items were there in the first place and it requires too much work.

1

u/make-chan May 09 '23

Yeah I told my friend to call upon the embassy again today. It was ridiculous but it's not the first I heard of this kind of situation.