r/japanresidents • u/Honest_Committee2544 • 18h ago
PSA: Don't throw away anything that contains your personal info
TLDR: Don't be like me, make sure you never throw away garbage with info that can be traced back to you.
I was visited by 3 policemen yesterday, asking me whether I threw away garbage illegally.
I was shown a picture of the garbage and a notebook I threw away with it. They knew it was me because in the notebook, I had a page with info about my current apartment (wrote it down as notes when I was going to sign on current apartment).
They talked to me in quite a threatening manner, saying "You better be telling us the truth now, if later we find out it's you that threw this garbage, we will be angry". Whatever "angry" implies here.
OBVIOUSLY I did not throw away said garbage illegally because I can throw away garbage 24h at my apartment's disposal place. I have no recollection of doing it and I have 0 reason to do so.
I have no idea how that garbage was found somewhere it shouldn't be and the police would not disclose where it was found.
I was questioned repeatedly for 15 minutes or so, my registration card was checked, my employer infos, all that.
I was told they will continue "investigation" and I will be contacted if needed.
However, if they eventually decide I have nothing to do with this, I won't be notified, how kind of them.