Originally Posted by
Iride01
I don't think that's correct. They can pay a one million Yen fine that works out to about 6,385.40 USD or a jail sentence.
However the penalty for cycling while intoxicated is the same as driving while intoxicated and is the same one million yen fine or a jail sentence.
But in both cases, those are only the maximum penalty and are subject to the whims of their authorities too.
I might be wrong. I was just curious about your statement and tried to find out. As far as the articles dealing with such that are dated 2020 or more recent.
I’ve never seen anyone involved in a fatal accident in Japan who hasn’t gotten a jail sentence. These incidents make the news regularly. I was curious about the subject as I was a traffic homicide investigator in America before moving to Japan. It is possible that sentences are suspended in certain cases, but one will still be detained while the matter plays out.
You may remember Johnny Somali, the American who was arrested for trespassing on a construction site in Osaka, he spent several months in jail before his case came to court, after which he was given a suspended prison sentence, 200,000 yen fine, and deported.
Another case which was in the news fairly recently was a Japanese man fleeing from the police in his car, he hit and killed two pedestrians. He was given a death sentence after conviction, but this was later reduced to life in prison.
Japan’s system is based upon the American military system, as Japan’s constitution was written by the American occupation forces after the War. Japan doesn’t quite follow the “innocent until proven guilty” principle, the only real right you have is the right to remain silent.