Asian Thieves Land

"If you're innocent, surely there's no way they can find you guilty?"

Teppei KANEKO is a young guy, typical of many of his generation; he works part-time, hangs out in Tokyo and tries to figure out what life has in store for him.

He finds out the hard way. Finally getting his act together, he's on his way to his first job interview when he's accused of groping a young schoolgirl on the train.

He desperately pleads his innocence but the police are only interested in coercing a quick confession and closing the books. Before he knows what's going on his denials plunge him into a Kafka-esque world of bureaucratie precedent.

Being held in custody is a frustrating, brutalizing and lonely experience for Teppei. The prosecutor ignores his explanations of innocence and he's summarily arraigned for trail. In Japan judges are promoted for the speed with which they deal with their caseloads with a resulting 99.9% guilty rate. Belying its adoption of most aspects of modern democracy, Japan does not have trail by jury and presumption of guilt is reality in all but name.

Driven by the purity of his belief that innocence will save him, Teppei secures the services of veteran defense counsel, Mr. Arakawa (Koji YAKUSHO) and greenhorn assistant defense attorney, Ms. Sudo (Aska SETO). Sudo does'nt have the slightest desire to defend a groper but when Arakawa tells her that false accusations of molestation go to the very heart of the problems with Japan's legal system, she begrudgingly complies.

Meanwhile Teppei's mother (Masako MOTAI) and slacker best friend, Tatsu (Koji YAMAMOTO), form an unlikely alliance to organize on his behalf.

As his circle of friends and supporters gathers round, so too the noose of "justice" tightens and the power of the state moves against one young man who is about to have to grow up very fast.

Comments :
I applaud the film director, Masayuki Suo, for having the courage to put out such a poignant film that speaks volumes about Japan's flawed justice system as a Japanese citizen. The 99.9% guilty rate is a reality not taken seriously by foreigners and many of those living in Japan. As a foreigner, it was interesting to see how laws are applied within the context of such a seemingly modernized and developed country. We follow the main character, Teppei, who is caught at the wrong place at the wrong time as he is accused of committing a crime he did not commit. With the assumption that standing by his innocence will set him free quickly and painlessly, we soon learn about the psychological battle he and those close to him have to battle.

Japan's judicial system is very different from westernized systems. In Canada for instance, much of our outcries and screams of injustice belies on the fact that the justice system "protects" criminals. More guilty people walk away or serve light sentences for crimes committed here. In Japan, it is quite the opposite and it makes one ponder... how many innocent people exactly are locked up? How easy is it for individuals to take advantage on that "trust" and falsely accuse another person of a crime they did not commit for the purpose of a hefty out-of-court settlement? In all, this film was excellent and is an important tool for us to reflect upon how "justice" is applied in different nations. It is exceptionally accurate in its portrayals of the daily ins and outs of those in Japanese jails. To assume that the Japanese system "can't really be THAT bad" is a slap in the face to all those who had to undergo that kind of psychological hardship as INNOCENT men and women. I am saying this as a fact. My boyfriend had spent close to a month in jail with accusations for a crime he did NOT commit. The prosecutor's only goal is to dig up any kind of confession by any means necessary - verbal coercion, bending stories, refusing or providing menial legal counsel, etc. When your ultimate verdict is guilty from the start, what kind of justice does an innocent individual have left? Is it right for an innocent man to say that he is guilty when he is absolutely innocent?
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