RResidents in Japan

could i get in trouble HELP!!

  • October 6, 2025

First i just got here and learning a lot of things.
So i know i was being stupid and crossed the road without looking much, i knowww I'm so sorry😭😭
I was on the crosswalk and cross the road, there,came a car so fast that I thought I'm going to die, it didn't hit me and the car was okay too. But the driver was very angry and ask me for my phone number which i don't have yet to call me if his belongings in the car are damage. I apologize to him so many times and bows too. He said if don't have any he will call the police. I apologize to him again so many time. He let me off at the end tho.
I'm still shaking and overthinking how my life in Japan could end right now.
Please tell me how I could get in trouble or not.(To get my peace of mind back)

Edit-thank you everyone.
I'm a bit calm now.It was my fault for Crossing on red light and I'm very sorry for it. I feel bad man

by so_e_ll

17 comments

  1. I know you’re probably stressed and overthinking stuff at the moment but.
    Yeah you’re gonna be perfectly fine, shit happens

  2. Did the crosswalk have a traffic signal? Were you crossing while the signal is red? If there is no signal, the driver is at fault. A person in the crosswalk has right of way and cars are obligated to stop for pedestrians.

  3. No. Pedestrians have nearly 100% right of way. Like maybe if this happened on the expressway you would have some small responsibility but on regular streets, it’s a non-issue. I see pedestrians daily staring at their phones and ignoring all road signs while walking blindly across streets

  4. You were crossing at a crosswalk. Anything that might have happened is 100% the fault of the driver. Be glad you’re okay and don’t let that asshole ruin your week.

  8. There are whackadoodles in every country.

    Japan is no exception. I had a similar instance, older dude going like min 70 in a 40 outside a school. I flipped him off and told him to F-off. Wife wasn’t happy, but he clearly was going an insane speed for residential. He left tire marks.

  9. Pedestrians have the right of way at all times and that guy was an asshole. WTF was he going to do with your phone number?

  10. He was over reacting, this isnt important enough for the police to bat an eye. Sometimes youll see people cross red pedestrian signals in front of a cop and the most that happens is the cops will tell you “The Signal Is Red!!!” over the loudspeaker on their car, but they usually just go on about their buisness.

  11. In my time here, I have been quite shocked at how very different Japanese are when driving. The typical overly polite etiquette is gone when they are behind the wheel of a car, with watching TV taking priority over watching the road. The lack of safety awareness is frankly shocking, and just the other day I saw what I would assume was a toddler or very young child sitting on the dashboard of a kei car as it was motoring along, driven by what I assume was a grandparent.
    Many people don’t use kids car seats and everyday I see at least one child standing up in a moving vehicle. Coming from Europe where they generally take child and road traffic safety very seriously, this has been a culture shock to me.
    I would say if I can offer any advice, be aware that many people are not paying any attention when driving, make sure you are fully alert when crossing a road and give yourself plenty of time to cross safely. The saving grace is that speed limits are generally slower, although I rarely see anyone adhering to the limits.

  12. You’re on a crosswalk and have the right of way.. he was just being an asshole.. you didn’t have to apologize or worry about it ..

    You should have told him to fuck off…

  13. I’m happy you are concerned with our image in a foreign country. This makes u a good and considerate person 👍. You’ll be fine BTW

  14. Driver was just over reacting. If you ever happen to see him again, ignore him.

    You had a close miss. You’ll be fine. If he called the police they’d probably shout at him for wasting their time.

  15. if the crossing is signal-controlled and the sign was red then that’s your fault but if it was zebra crossing then pedestrians always have right of way so you’re perfectly fine

  16. It’s ok but don’t do that in future. For your own sake. If you get hit by a car and are injured, you will be at fault. A lot of reckless drivers in Japan. Like everywhere.

  17. They don’t typically deport people for jay walking. You probably just merging the stress of almost getting hit and the guy yelling at you into anxiety about the future but the truth is the scary parts appear over. Be careful out there.

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