Taken to the police station on Saturday

Hi everyone. This story might be a bit long, but if any of you has any knowledge about Japanese law, please read my post and if you can, give me advice. I would be very grateful!
This is what happened:
A few days ago I was stopped by police while I was riding a bike in Tokyo. I was with my brother (just arrived to Japan) and we were stopped because the light on his bike was not working.
I am a student at a Japanese university, while my brother came here to visit Japan for holiday.
After asking us a few questions about the bikes, they also asked us to show them our documents (in my case the resident card while the passport for my brother).
Unfortunately I only had my Šw�¶�Ø (Student ID card, a card with my name, a picture of me and the period of study written on it) while my brother had absolutely nothing.
When they found out we had nothing else, the two policemen called other policemen, which arrived almost right away by cars. After asking us a few questions, they said they could not let us come back home and that they had to take us to the police station!
It seemed my student card alone was not enough, and despite the fact we are living near from the place they stopped us (about 4 KM) we were not even allowed to go take our documents and bring them there (I tried asking but it seems it was not possible).
At the police station they made some copies of my student card and asked me some other questions in a room, alone. Another policeman told me clearly that what we had done is very bad and that we had broken a Japanese law.
Honestly I was speechless. I couldn't believe that only having forgotten a document would be such a serious matter (and it's not that I had absolutely nothing, the card I had with me did prove that I am a student at a specific Japanese university).
Anyway, after this, they told us that they would have come with us to my dormitory room to see if we actually had our documents (my brother is staying at my room and so his passport was here).
When we arrived here, the policeman took pictures of the dormitory, of the door of my room and even of me while opening the door.
Next we found our documents and we handed them to him, who then called the police station to inform the others.
Unfortunately that wasn't the end. The policeman said that I had to come back to the station again while my brother was allowed to stay at my room.
Now the best part: at the station they told me I had to write down on a paper what had happened during the day (to know what to write in details, they let me talk with an English native speaker on the phone, since I'm not fluent in Japanese), I had to sign several documents and lastly they even took picture of me from every angle, like the ones police takes of criminals. Now this was getting humiliating other than ridiculous.
After spending two hours at the station, they told me that I had to come over again the next Sunday in order to be questioned again with the help of an interpreter (I'm not even an English native speaker so an interpreter will be available only on the weekend).

This is the story until now. Today I read a similar story on the internet and the events were exactly the same. At the end, the guy who forgot the documents had to appear in front of a court but was dismissed without any penalties since he bowed low and was very sorry for what happened (he appeared at the court even with an apologizing letter). However, they told him that for what he did they could have put him in jail or that he could even be kicked out of the country (for anyone interested, here is the full story: http://www.jref.com/forum/all-things-japanese-26/gaijin-card-don-t-lea...)

Now I am getting more and more scared about this. And appearing in front of the court is not the only thing I'm worried about.
Firstly, when I had to write on that paper what happened during the day, they asked me to write also that I was aware of the fact that not carrying my resident card was illegal. However, since I thought that this might worsen my condition, I refused to write it and I told them that I thought that my student card alone was enough (which I have to admit is actually the truth, since that card has my name, a photo and the name of the unversity I am enrolled in - if I have that card how am I supposed not to have a resident card? It doesn't make any sense).
However now I am afraid I made a mistake. Maybe it was better to say that I knew it was illegal and that I just forgot the resident card on the dormitory. I'm planning to tell them this on sunday...
Secondly, another problem: the bikes we have are not registered with our names (in Japan it seems that having a bike is like having a car). One of the bikes was given to me by a friend who left Japan two weeks ago (I have no documents of it) while I bought the other one from another person on June, when he left Japan (this person was not Japanese, and he bought the bike used from a Japanese guy - I have documents of this bike, but it is registered to this aforementioned Japanese guy which I don't know).
Being things as they are, I am afraid that that the fact that the bikes are not registered to us might worsen my current condition. Furthermore, at the beginning the first two policemen that stopped us found out that the bikes were not registered with our names, but then the topic seemed to have been simply dropped when they asked for our documents.
Lastly, the biggest problem: this friend of mine who is staying in my room is not actually supposed to be here. In my dormitory even visitors are not allowed.
However, many people here invited friends/relatives from their homecountry and did exactly the same thing, without having any problem whatsoever. No one ever found out.
Despite this I'm very scared about this because, as I read from the story I talked about before, the questioning I'm going to have on Sunday will be very detailed: it will take from 2 to 6 hours and maybe a second one will follow; I will be asked any kind of questions, including questions about my relatives, their names, ages etc., basically everyting. If that's the case they are likely to find out about him living here even though it is not allowed.
Now I don't know that to do... do you think he should leave? In that case, he should leave now or it would be better to wait? Maybe I can say that he came here not permanently, but just for a few days, while looking for a better place to stay.
But I'm also thinking that maybe police doesn't care about this dormitory thing, since it regards only the university. Do you think it would be possible?
Another unclear matter is why I was the only one asked to go again to the police station and to be questioned on Sunday... haven't we done exactly the same thing, breaking the law?

I'm very scared about all of this. I'm afraid I might be kicked out of the country with no chances of ever coming back. I have still 6 months to spend here and I was already planning on coming back in the future.
I know that my problem is very specific and probably you can do little for me, but please if you have any advices I would really love to read them.
I just don't know what to do anymore.

Sorry to hear of what happened.

My non-Japanese business acquaintance, upon visiting Tokyo this month, was asked for his ID or his passport, which he did not have with him, and he was OK just telling the police that he had it in his hotel, which was just a walking distance from where they were.

- About the dormitory: I don't think the police cares. You are called up because you are a resident, and your brother is just a visitor. Did he have any plan to move to a hotel once he became familiar with the surroundings? If so, plan as he did, but be sure you know where he is and be sure he can be contacted by you easily. The dormitory issue is only with your university :)

- About having written that you did not know it was illegal: I believe what you wrote was fine, because it was the truth. Stick with the truth. (Years ago i made a small procedural mistake, for which I paid a minor fine along with a letter of apology. The court told me to write the reasons/background that I missed the procedure, and that "I did not know of the rule" could be one of the reasons.)

Keep on apologizing profusely for not knowing the local rules properly, say that you should have known the rules (the card comes with such instructions), be humble, be calm. I believe there is only a fine for no having the card with you. No deportation.

If they question you about anything, say the truth, don't sign anything that is not true to your knowledge. Best wishes, and please do stay calm.

Laws in foreign countrys can be confusing and scarey. This whole thing sounds very trivial. However, I would not dismiss this.

As you are a foreigner there are issues that you may not understand.

You need legal council. Perhaps the university has a student assistance program and can find an advocate for you.

That being said, part of your story sounds like the police might have been looking for some other person who committed a crime and they were just checking you out, and uncovered some very minor issues.

Good Luck.

It seemed my student card alone was not enough, and despite the fact we are living near from the place they stopped us (about 4 KM) we were not even allowed to go take our documents and bring them there (I tried asking but it seems it was not possible).

Yes, you are required to carry your resident card at all times. Your brother/friend? is required to have his passport on him. Was that not explained when you received the card?

However, in many cases the police will often overlook it if you don't have them on you if it is easy enough to procure your documents to show them. But 4 kms is not really all that close and the fact that you had unregistered bikes probably didn't make them want to be too generous either.

Honestly I was speechless. I couldn't believe that only having forgotten a document would be such a serious matter (and it's not that I had absolutely nothing, the card I had with me did prove that I am a student at a specific Japanese university).

It's a fineable offense, and your student card is not a sufficient substitute. They don't have any of the valuable info on them and are easily forged.

Unfortunately that wasn't the end. The policeman said that I had to come back to the station again while my brother was allowed to stay at my room.
Now the best part: at the station they told me I had to write down on a paper what had happened during the day (to know what to write in details, they let me talk with an English native speaker on the phone, since I'm not fluent in Japanese), I had to sign several documents and lastly they even took picture of me from every angle, like the ones police takes of criminals. Now this was getting humiliating other than ridiculous.
After spending two hours at the station, they told me that I had to come over again the next Sunday in order to be questioned again with the help of an interpreter (I'm not even an English native speaker so an interpreter will be available only on the weekend).

Confessions are standard procedure. You can write down that you didn't know the laws, but frankly it may be easiest to just say that you knew and then apologize. Don't worry, deportation would be extreme, but do expect a fine, and possibly another fine for the unregistered bikes.

Lastly, the biggest problem: this friend of mine who is staying in my room is not actually supposed to be here. In my dormitory even visitors are not allowed.

The issue with your friend/brother doesn't involve the police. However, the university may find out and take action against you. But you knew that risk going in... Either way, sounds like it's time for him to start looking for his own place.

As you now know, all foreign residents are required to carry their resident card with them at all times (passport alone is not acceptable unless on the old ARC system still) and show it to a qualified person on request. This should be informed to you on arrival. Maximum penalty for breaking this law 200,000 yen fine and 1 year in prison. If you get prison time, most likely deportation at the end of your sentence.

Those on a tourist permit must similarly have their passport with them at all time, but the police are generally lenient and will just ask some to fetch it, if forgotten.

The dormitory thing isn't a police matter, but the bicycle thing is a common problem and is why most police stops happen in Japan (foreign and Japanese alike). There is no penalty for failing to register your bicycle, although it is required by law. They will probably contact the registered owner to see if he agrees with selling it. If they can't get hold of him and you have no proof of ownership, or it has been reported stolen previously, they will keep the bike and you will have to do more explaining and apologising and try to prove that you haven't just stolen it.

Your best bet is to be honest and humble about your ignorance; and be very sorry for being an idiot. The court will probably let you off in the end with a warning and having to write a letter of apology. Just do what they say and jump through their hoops. Maybe your university has someone you can talk to about this, but as you've just been stupid rather than criminal, it is unlikely to go on your record.

In many countries, not just in Japan, tourists must carry a passport at all times or, if they are a foreigner but live permanently in a country--a residency permit or an ID card, depending on the country.

In my birth country (in western Europe) we used to have to register with the police station close to our home every time we changed home. At the time it was because all men from 18- 65 I think, could be called quickly to the army in case of war..

My dad got in trouble once because he fell in a river while fishing, found out later that his ID card had been damaged by the water and forgot to renew it.

Many months later we where on a holiday in another region and ran into a police barricade. All the cars were searched, ID papers checked etc.

When they saw Dad unreadable ID card they flipped. They separate my parents to interrogate them, and questioned us kids (about 10 -12) separately too.

As it turns out there was a jail in that small town housing several army officers that had tried to kill our president, and there was a chance that some people would try to free these guys...

Luckily Dad was a former police detective and still talked to a few of his former work buddies..but it took hours, in the days before internet etc, to confirm his ID.

In my birth country the police can jail you for several days and you aren't allowed to talk to a lawyer...nor to friends or relatives.

Sorry to be blunt but ignorance is no excuse.

I mean, you should have known that it is required to carry your residence card with you all the time and that tourists like your brother/friend also has to take his passport with him. The immigration website states this, Japanguide states this, and so on.

It's also mentioned here on Japanguide that bikes have to be registered... I mean really, do some research beforehand. Better safe than sorry.

And letting people stay in your room? What's with all the rule breaking? It doesn't matter if everyone does it. :/

But yeah, be humble, apologize and hope for the best.

I think you made your troubles by yourself.
what you are thinking is what is the beneficial way to do. you seems not to be honest. possibly, you are hiding something, more serious.
if you are truly a student, you should tell university staffs what happened to you.
I think you can't solve this problem easily by yourself, if you persist your thinking way.
change your mind, be honest. trust others. here is not your country.

Yes .what happened to you is not good but not too bad.there are worse cases.but police can arrest you without an ID and BY LAW THEY HAVE the RIGHT.they must check everyone and everything.they can even indict you to make you have a criminal record which would bar you from extending student visas .even if you marry the troubles would continue.
If they take you to police station again or court you must admit and ask for forgiveness..
If you are relased with no criminal record you re lucky.
Japan is like that brother ..very kibishi ..it takes 20 30 years to learn and still one can make mistakes.
That's Japan and will never change.
I tell everyone.don't get angry don't try to blame. Don't mess with them.at the end anata wa makeru kara
so what you need to learn is ayamaru koto..ayamatteeee kudasai.Sono ato..Ganbatte kudasai..

Nihon no ai nakunaranakattara
Minna ganbaru zouuuuu...

As suggested, you should ask your university for advise. Free law consulting is often available at your local city hall or ward office, so try to check on that during the weekday daytimes. Needless to say, your Embassy is another option, although I'm not sure how helpful they would be at this point.

By the way, having a bike in Japan is not like having a car, but bike theft is one of the most common crimes in Japan that even ordinary kids do just like that. So they stop the youth (foreign and local) every once in a while for that reason. You say their interest moved on to your ID, but meanwhile, you may want to try contacting the original owner of your bike and let them write a note telling they surrendered it to you. You're going to need it anyway if you're going to keep on using it.

In any case, my opinion is that telling lies gets you nowhere, so I don't think you should say that you knew the law when you actually didn't.