Top Japanese skateboarders took part in 'underage drinking'

They obey local law but Japanese has their own made up law.

That drinking activity happened in jurisdiction where that legal, basically no problem at all.

This is ridiculous. The individuals involved obeyed the local laws. How is this even news?

Japan needs to grow up, relax and stop behaving like this. It makes thr country look a silly.

They are skateboarders!

"Laws, we don't need no stinking laws"!

Ah_soToday  07:32 am JST

This is ridiculous. The individuals involved obeyed the local laws. How is this even news?

It is not enough to obey local laws when you are temporarily travelling, you also need to obey the laws of your country of residence. In other words, you cannot travel to another country to perform a crime (not a crime in the destination) and get a free pass. This applies to most western countries in the world as well.

Same problem the Gov is facing with marijuana. The Gov claims that it is illegal for Japanese nationals to smoke in countries/states that have legalized recreational marijuana but, I'd like to see how that holds up in court. Plus, unless the person admits to smoking, there is no way to prove it. In the blood means nothing. The person could've inhaled second hand smoke in a bar or something.

you cannot travel to another country to perform a crime (not a crime in the destination) and get a free pass.

Maybe for things like underage sex tourism, but drinking? Legally in the country you're in, and only a couple of years of age under your home country's laws? Get real. Young Americans have long enjoyed "underage" drinking in places like Europe.

nabelitoToday  08:56 am JST

you cannot travel to another country to perform a crime (not a crime in the destination) and get a free pass.

Maybe for things like underage sex tourism, but drinking? Legally in the country you're in, and only a couple of years of age under your home country's laws? Get real. Young Americans have long enjoyed "underage" drinking in places like Europe.

Read the comment again with a bit more thinking. You cannot choose which laws you obey and which you don’t, unless you are ready to accept the consequences.

Nowhere in the comment did I write that these kids will get prosecuted, they wouldn’t even in Japan.

in 'underage drinking

that’s rich.

Coming from a country that never cards anyone (except in Kabukicho) and has vending machines on the street that sells beer.

also, it was LEGAL for them in the country they were in……

what a joke

You cannot choose which laws you obey and which you don’t

The point is, in this situation, a law should not have been considered broken - and while I don't know the technicalities, I HIGHLY doubt one actually was.

You only have to obey the law where you are. That is to avoid prosecution. A nation's laws end at its borders. It can however choose to persecute you for doing something abroad that was legal abroad.

These skateboarders were not prosecuted but persecuted.

Athletes persecuted by their government can choose to enter the Olympics in a special category, if they do not wish to represent their country.

Firstly, they're young, they're skateboarders, it's hot. Let them have a beer or two.

Besides, nowhere does it say that they will be prosecuted in Japan. I don't think that's even possible for such a minor 'crime.' The article doesn't even say if World Skate Japan have punished them in anyway, although I haven't read their press release so they may have. It does say their coach was 'reprimanded.'

It could be they breached certain codes of conduct they agreed to with their sporting bodies, or associated sponsors etc.

So let me understand this right. They didn't break absolutely any laws, but the Japanese snowflackes from the Olympic Comity still reprimate them based on Japanese laws?? This doesn't makes absolutely no sense. I mean does Japan expect to still follow Japanese laws outside into Gaijin's land?? Are they serious?? :))))

Weiwei:

It is not enough to obey local laws when you are temporarily travelling, you also need to obey the laws of your country of residence. In other words, you cannot travel to another country to perform a crime (not a crime in the destination) and get a free pass. This applies to most western countries in the world as well.

No, Japan is not China or whatever country you're from. Stop spreading opinions around like they're facts. In fact, Japan's citizens have to obey ONLY the local laws while traveling - that is, if they don't break the law in the country they're into they can't be prosecuted in Japan EVEN if they drank alcohol while under 20.

More info here:

https://www.jawhm.or.jp/blog/tokyoblog/%E6%B5%B7%E5%A4%96%E3%81%8A%E5%BD%B9%E7%AB%8B%E3%81%A1%E6%83%85%E5%A0%B1/5749/

WeiWei 08:46 am JST

It is not enough to obey local laws when you are temporarily travelling, you also need to obey the laws of your country of residence. In other words, you cannot travel to another country to perform a crime (not a crime in the destination) and get a free pass. This applies to most western countries in the world as well.

You are making up stuff. This is pointedly untrue.

If my kid’s 18, and we go to Australia and he has a beer with me - completely legal as Australia’s laws are the only ones that matter within Australia.

There was no "crime". What they did was LEGAL.

There was no "crime". What they did was LEGAL.

Exactly.

As a young athlete traveling to events, we'd go into different jurisdictions. The legal drinking age at home was 21, but just over a magic line there were other jurisdictions with legal drinking ages of 18 and 19.

Our coach would be unhappy and tell our parents about the activity, but there wasn't anything to be done. We only drank AFTER the events were finished. We were already exhausted after a full day of practice or competition. After drinking at the first event, we never bothered again for the rest of the tour to other events that month.

Soooo, Japan wants it’s citizens to follow Japanese laws while traveling abroad. Nice.

Ah, big deal. A bit of underage drinking won't hurt them much as long as it's not during actual competition and/or they are out in public (or riding bikes, scooters, etc.).

As for the Olympics, skateboarding is a joke, and all the pros like Tony Hawk have said how disappointed they were with it.

uaintseeme: "Soooo, Japan wants it’s citizens to follow Japanese laws while traveling abroad. Nice."

Well, if they got caught WHILE abroad, yes. Once the "heroes" at back home they just deny it, like with the Olympic swimmer caught on video stealing camera equipment from another person's bag.

Only one distinction to be made in this case is, as Hawk above has stated, if the athletic body they belong to has made it clear that they cannot drink while on the team. The coach is reprimanded and the athletes might be given a warning once they get back home not to do it again.

If the rule was not given to them by the athletic body then they have done nothing wrong. Of course young people will try drinking when they can. That's true in all countries (that allow drinking at all, the Middle East presenting some exceptions) and expected from kids away from home without Mom and Dad. This is a non-issue for anyone who has ever been a teenager.

They legally drank a beer.

But because they weren't the legal age in Japan they are being denied a chance at their Olympic dream.

Two girls who were friends of my daughter in university were kicked out for smoking a joint in Spain.

Someone put it on Instagram.

Just in unbelievable how you can get busted for doing something legal.

Well, let them live a little..

O fear Japan is way more Comunist and totalitarian country than Japan is. Forcing people to obey Japanese laws, while you are on a foreign country, with different laws, habits and customs, is just plain callous and ridiculous to another level. How is possible to reprimate people when they return to Japan because they smoke a joint in a country where the laws permitted, or this with drinking beer where alcohol is permitted from 18 years old??

The hipocrisy of this is just incredible.

The release also said their head coach, Takashi Nishikawa, has been reprimanded.

"We will strengthen our team structure to never let something like this happen again," WSJ said.

The only entity that needs to be reprimanded here is the WSJ, for making this non-issue into an issue in the first place.