Interesting article in "The Stars and Stripes" about the 23 days that the Japanese police can hold you for after arrest before they have to charge you with something.

Cant seem to be able to post excerpt here so please see this link:
Stars and Stripes - Japanese Police have upper hand (http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52676&archive=true)

I always wondered if pleading not guilty would mean a harsher sentence, but then I guess it does anywhere.