So she was falsely accused, detained for a week, and released with apparently no consequences? That's not great, but it's hardly a uniquely Japanese horror story either.
For comparison, back in the Land of the Free, here's a kid in New York who was jailed for three years on Rikers Island for a similar false accusation of theft:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/06/before-the-law
Yes, but that case is egregious by American standards, while the woman's case is everyday occurrence in Japan.
_Is_ that case egregious by American standards?
The 3 years might be (though I'm not convinced for some jurisdictions), but the overall shape of the case is, I think, depressingly common in the US...
I mean, the whole argument is based on two anecdotes, which show that both systems can be excessively unfair. We'd need at least some numbers to talk about "everyday occurrences" or not.
If you no-showed at work for 3 weeks, would you lose your job? But if you confess, you could be out today.
Here is an account of being arrested and detained in Japan[1]. It's worth a read, especially given the ending.
[1] https://nymag.com/vindicated/2016/11/truth-lies-and-videotap...