They were NOT polite. Even if they found nothing wrong.
US immigration is a day at the spa in comparison. Even when the consulate messed up my fingerprints. Cleared up in under two hours, they were cold but polite the entire time - not angry and disrespectful.
After I was finally allowed in Japan, 4 hours after I had arrived - thanks to my uncle, a Japanese citizen - everything went fine. Nice people, spent three months there.
I'd like to visit again, but I'm dreading the immigration experience.
It's called "hostage justice" by critics
Israel is the only real place I've had more than a "purpose of visit" (although getting in is still far easier than getting out).
I went to the states last week to see some colleagues for the first time since 2019 - had to really bit me tongue not to say "Christmas Parties" instead of "Business Meetings", got prodded for a little more info from JFK immigration (a "Law Enforcement professional" from the "Washington DC area" also checked my profile on linked in after I applied for my ESTA)
EDIT: read the article in chrome's reader mode, thanks for the tip!
Another beautiful quirk of Japanese law is that you can be held liable for crimes even if you have absolutely nothing to do with them, just by virtue of being family of the person who committed them, like in train suicide [1] or having some (even fairly removed) family member who was in the Yakuza
[1] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/families-fined-for-su...