It has been 12 years since he was illegally detained in Japan and arrested for theft and sent back to China. Can I apply for a tourist visa to Japan now?

Don't be fooled by the so-called whitewashing.

In your situation, it's no problem to take the regular route. However, it should be noted that:

(1) To apply for an individual tourist visa, you need to submit higher personal assets (the consulate requires proof that the individual's annual income is more than 654.38+10,000, personal income tax payment certificate, bank account, RV information, etc. In this case, you should provide as many formal materials as possible to prove your income, the more the better. The more, the better.

When you enter Japan, because you have had the experience of illegal detention and repatriation, the immigration office may conduct a stricter examination on you when you enter Japan. As long as your visa is officially issued by the Japanese consulate, your purpose is to travel. Generally speaking, there is no problem and you can enter the country smoothly.

Because the personal tourist visa is guaranteed by the travel agency, the travel society requires you to pay the personal refund deposit (because you have had illegal detention experience before, the travel agency may overcharge you, which is normal. Pay according to the requirements of the travel agency. Now, according to the regulations of the National Tourism Administration, the repatriation deposit is not given to the travel agency, but to the signing bank of the travel agency to handle the third-party custody procedures of the repatriation deposit, which can guarantee the legitimate interests of both parties.

Of course, all of the above have a premise, that is, your actual income meets the requirements of the consulate's annual income of more than 654.38 million.

In short, don't take informal ways to save trouble. After all, it is you who suffer.