Are you ready Starting November 20th 2007 Japan will start to fingerprint and photograph people entering Japan. The fingerprints, photographs and other biometric data of foreign visitors will be stored in a computer for cross-checking with a list of wanted criminals and people who have been deported in the past. Investigative authorities will have access to the data.
The prints will remain on record for 70 years. According to the new procedures, if requested, the Justice Ministry will turn over the data to the police and other government agencies.
This excludes ethnic Koreans and other permanent residents with special status, those under 16, those visiting Japan for diplomatic or official purposes, and those invited by the state.
Japan Times said an estimated 6-7 million foreigners entering Japan every year will be covered by the ordinance.
Interesting. Can’t say I blame them.
when I lived in Japan I suffered alot of harrassment from police officers, mostly related to the light on my bicycle being dysfunctional. They were kind of nice but went out of their way to keep me in their police station until my Japanese roomate was able to clear up any suspicion of thievery.
-The Aesthetic Poetic
http://www.theaestheticpoetic.com/
Not fussed …. it`s been like that for years i the states. As long as its semi efficient it shouldnt be too much hassle.
Great article…I can see how finger printing and gathering other identifying materials can be helpful. I wish we did something like this in the US, seriously the borders are out of control.
Well, foreigners have always been third class citizens in Japan.
I doubt the treatment will be efficient as I always have to wait long queues when I arrive in Japan. Japanese whizz by trough the gates while we are attended by clearly too few policemen…
Why dont they get Japanese to get naked to see how many have got tattoos?
Maybe it would be better for Japan to forbid foreigners to enter the country…