[floatl][/floatl]Kyodo via Japan Today: Gov't seeks faster entry procedures for foreigners at airports
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry on Tuesday recommended that the Justice Ministry take measures to shorten the time foreign nationals must wait at airports before being able to enter Japan. The recommendation is intended to help Japan attain its goal of boosting the number of foreign travelers to the country to 10 million a year by 2010. The ministry also proposed that the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry implement steps to improve accommodation services in Japan for foreign travelers. The Justice Ministry has set the goal of reducing the entry-procedure time for foreign nationals to an average 20 minutes at all airports in Japan. The latest recommendation calls for the Justice Ministry to review the deployment of immigration control officers at airports to shorten the amount of time foreign nationals must wait. The recommendation to the tourism ministry includes boosting the number of hotels able to provide foreign-language service. In 2007, 40% of 1,560 hotels where foreign travelers stayed provided no foreign-language service, though they were registered as hotels giving such service in line with the international sightseeing hotel law. No signs written in foreign languages were posted at 41% of those hotels.

Related FG Threads:

The trouble with 'Yokoso'
Government Wants 20 Million Foreign Tourists In 2020
Government Discovers Some Ryokan Don't Want Foreigners
Many Japanese "Uneasy" About Increasing Foreign Visitors
MOJ Website on fingerprinting/photos at Immigration from Nov 2007

I have a few ideas (yes I know this is only a half assed rant that no one but FGs will ever see)

1:Immigration officers that speak more that a few phrases of other languages.
2:Either get rid of the fingerprinting or get machines that work.
3:END THE RULE THAT HOTELS MUST ASK GAIJIN FOR ID!!!!!!!

I think asking anybody for ID is prudent when getting a hotel (usually Passport)... Everywhere in the world does this.

Though I think the fingerprinting and photo entry is bullshit, and told the people asking questions when I last left. I think if there's enough unrest over it, and the government currently being willing to listen, may resolve some of the necessity to do this, but then, Japan is too proud to listen to a bunch of ugly smelly foreigners.

Kagetsu wrote:I think asking anybody for ID is prudent when getting a hotel (usually Passport)... Everywhere in the world does this.

I would not care if it were for everyone but J-nationals don't have to show ID so why do we have to?

wuchan wrote:I would not care if it were for everyone but J-nationals don't have to show ID so why do we have to?

because you're probably a terrorist, and by photocopying and submitting reports to the ministry of foreign affairs, as required by law, they are better able to manage terrorist movement.

yokoso!

wuchan wrote:I would not care if it were for everyone but J-nationals don't have to show ID so why do we have to?

You don't if you live in Japan. The clerk may think you have to, but he'd be wrong. A few useful links:

• Debito's 'What to do if you are asked for your passport number at a hotel, despite having an address in Japan'
• Olaf Karthaus' "Hotel Check-in Information and Feedback Form Pages"

Bottom line: if you have a Japan address, they can't demand your passport or gaijin card. They can ask for any other ID but under the law they have no right to deny you a room if you refuse to show it. You just need to write down your contact information on the normal guest registration card, just like any Japanese guest.

In my opinion, the law is a bit strange. While there are different requirements for tourists (they must legally show passport), there is not really much way for a hotel operator to prove whether the guest is a Japan resident or not. So I guess it all hinges on what address you write on the registration form, and to comply strictly with the law, they need to take your word for it.

I've stayed at lots of hotels while roaming outside of Tokyo and never once been asked for ID. And I don't look even slightly Japanese. On the other hand, I think if I were asked, I would probably not put up a fight, and I'd show them my driver's license, insurance card, or something that confirms my residence in Japan. But not the alien registration card (and I certainly wouldn't be carrying my passport inside of Japan).

It's the shittier hotels, like business hotels, that usually ask, never the big brands like Hilton, Imperial or Ritz, in my experience.

amdg wrote:It's the shittier hotels, like business hotels, that usually ask, never the big brands like Hilton, Imperial or Ritz, in my experience.

I've stayed at a lot of business hotels...cheap ass mother fucker that I am...and they've never asked me for ID...I ask them if they have any recommendations regarding which channel of porn is better...I want more bang for my 1000 yen. No, never been asked at any onsen, penshon (how the fuck do you spell it?), or love hotel. Will give them the Health Insurance card and demand that I only pay 30%, if any non-official ever asks for my ID.

Iraira wrote:I've stayed at a lot of business hotels...cheap ass mother fucker that I am...and they've never asked me for ID...I ask them if they have any recommendations regarding which channel of porn is better...I want more bang for my 1000 yen. No, never been asked at any onsen, penshon (how the fuck do you spell it?), or love hotel. Will give them the Health Insurance card and demand that I only pay 30%, if any non-official ever asks for my ID.

never had a problem at love hotels. Only comes up in tokyo/osaka business hotels.

i just tell them flat out that i don't carry a passport when doing kokunai ryokou and for the most part they let it be at that.

amdg wrote:It's the shittier hotels, like business hotels, that usually ask, never the big brands like Hilton, Imperial or Ritz, in my experience.

we've been asked at the park hyatt tokyo and ritz in osaka. they usually only ask for one of ours though, 'for registration records'.

Cyka UchuuJin wrote:we've been asked at the park hyatt tokyo and ritz in osaka. they usually only ask for one of ours though, 'for registration records'.

Didn't care for the Osaka Ritz...lobby was too dark and looked really old skool. They didn't ask for my ID, even when I told the bellboy to be careful with the bag, as I didn't want the surprise to go off early. Although the little coffee place just down the street makes a mean morning blend...pushed out that akashiyaki real fast.