MOJ Website on fingerprinting/photos at Immigration from Nov 2007

[omae mona]

Good show Omae mona. But what I don't get is why the tons and tons of shit being published in Japanese about this great unique new system. The information published in English is sketchy at best and has been contradictory to say the least.

I think it's because they realize only Japanese can appreciate the magnificence of an automated system that needs a full-time immigration officer standing behind it and watching it. (c.f. parking lot attendants who insert your parking ticket into the automated machine for you, JR employees who push buttons for you on the self-serve ticket vending machines, and real human road construction workers standing next to the fake robot hand-waving construction workers to make sure the hand-waving motor does not break down)

[omae mona]

One of the up-in-the-air items (at least according to debito.org) was that the government still hasn't put anything in writing confirming a separate line for re-entry permit holders at Narita. Yes, there is an official document talking about the automated gate for re-entrants, but I wouldn't put it past Narita officials to force automated gate users into the same 2-hour line as temporary visitors, unless there is an official document from the MOJ explicitly telling them to do otherwise.

Well, I got some good news. An acquaintance recently went through Narita and just told me he actually received a pamphlet with a diagram of the immigration booths starting 11/20, and there are explicitly 3 kinds of booths & queues shown: Japanese passports (& tokubetsu eijuusha), re-entry permit holders, and other foreign passports. Phew.

This is the first time I know of that the separate line at Narita has been explicitly confirmed. Hopefully this is final confirmation that re-entry, at least at Narita, won't suck too much.

[james]

i'm just gonna save myself the trouble by not flying in / out of narita ever again. voice whatever misgivings one may have about KIX but i'd take it over narita any day and not only because it's closer. there is one thing i liked about narita though and that was they had a subway (sandwiches).

edit: this is not to say that i expect this wonderful wa-preserving system to not be implemented at KIX.

[FG Lurker]

i'm just gonna save myself the trouble by not flying in / out of narita ever again. voice whatever misgivings one may have about KIX but i'd take it over narita any day and not only because it's closer. there is one thing i liked about narita though and that was they had a subway (sandwiches).

edit: this is not to say that i expect this wonderful wa-preserving system to not be implemented at KIX.

I have not yet heard if there will be separate lines at KIX or not. If not then we (re-entry holders) will have to wait in line with all the standard tourists...

Guess I'll find out in early January next year.

(Hey, maybe by then Midwinter will have passed through and his protests will have stopped all this nonsense! )

[Hokuto-shinken]

I have to go to Bulgaria next month for my sister in law's wedding

Will post about the experience if no one else does before then, but I imagine we have a few more active jetsetters on here than me

Thanks, I hope you don`t have too much trouble when you come back to Japan.

[Hokuto-shinken]

I will arrive on the 21st Nov. I plan on taking some video for ppl to have a look at.

I think that they won`t allow you to take any photos at immigration and of the machines. I remember last time I arrived at Kansai Airport there were lots of signs up saying `NO PHOTOS`.

[Hokuto-shinken]

You don't have to believe me, but referring back to my note above, it appears that you also have to fingerprint (and give a photo) on the way out if you hope to use the fast-track automatic gates when you come back in.

Ahh, sorry about that What do you mean by the fast-track automatic gates? Normally there are 2 lines. Is there an extra line now to scan in your passports?

[omae mona]

Ahh, sorry about that What do you mean by the fast-track automatic gates? Normally there are 2 lines. Is there an extra line now to scan in your passports?

There will be an extra line with an "automated gate" system at Narita starting 11/20. If you are a Japan resident with a re-entry permit, then you can use this line, which is supposedly going to be faster than waiting in the 2-hour line with temporary visitors.

[Taro Toporific]

[amdg]

Debito confuses me sometimes. He's calling this a victory, saying "protest pays off" and then goes on to say that these seperate gates are a legal requirement anyway. Also, I'm not sure what he means by calling them "automated gates" - to me, automated implies they will be unmanned or at the very least will process you with an ID card instead of having to scan you again. But I very much doubt either of these things will be the case.

In any event, this has to be the smallest, most inconsequential, "victory" ever claimed on the face of the planet.

They're still getting your fingerprints and photo, still seperating you from your J-family, still making the unreasonable distinction between (permanent) residents and special permanent residents, J-folk and criminals, etc.

I just can't get excited about this latest victory.

[omae mona]

[amdg]

Well, yeah, I guess I can see how it's good for some people. I hardly ever use Narita though (maybe once a year, if that).

[American Oyaji]

J-govt was not going to do this initially, but they realized they were going to piss off a very large, productive and LOUD group and that LOUD group was gonna call home and outside pressure was gonna come down or perhaps it already started to come down.

More consessions will come. Keep hollerin at the dumb idiots.

[Mulboyne]

It is a good move for residents although the wait will probably still be longer that the Japanese passport queue. There isn't any real evidence, though, that this represents a concession by the Government because we had no idea what their plans actually were. It's almost as if they were making them up as they went along.

This item popped up in the Yomiuri today:

British visa centers open in Osaka, Tokyo

Two new visa application centers are to open today in Osaka and Tokyo to allow people in Japan to apply for British entry visas. The opening of the centers--authorized by the British Embassy in Tokyo--coincides with two major changes to the visa application process. All applicants, irrespective of nationality, must now apply in person at one of the new centers, instead of at the embassy. Applicants will be photographed and have their fingerprints scanned. However, Japanese nationals who are visiting Britain for less than six months do not need to apply for a visa, so they will not be affected by the changes. The changes are intended to protect applicants' identity data and the security of immigration systems, according to David Abbott, deputy consul general at the British Consulate General Osaka.

If you are a tourist from a visa-waiver country then you won't need to be fingerprinted to enter Britain. I remember discussion about this some years ago so the system has probably been in place for a while. It's a reminder that Japan is not such an outlier in introducing the new policy. We know that the Government's motives and implementation are suspect but global trends do provide them with a justification.

[omae mona]

If you are a tourist from a visa-waiver country then you won't need to be fingerprinted to enter Britain. I remember discussion about this some years ago so the system has probably been in place for a while. It's a reminder that Japan is not such an outlier in introducing the new policy. We know that the Government's motives and implementation are suspect but global trends do provide them with a justification.

I don't disagree with you at all that Japan is not an outlier. But I am confused about the parallel you're drawing between Japan and Britain (if that was your point). The systems sound radically different. Britain is asking people for fingerprints and photos one time, while applying for a visa. If I understand correctly, there is no fingerprinting during entry to Britain, and furthermore, no visa is required if you're in a visa waiver country and visiting for a short time. So only a small number of people get fingerprinted/photoed, and only during the visit to the British embassy which they'd have to make, anyway. Japan's fingerprint/photo requirement has nothing to do with visas - it's happening each time an individual enters the country, at the port of entry, and regardless of visa status. (did I get that right?)

[Mulboyne]

There are many objections to fingerprinting and this thread has aired most of them. The inconvenience is a major gripe for residents but the concerns of lawyers and groups like Amnesty include privacy issues and the stigma of fingerprinting. Offered the hypothetical choice between being fingerprinted and waiting in line at immigration for 10 minutes or not fingerprinted and waiting for two hours, I think there are people who would elect for the second option.

When Debito writes of the new immigration policy, he usually mentions how this invalidates the victory won to remove the fingerprint requirement for gaijin cards. What struck me about the British policy are the similarities to that old Japanese fingerprint policy.

If Britain sees no problems in requiring fingerprints for visa applicants in the way that Japan used to then it is much harder to use the "stigma" claim to pressure Japan to abandon their new policy entirely. The fight instead is about how the policy is applied and this has been the main thrust of business groups like the European Business Council who want to ensure that regular visitors and residents to Japan are not delayed unduly at immigration.

[Mulboyne]

I just came through immigration at Narita and saw some of the preparations for Tuesday's bunfight. Counters 20 to 28 had green "Foreign Passports" signs up, 29 to 35 had red "Japanese Passports/Special Permanent Residents" signs and I could see an orange "Re-Entry permit holders" sign above counter 36 although it was unmanned at the time as were some of the other slots. All of the counters had the camera/scanners mounted on the left but were covered when I went through.

If all the counters have the machines, then there is no practical reason why re-entry permit holders couldn't use the Japanese passport lines as they currently are allowed to do. Presumably, though, authorities don't want to scare their own citizens by mixing them up potential terrorists.

At the head of the foreign passport queue, there was the usual chap directing people towards counters. That system always annoys me because you can get to the head of the queue and then get directed to stand behind two people who take an age to clear while people who were behind you are collecting their bags after breezing through a fast-moving line. Hong Kong does the same, though, so it's not peculiar to Japan.

I did notice that he was asking to see people's completed disembarkation cards more than usual and sending a couple back to finish the paperwork properly. Also, as the Japanese passport line cleared, he began directing some of the foreign passport holders over to free counters on that side. Not in queues of three, though, because there were still some Japanese stragglers coming through. It does make me wonder whether that could still happen next week because it would mean the covers have to be off the scanners on all counters.

[ttjereth]

I just came through immigration at Narita and saw some of the preparations for Tuesday's bunfight. Counters 20 to 28 had green "Foreign Passports" signs up, 29 to 35 had red "Japanese Passports/Special Permanent Residents" signs and I could see an orange "Re-Entry permit holders" sign above counter 36 although it was unmanned at the time as were some of the other slots. All of the counters had the camera/scanners mounted on the left but were covered when I went through.

If all the counters have the machines, then there is no practical reason why re-entry permit holders couldn't use the Japanese passport lines as they currently are allowed to do. Presumably, though, authorities don't want to scare their own citizens by mixing them up potential terrorists.

It seems to me that if re-entry permit holders have their own line, separate from citizens and "regular" foreigners, it might work out faster than using the Japanese lines, since I'd imagine a smaller number of re-entry permit holders than either Japanese citizens or other foreigners.

[Mulboyne]

It looks like you might get an extra couple of days at Akita airport. They handle flights from Seoul but this report says they won't be ready for fingerprinting until the 22nd.

[Taro Toporific]

They're still getting your fingerprints and photo, still seperating you from your J-family, still making the unreasonable distinction between (permanent) residents and special permanent residents, J-folk and criminals, etc.

.

The making-up-randomly-phase-of-moon J-Immigration Office has come up with a few new-but-better wrinkles to "allow mixed nationality families with children under the age of 16 and one Japanese parent to use the Japanese passport holder lanes.":???:
According to the American Chamber of Commerce Japan newsletter (via debito.org)....

[INDENT]...Narita International Airport - Tokyo: - Add 100 immigration officers during the transition period - Provide dedicated queues for foreigners with re-entry permits - Provide dedicated queues for airline crew members and disabled/ reduced mobility passengers - Offer automated immigration gates in Terminal 1 South Wing and Terminal 2 for pre-registered travelers. Registration is available at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau or the Narita District Office - Install cameras/fingerprint readers at all positions and dynamically expand number of queues available to foreigners - At least initially, allow mixed nationality families with children under the age of 16 and one Japanese parent to use the Japanese passport holder lanes

Central Japan International Airport - Nagoya: - Add 18 immigration officers during the transition period - Provide a dedicated queue for airline crew members and disabled/ reduced mobility passengers - Install cameras/fingerprint readers at all positions and dynamically expand number of queues available to foreigners - At least initially allow mixed nationality families (at least one Japanese parent) to use Japanese passport holder lanes - Consider installing automated immigration gates during 2008

Kansai International Airport - Osaka: - Add immigrations officers (number under study) during transition period - Provide a dedicated queue for airline crew members and disabled/ reduced mobility passengers - Install cameras/fingerprint readers at all positions and dynamically expand number of queues available to foreigners - Consider installing automated immigration gates during 2008 Note: the Kansai region is home to a large number of Korean special permanent residents who will use the Japanese passport holders lanes and are not subject to biometric data collection

Other airports: The U.S. carriers have met with the local immigrations authorities and believe that because a high percentage of passengers using these secondary airports, foreign citizens will encounter few problems....[/INDENT]

[Mulboyne]

There's a blog

[james]

this is worth a hearty laugh:

moj kids room

[Behan]

I wonder if the Kids Room has information on how to spot an evil gaijin ojisan?

[Mulboyne]

The Chugoku Shimbun carries a short report (Japanese) about the objections of foreign residents to the new system. There's no real news but it points out that foreigners are calling it discriminatory for most of the reasons that have already appeared here. 2ch has picked up the story, which looks like it might be from one of the news agencies, and there's not much sympathy on show. They are inevitably as confused on the details as we were at the beginning and many seem to think the Zainichi Koreans are mainly the ones kicking up a fuss because they will be fingerprinted. Other comments include:

"If they don't like it, don't come"
"America fingerprints everyone so why should Japan be criticized?"
"With foreign crime increasing, this seems only natural"
"If you've got nothing to hide, what's the worry?"

A couple do worry about Japan's image if they start fingerprinting major overseas celebrities and some point out that this could be a first step towards fingerprinting Japanese citizens too but they are a disttinct minority.

[yanpa]

Have any provisions been made for maintaining the hygiene of these wonderful terrorist-spotting machines? I'm not sure I'd be very happy placing my fingers in the same place as hundreds of other potential terrorists just have.

[Kuang_Grade]

Have any provisions been made for maintaining the hygiene of these wonderful terrorist-spotting machines? I'm not sure I'd be very happy placing my fingers in the same place as hundreds of other potential terrorists just have.

Probably about the same as the ones done for the bathroom door handle on the airplane or the poles/handstraps on JR trains.

[Big Booger]

What about handless gaijin? Do they have to give a stump print or what?

[momotobananaoishii]

You do realize that Japanese don't control Japan right? Why do you think Japan follows whatever the US does (in general). Because the same families control USA, Canada, UK and pretty much the rest of the world. You can thank the world's leading Illuminati families such as the Bilderbergers for all of this.

Pretty soon we will all be chipped, tagged and bagged.

And pretty soon there will be a big biological pandemic on a global scale. When it happens remember this post because that will be just the beginning.

And if you think is just another conspiracy theory come back here when it happens so I can say I told you so.

[Samurai_Jerk]

What about handless gaijin? Do they have to give a stump print or what?

I was wondering the same thing. I guess we could all pluck out our eyes and cut off our finger tips in protest.

[FG Lurker]

You can thank the world's leading Illuminati families such as the Bilderbergers for all of this.

The Bilderbergers are not a family. At least get your conspiracy theories straight before you spew them out to the world.