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Video: Understanding Why Japanese Immigration Will Fingerprint All Foreigners

It was reported a while back that the Japanese government would be photographing and fingerprinting all foreigners entering the country. On a recent re-entry to Japan, I was expecting to be subjected to the new system, but I ended up passing through immigration and wondering if they’d given up on the plan. However, I have been informed that the system is in on its way, and it will definitely be in place before December:

In accordance with the Partial Amendment to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act of Japan, foreigners coming to Japan will be fingerprinted and photographed, during entry procedures, for security reasons. This new procedure will come into effect before November 27, 2007.

Exemptions:

1. Persons under the age of 16.

2. Special status permanent residents.

3. Individuals engaged in activities that fall under the status of residence of “diplomat” or “official government business.”

Are you confused and/or angered by this new rule? The Japanese government has produced an educational video to teach us why we must submit to this new rule. Unfortunately, it is not embeddable, so you’ll have to watch it at this link.

For those of you who don’t want to sit through the whole video, here’s a summary:

Foreigner: I’d like to know why you’re taking my photo and fingerprints. Also, could you explain what you’ll be doing with them? What if I refuse?

Japanese Woman: 9/11. MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS TERRORIST ATTACKS. MASSIVE CASUALTIES. If you refuse to be fingerprinted or photographed, you will be denied entry into Japan.

Foreigner: That sounds fantastic! Hooray!!!! I’m going to go tell all my friends how awesome it is to get my fingerprints/photo taken and stored away somewhere by Japanese authorities! Banzai!

I was worried about my rights before watching this video, but now I’m totally relieved. Getting fingerprinted sounds like loads of fun, right?!

[Thanks to Stephen, who says he won't be taking any post November 27th trips to Japan, for e-mailing me about this video. ]

47 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - July 14, 2007 at 11:17 pm

Categories: Foreigners in Japan Tags:

drozinthepit

How does this effect those with Spouse Visa’s and a re-entry permit?

http://www.japanprobe.com James

I’m not entirely sure. As someone used to having a re-entry permit, which means going through the same immigration gate as Japanese citizens, I’m wondering if we’ll be forced to go through the foreigner’s area…

the overthinker

From what I have read this affects all but Zainichi Koreans, the group most likely to band together in protest. I have actively avoided the US since their insane rules came into play, but it will be harder to avoid leaving Japan from time to time.

Oh yes, everyone knows that (a) the only people who would commit terrorist attacks in Japan are those damned foreigners (Aum? Who dat?), and (b) all terrorists are on a nice neat database with their fingerprints recorded. So this is either going to be a huge success or it going to be a tit-for-tat thing by Japanese sick of similar treatment in the US.

Anastasius

Stepping off the plane: Welcome to Japan!
Japanese people please take the right gate, terrorists the left one.
http://higashiajia.wordpress.com Peter Pan

[Thanks to Stephen, who says he won’t be taking any post November 27th trips to Japan, for e-mailing me about this video. ]

I also plan on not leaving Japan until a) I’m sure I’ll either never return, or b) this goes away. There was a such a long fight that was only recently won against fingerprinting all ~~potential criminals~~ foreigners upon entry and it’s almost as though they were just waiting for an excuse to do it again. The worst part is, the US does it too, so any criticism on gives can easily be thrown back at the US.

http://surfin-english.blogspot.com Jamie

The US does this? That knocks there off of my vacation destination list.

us cit

What’s up with all of you? Who the hell cares if they have personal info on you or not. If you go to Las Vegas then your face is already in their face recognition data base (which is over hundreds of millions as of this post). If you go to London and walk down any major street, you are already video taped. All I hear from a lot of these posts are people cry’n their ass off and avoiding a great vacation or cultural experience because they think they’re some big hot shot and their personal info is going to get stolen. Damn, anytime your computer is connected to the internet is a potential problem. Get over it.

ps. America hates you, but likes your money and cheap labor. j/k lighten up!

drozinthepit

The US does do this, but not to those people who are green card holders, which is very similar to Spouse Visa holders and Working Visa’s here in Japan. I know I am a resident of Japan, but not permanent. If someone finds more info on this please post it.

Dan

I have an H1 visa and work and live in the US.

To get the H1 visa, I had to prove 12 years of experience or 4 of University (technical bachelor). Also a company has to sponsor you and they need to demonstrate that they cannot find any US citizen that can fill that position. I’m an engineer and I pay full taxes and social security.
Every time I get into US from abroad, I have to go through the screening process. Fingerprints, Photographs, they check my records, they ask me questions, … Usually takes about two hours to go through and it’s a very humiliating process.
My wife has an H4 visa (she is married to an H1 visa holder) which means she is not even eligible for a social security number. Of course she cannot work, but things like obtaining a drivers license or a tax number (so we can fill joint taxes) is an ordeal for her.
I’m happy I was able to come to the US to work, since here are the best companies in my field (visual effects), people are great and work is a blast, but I would never live in this country. A lot of things are fucked up, and it’s a shame other places like Japan are taking clues on it. At least they won’t confiscate your bottle of water in Japan as a dangerous terrorist weapon…

the overthinker

If you were an illegal immigrant from a non-white country you could probably get licences and stuff far more easily – and probably have more rights.

…

Isn’t it a good move? Why is there a reason for concern if you are not doing anything wrong?

aaa

Why should you do be humiliated if you’ve never done anything wrong?

Rith

What is the big deal? I’ve never had to be fingerprinted once. If you’re not doing anything warranting the need to look up your fingerprints in their database then why complain?

because

Because it’s damn humiliating. You’re treated as a potential criminal. They should photograph and take fingerprints of Japanese people too! What if Al Quaeda recruitrs Japanese people? Also how foreigners must carry a Gaijin Card but Japanese don’t have to walk around with their identity papers! That’s discrimination because it’s just for foreigners… As if we’re all potential criminals… There is no such thing as Japanese criminals of course…

Rith

Also, whats contributors Stephens big fear about going to Japan if they have his photo and fingerprints? Did he possibly do something and his fingerprints are in a japanese police databse somewhere?
DAVE

they do the same if you enter in amerika, whats the big fuss?
Porkov

Is there any mention as to how much the J-gov is planning on charging foreigners when they are having the photographs and fingerprints taken? If it’s going to be anything like 3,000 – 10,000 or more Yen per person, I don’t think people will be too eager to go to Japan.
I think the J-gov will charge, as they’re almost bankrupt.
Incidentally, the USA currently does this kind of thing to foreigners coming in to the USA – How much do they charge?
Jesse

I think that a lot of people, especially us Americans who live in an individualistic society tend to balk at these security measures. To many of us, it’s okay to ID and log entry for everyone else, but not myself or other Americans, we’re not terrorists!

You gotta make everyone jump through the hoop in order to avoid singling one Country/Culture/Race out in the name of security.
http://www.ghettocitiesclothing.com Ghettocities

New passports have microchips in them, US customs has already entered “statistical information” into their database about me for having had filmed porn in Japan, so a glamor shot and a lazy autograph when I step off the plane is something to look forward to
http://myspace.com/truthson D-san

Shouts to Ghettocities.

I see no harm in this. Japan is just jumping on the bandwagon, they’ve already done it in the States. My fingerprints are already all over the place.

I’m in the military.

deth

oh sweet. any of the big stars in it?

http://higashiajia.wordpress.com Peter Pan

When you show them your passport, they check it out, and give it back. When they check your fingerprints, they keep them on record, that’s what bothers me. Cross-reference it against a database, don’t find a match, then remove it from memory. That’d be acceptable.

I personally don’t like the argument of ‘if you’ve got nothing to hide…’. Lot’s of people say that about the illegal phone tapings and general illegal spying that is going on in the US, and I think it’s bogus then too. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Now, granted when you’re entering a foreign country it’s a different story all together, but they could at least ‘return’ you’re fingerprint when they’re done.
http://myso-calledjapaneselife.blogspot.com/ Shari

There are several problems with this and you can either view it in a highly simplistic fashion and say, “if you didn’t do anything wrong, then you have nothing to fear” or you can consider the fact that every system of information processing is imperfect and the slippery slope issues.

First of all, if you take the “if you are innocent, what do you have to hide” thinking and apply it everywhere. Why not allow people to access the contents of your PC or search your home any time they want? If you have nothing to hide, what’s the difference. Fingerprinting is an invasion of privacy and is no different than giving up genetic samples for no reason. Would you urinate in a bottle for no reason or give a hair and skin sample?

Beyond that, there’s the fact that the criminal justice system in Japan is set up in such a way that you absolutely cannot feel confidant that your information won’t be misused. If you were on a train where a terrorist act occurred and your fingerprints are around and you had a blog which expressed irritation about how rude people are on crowded trains, you can bet there’s a good chance the police will be detaining you despite the fact that thousands of other prints may be on the train.

The problem is that information can be misused too easily, particularly when scapegoating and getting a conviction is more important than the truth (which it seriously is in Japan). This is not a country that relies on evidence much. They act on a little information then try to berate the suspect into admitting he’s guilty and now feels remorse. This is not an exaggeration. I’ve been doing research on this topic for the past 8 months and it’s really pretty scary.

Finally, there’s the fact that Japan has mainly suffered home-grown terrorism and only foreigners are being printed. The fact that the U.S. is stripping people of their rights right and left is no excuse for other developed countries to jump on the bandwagon as well.

The bottom line is this is obfuscation of the political issues with real meaning in Japan. Taxes have been raised. The economy is stagnant. Good jobs are getting scarcer. So, the politicians here are doing the same thing politicians do everywhere and re-focusing on a non-issue – bad foreigners.

Dan

Great post, Shari!
us cit

I don’t have a problem peeing in a bottle and give skin samples for no reason. I don’t have any sense of privacy and I don’t do anything exciting enough for anyone to really even care. So what if “1984″ is going to happen. The truth is, you’re not going to do anything against it. You’ll just go online or walk around expressing your opinions until they outlaw it, then you’ll say at least I’m free in my head. If you don’t like it then do something about it, and take pictures or it didn’t happen…
Though your conversation might be educated, it’s still one voice in a sea of millions sounding exactly like it’s fellows but in some unordered clumsy fashion.
Sean

Slippery slope much? Since you’re keen on facts, how’s this one:

In a modern day society population control is essential. Like it or not 9/11 did change the world, and it didn’t just make the US react, it made other governments fearful that the carnage would be brought to their towns and cities. It’s called being proactive.

Japan has been xenophobic throughout their entire history. Why are people surprised by this? In fact this is probably the most lenient they’ve been, allowing more visas than before. But with this must come some method of control, in this case a photograph and a fingerprint. They come out and state it, it’s a method of immigration control. They don’t want you doing bad stuff during your stay or overstaying your visa. Yes, you may not be a criminal, but that doesn’t mean the person behind you in line isn’t one.

Check out here: http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/traffick.html for more reasons why they implemented this.

jared

Where are you guys from, the ones where your getting fingerprinted and such? I’m a UK citizen, and when I visited the USA last year, I didn’t have to get any fingerprints or stuff checked, they just asked a few questions for about 2-3 minutes and I was good, quite odd to hear these lengthy processes for some of you.
Jim

Shit, gotta wear some gloves next time looting post apocalyptic tokyo with my foreigner friends.
Jason

I found this video and the process it explains to be rather disturbing (not to mention condescending and scare-mongering), though I don’t see any viable way of protesting it. These types of creeping invasions make me uneasy, but I can’t honestly say that it’ll stop me from visiting Japan again in the future.

As a citizen of the US I don’t feel any better about treating visitors to my country as terrorists (the reentry procedure for citizens is only slightly less humiliating) and I definitely don’t agree with the prevailing attitudes towards security. That said, I can’t help but wonder which is the more xenophobic country — let’s hope both improve.

(As a note, here’s an interesting essay about the oft repeated “nothing to hide” fallacy, titled appropriately ‘I’ve Got Nothing to Hide’ and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy.)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=786048453686176230 Japaaan

Just jump on google video watch terrorstorm and you will know what all this is about:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=786048453686176230
GO FIGURE

All the the terrorism that has taken place in Japan has been homegrown Japnese doing it, Fingerprinting and photographing, its Just another way for the NPA to take a bite out of crime, cos they think all crime in Japan is caused by us the GAIJIN. THIS WILL NOT PREVENT TERRORISM COS THEY WILL JUS SNEAK IN OR SEND SOMEONE UNKNOWN TO DO THE TERROR, AND THEY DONT CARE ABOUT PHOTOS OR FINGERPRINTING cos they are suicide bombers.

so true

True, true. They should photograph and fingerprint both Japanese and foreigners if they really want to stop all terrorists!
SAM

YA I THINK THIS MESSAGE IS RIGHT!TAKING FINGER PRINTS IS NOT ANY IN GOOD USE..TERRORIST KNOW THIS ABOUT FINGERPRINTS.TERRORIST HAVE THEIR LOTS OF MONEY JUST LIKE HAPPEN TO U.S. WITH THE AIRPLANE SUICIDE..TERRORIST WILL NOT WASTE THEIR TIME ABOUT THOSE FINGERPRINTS.AT ALL COST IF THEY WANT TO ATTACK THEY WILL..AT ALL TIMES THOSE WHO ARE IN GOVERNMENT POSITIONS ARE THE MEMBER OF TERRORISM..I JUST THINK SO..

Ratz

Is there any way to protest this, petition your local Japanese embassy perhaps? After implementing these utterly ineffectual, degrading and normally sexist (I’ve yet to see a woman forced to take her shoes off in an airport) “security” measures, the tourist market in the states has decreased horrifically. I suspect something similar will happen in Japan.

Aki

I’m a woman and the first flight I was on after 9/11, I was forced to sit in a chair in the middle of the lobby while military personnel took my shoes off and scanned them. Terrible.

I guess I don’t find this surprising, and it’s something I would have expected anyways. US citizens are losing their rights to privacy, so I don’t find it shocking that the same thing would be happening to foreigners in other countries.

http://higashiajia.wordpress.com Peter Pan

Ratz: Well, yes and no. Not being Japanese citizens, it’s really hard to make the government work for you — it’s not your government and you can’t vote.

The only real way ‘we’ can do anything about it is to not go to Japan. Perhaps if there is a dramatic drop in tourism after this has been fully implemented, the people in charge will quickly revert back. With Japan working hard to increase tourism, this really seems like a bad time for such a bad idea.
Rick

Perhaps the Japanese Government should look closer to home. The 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway was perpretated by… **shock! horror!** Japanese citizens.

I don’t know what’s scarier — this new immigration law, or people like US Cit and D-san defending it. A little information for you two — not all of us want to live like we’re in the American military thank you very much.
Abu Ayyash

is it possible move?Becouse Japan immigration is very rush…!
Paul Hartrick

Happens already in America, it’s probably going to be done just to copy america, but it will be more efficient of course!!!hehehehe… If you dont like it then don’t come to Japan. If you are trying to protect privacy then let me give you a hot tip… If they actually cared about you then they would already know everything they want to know. come on people, let’s worry about something important, like the next beer in the pong!
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Jon

In response to this policy we have created a unique tee to wear in protest. The “Yokoso Japan 11/20” Commemorative (i.e. protest) T-shirt logo is modelled after the Yokoso Japan campaign font with a fingerprint hinomaru image in the center. T-shirts are printed front and back.
I will be debuting the tee at the upcoming JALT 2007 conference in Tokyo, if you attending please watch for me.

If you are interested in ordering please contact Jon Dujmovich jon@imaginationink.biz tel. 053 476-4677

To ‘voice’ your displeasure with the policy please wear your t-shirt proudly as you pass through the immigration procedures at customs and immigration control.

And don’t forget to sign the petition…
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fingerprints-japan/index.html

SAM

HOW MUCH MORE PETITION DO WE NEED TO GET RID THIS FINGERPRINTS CHECKING..ACTUALLY THEIR AIM IS GOOD ENOUGH BUT THE WAY IS NOT GOOD.JUST CHECK THOSE FINGERPRINTS WITH THOSE WHO THE CRIMINAL RECORDS.SOMETIMES JUSTICE IS CRUEL.JUST LIKE A JAPANESE THEY GOT EVIDENCE IN THE CRIME WHO IS MATCH WITH THAT MAN AFTER 20 YRS PLUS THEY FOUND THAT MAN IS NOT GUILTY.HOW COULD A PERSON TAKE THAT IF HE IS JUST A VICTIM OF MISTAKES.ANYTHING COULD HE GET FROM THIS MISTAKE?IF THEY GOT MISTAKE IN JAPANESE PERSON WHAT MORE IN A FOREIGNER.I JUST THINK THAT TAKING FINGER PRINTS WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING AGAINTS THE LAW IS BREAKING THE RULE IN THE FREEDOM OF THE PEOPLE

Patrick

The video is not logical, and on the same propaganda level as German Nazi Propaganda / Russian Stalinist Propaganda.

Using the threat (repeatedly)of “simultaneous attacks” is ridiculous as there is no causality between immigration and terrorism – the people perpetrating the crime in London were actually British. Remember the Shoe bomber?

How about using a false Japanese passport? People doing that would not even be interviewed.

I don’t mind a certain level of registration: Justice and Immigration both already have my details. The university where I do evening study has all my details, my company, my health insurance, etc have so many private details. The question is, how is it used.

Fingerprints as a biometric identification is a poor choice:

1. It has the stigma of criminal to it.
2. People leave fingerprints everywhere, so the chance of you being connected to a crime without any involvement is much more increased.
3. Fingerprint scanners can be easily fooled

Instead Iris recognition would have been a better choice:
1. You don’t leave an “iris-print”, so the data is only useful for stated purpose: checking that the person in front of the officer is who he claims he is
2. Iris scanners don’t have the stigma of crime, but rather the air of thrill and excitement – like James Bond entering a secure compound

I hope that the procedure will at least be painless for re-entry permit holders. Maybe with the automated gates it will even be quicker than previously … and I can cut down on the entry stamps in my passport.

The Overthinker

I don’t know about “quicker” with this new system, but the 2D barcode now in visas is designed to make processing faster – just a simple zip-zap through a reader rather than the one to two minutes it used to take, even for a totally above-board a legit re-entry.

I was warned recently that lines could take a while as older peoples’ fingerprints are harder to take, and given the generally older age range of foreigners entering Japan, this could be an issue.

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Jburdman7

I arrived at Japan by cruise ship in May, 2009 and was appalled that I was not warned by Holland America that in order to leave the ship I would be required to be fingerprinted.

I understand that a country as wealthy, and crime free as Japan, can afford to have some of the most thorough procedures in the world. But as the owner of my private data, I have the right to a written declaration of their intentions. When asked for a disclosure that the fingerprints are for immigration purposes only, and are not, for example, sold to the exploding personal data collection industry, they flat out refused. I was sternly informed, as if I was in need of scolding for asking, that if I did not submit, I would be deported. During the deportation procedure, they would TAKE my fingerprints. Yokoso Japan my *ss.

I was not aware of the depth of the arrogance of the immigration people, as if I really needed to see Japan. I didn’t. People need to be aware, Libertarians are not welcome in the US, or Japan.

Video: Understanding Why Japanese Immigration Will Fingerprint All Foreigners

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