Re-Entry Japan: A blog About The New Immigration Procedure For Non-Japanese
With Japan’s strict new airport immigration system set to begin this week, a group of bloggers has launched Re-Entry Japan, a blog that focuses on the issues surrounding Japan’s biometric fingerprinting of all foreigners entering the country. Check it out and add it to your bookmarks & RSS feed readers!
In related news, the New York Times has run a scathing article about the immigration system, quoting business leaders who believe it will drive international businessmen away from Japan:
Some of the most vocal critics have been among foreign business leaders, who say the screening could hurt Japan’s standing as an Asian business center, especially if it is inefficiently carried out, leading to long waits at airports. Business groups here warn that such delays could make Japan less attractive than rival commercial hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore, where entry procedures are much easier.
The business groups also contend that the screening runs counter to recent efforts by the government to attract more foreign investment and tourism.
“If businessmen based here have to line up for two hours every time they come back from traveling, it will be a disaster,” said Jakob Edberg, policy director in the Tokyo office of the European Business Council. “This will affect real business decisions, like whether to base here.”
[Hat tip to Thomas]
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I am strangely not as against this as most people are. But I have my reasons…
1. It’s conceivable that it’s good for foreigners in the long run. Since we are always being accused of being criminals, perhaps this will provide clear evidence that we aren’t. Situation: a crime is committed, fingerprints found and scanned against database of all foreigners, no matches found… newspaper headline? “Foreigner eludes immigration controls AND commits crime”… ahem. Moving promptly on then…
2. Compared to the new RFID chips embedded in passport (It’s true I’m afraid, I have one), the ridiculous checks in America, and the fact that no where in Britain is now safe from CCTV, this really pales in comparison.
Because a lesser evil is ever a good thing. Just because it pales in comparison to the ridiculous ways the US and Britain work doesn’t mean anyone else should ever follow suit.
Hard to say. The real question is, is Japan still the big market that everyone wants to tap into. In my experience, no. Doing business in Japan seems to be too costly these days. Higher profit margins will probably come from nations with a weaker currency.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3699276.stm
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/07/21/2003370604
http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1975837,00.html
http://www.vfs-uk-jp.com/biometrics.aspx
I went to a lecture in Osaka by the head of the ACLU’s information security wing. This Japan-Visit system is modeled after US-visit, and is almost identical. The US system doesn’t work. It is notorious for flagging legitimate travelers as terrorists, causing academics and peace workers from around the world to be denied entry. It is expected that other countries will be strong-armed by the US to adopt similar systems in the future as well. zannen.
The War on Terrorism is over. And we lost…and were defeated by our own governments….
Well said…. Sad, but very true.
I have also heard that this new system is based on the American one as well. So the hubbub surrounding it by Americans is kind of hypocritical. I still think it will be a pain in the ass, but more importantly I think Japan is not doing itself a favor in the sense that it is trying to maintain an edge on newer markets in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, etc. If Japan doesn’t start making business in Japan more attractive to foreign investors they will lose out in the end. I’m afraid this new Japan-vist system is just one of the ways Japan is shooting itself in the foot.
“So the hubbub surrounding it by Americans is kind of hypocritical.”
Please explain that. How do you figure that Americans actually want that system. Just because a bunch of politicians do hardly means that average Americans want anything as absurd as this.
Whether the system works well or not is a completely separate issue from whether they should or shouldn’t do it.
I don’t get how anyone could legitimately complain about this.
Japan has a right to control immigration in _any_ way they see fit. So does every other sovereign nation. Foreigners can choose not to go there if they don’t like it.
So those foreigners that have a family and career in Japan should just pack up and leave?
Sure. If they’re petty enough to leave their career just because someone wants to have a record of who they are when they’re in a foreign country… This is so silly…
I’m glad you enjoy having your privacy being stripped from you. You’ll be ready for it then as it gets progressively worse thanks to apathetic people like yourself.
Does this mean if you have a re-entry permit, you can go through the Japanese line? That would suck–hard.
Those will re-entry permits can no longer go in the line with Japanese citizens. They must be fingerprinted every time they re-enter Japan.
Thats the worst thing about this all. The re-entry permits are so nice to have. Now they are nothing more than a 5,000 en visa protector.
And why the hell do we need them anyway? Why can’t the visa be valid for not just staying in the country, but entering it? If the GOJ has decided we have x amount of time to live in the country, we should be able to come and go freely.
Talking of which, I was at the immigration office the other day, and saw a sign up saying that due to tensions with Nth Korea (officially, the threat of their missiles), the govt would not grant foreigners re-entry permits for visiting North Korea. Now why the hell can the Japanese government dictate where people go outside Japan?
I’m against the fingerprinting ,because it’s pointless and have some hazardous potentials if fingerprint database will leak to iNet. But NYT article is so full of hypocrisy – US treats many foreign tourists/scientists/researches in the same way, even badly – many of them have to pay for fingerprinting ( visa fees increased drastically after fingerprinting was introduced )
It starts tomorrow!!! This is what amazes me. It has been talked about for a while but it always seemed like”in the future”. Now it is tomorrow we are talking about.
Question: Do Japanese have their fingerprints taken at any time in their lives? In Korea, citizens give their fingerprint when they’re issued a 住民登録 card, and it only seems logical that foreigners should be fingerprinted as well. (And they will be if they come in on an E2 visa from now on)
Despite having lived in Japan longer, I don’t know what sort of ID system native Japanese have.
Still, I’m not going to complain about the Japanese fingerprinting system. If I want the same rights as a Japanese citizen, I’ll pledge my allegiance to their country. That it impacts Japanese business is an issue that Japanese citizens have to come to terms with. If foreign business people are so turned off by the fingerprinting system, they can take their business to Singapore instead.
Japanese have to give their fingerprints at various times. For example, if the police lend you money to get home or something, and you don’t have your seal on you, they will take your prints. This happened to me, and I know it is the same for Japanese as all the other people in the record book ahead of me were Japanese. It is also done at traffic stops if you are pulled over and don’t have your seal.
The issue is not about having the same rights, it’s about rights that we once had being removed.
Not sure what the big deal is, similar measures were introduced in the staets 5 yrs ago.
What about the one off registering you can do either at a local office or at Narita when you leave allowing you to then fast track through the `auto` line. That will actually speed things up. I was sent all the info fron E&Y and only skimmed through it. I`ll follow up o exact details tomorrow.
“Not sure what the big deal is, similar measures were introduced in the staets 5 yrs ago.”
It is a big deal, and just because it was implemented doesn’t mean all Americans agree with it. Hopefully one day when we have a decent government things like this (as well as all of Homeland Security) will be abolished.
I read elsewhere that registering your prints and photo makes no difference at all – you still need to go through the process at the airport. The Authorities just have a better way to check you.
The world is becoming a “Prison Planet”
As many of you know on November 20,2007 in Japan the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act took effect, enforcing mandatory biometric fingerprinting and facial photographing of all foreign nationals entering or reentering Japan. We have created a t-shirt is in response to this policy and to commemorate the occasion.
To view the t-shirt please visit http://samuraicanuck.tripod.com or email yokoso_tee@joka.powweb.com
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.
Best,
Jon
Quite a nice restrained design. Though the JNTO might try to get snitty about possible copyright infringement of their motto and font style (thought there are a few differences) you should be able to justify it under parody, as well as right to protest, at least under US law. Not sure about Japanese law.
If the Japanese government want to keep foreigners coming into Japan and investing their lives here, they need to look at health care. Giving people a government healthcare option is good, but to make it mandatory is bad. What if you have special needs that government healthcare doesn’t cover?
We need to petition the government to take a look at and ammend this rule. I have set up a petition site at http://www.freechoice.jp for this. Please check it out when you have a chance.