mytest
Hi Blog. A new development on the border fingerprinting front.
As many of you know (or have experienced, pardon the pun, firsthand), Japan reinstituted its fingerprinting for most non-Japanese, be they tourist or Regular Permanent Resident, at the border from November 2007. The policy justification was telling: prevention of terrorism, crime, and infectious diseases. As if these are a matter of nationality.
Wellup, it isn’t, as it’s now clear what the justification really is for. It’s for the GOJ to increase its database of fingerprints, period, for everyone. Except they knew they couldn’t sell it to the Japanese public (what with all the public outrage over the Juuki-Net system) as is. So Immigration is trying to sell automatic fingerprinting machines at Narita to the public (via a handout, courtesy of Getchan) as a matter of “simplicity, speed and convenience” (tansoka, jinsokuka, ribensei).
I’m not sure how “convenient” it is, or how much speedier or simpler it can get as things are right now. As a citizen, I don’t have to fill out a card to leave the country, nor do I really have to wait all that long in line (if at all) to be processed. Just hand over my passport, get it stamped by an official, and head off to inhale Duty-Free perfumes. Funny that, really — having to track people going out as well as coming in.
Japan’s not alone in trying to get everyone coming and going, but that’s what control-freak police will do if they have enough mandate. In Japan, they do. They even get budgets to invest in these elaborate automatic fingerprint machines, lookie here:
(illustration courtesy of pdf document link below). Arudou Debito in Sapporo
http://www.moj.go.jp/NYUKAN/nyukan63-1.pdf
Original text follows. Not sure of the date:
=========================================
（広報用資料） 【日本人用】
自動化ゲートの運用について
法務省入国管理局
１ はじめに
本年１１月２０日から，出入国の手続を簡素化･迅速化して利便性を高めるために，自動化ゲートを成田空港に設置します。自動化ゲートを利用することを希望される日本人の方は，利用前に個人識別情報（指紋）を提供していただき利用希望者登録をして下さい。
２ 利用希望者登録
（１）登録のために必要なもの
①有効な旅券
②自動化ゲート利用希望者登録申請書
（２）登録場所及び登録受付時間
下記の場所において登録を受け付けます。ただし，成田空港における登録は，出国する当日に当該出国手続きの前に行う登録のみを受け付けています。ご注意ください。
①東京入国管理局
再入国申請カウンター（２階）９時～１６時（土日・祝日，12 月29 日～ 1 月3 日を除く。）
②東京入国管理局成田空港支局
第１旅客ターミナル南ウイング出国審査場８時～１７時
第２旅客ターミナル南口出国審査場８時～１７時
（３）登録手続
申請書及び旅券を提出していただき，その後両手ひとさし指の指紋を提供していただきます。その後，登録担当者から旅券に登録済みのスタンプを受ければ，登録手続は終了し，原則としてその日から自動化ゲートが利用できます。
（４）登録に当たっての留意事項
①登録期限
旅券の有効期間満了日まで登録は有効です。
②登録制限
指紋の登録の提供ができない場合等，登録ができない場合もあります。
③登録された情報の利用及び提供
登録時に提供のあった指紋を含む情報は，行政機関個人情報保護法に規定する
個人情報として取り扱われ，同法に基づいて可能な範囲を超えて利用又は提供さ
れることはありません。
④登録の抹消
登録の抹消を希望される方は，登録抹消申出書を提出して下さい。登録は抹消され，提供された指紋情報も消去されます。
３ 利用方法
（１）利用方法
①ゲート入口前の旅券リーダーに旅券をかざしていただきます。登録者であることが確認されれば，ゲート入口が開きます。
②ゲート内に進み，指紋の提供を行っていただきます。登録者であることが確認されれば，ゲート出口が開きます。これで出国・帰国の確認手続は終了します。
（２）自動化ゲートを利用した場合，原則として旅券上に出帰国記録（スタンプ）は残りません。
http://www.moj.go.jp/NYUKAN/nyukan63-1.pdf
ENDS
8 comments on “Japanese also to get fingerprinted, at Narita, voluntarily, for “convenience” (not terrorism or crime)”
Debito, you’ve got to laugh haven’t you? Why would anyone give their fingerprints if they don’t have to? Fingerprinting is just for criminals and of course foreigners, which for the GOJ seems to mean the same thing. Having a bad day at work today, this article gave me a laugh so thanks for that!
In light of the recent uproar caused when the HS teacher fingerprinted his students, I don’t think this machine will be so popular.
Can someone enlighten me as to the story TJJ is referencing? It sounds interesting but I haven’t heard of it.
— Sure. He’s referring to Debito.org January 30, 2009.
Sorry if I’m spoiling all the fun, Debito, but I think you accidentally found an old page at the MOJ web site. I’m pretty sure this is not news. http://www.moj.go.jp/NYUKAN/nyukan63.html is a page clearly dated November 2007, and it has a link to the PDF file you are quoting from.
The automated gates have clearly turned out to be a huge waste of taxpayer money, though as a registered foreigner, I’m thrilled to be benefiting from it. The automated gates were created in response to an outcry from the community about potentially increased wait times for foreign residents when the new fingerprint system was proposed. But in reality, I think these gates have turned out to have very little impact, based on my observations at Narita.
For arrival, the gate is completely unnecessary; the regular “manual” line for foreigners with reentry permits is incredibly fast, so it’s not even worth bothering to walk all the way to the automatic lane.
For departure from Japan, the automated gate is a ridiculous joke. I’d be mad if I were a Japanese taxpayer, and actually I’d want to use it myself if I weren’t concerned about privacy. Remember that Japanese and foreigners are all mixed together at departure, and all have to wait in the same long line. There’s one exception: foreigners who have pre-registered can pass everybody, including Japanese, and zip through the automated gate. This can easily save 20-30 minutes of waiting in line!
Here’s what’s really funny: due to disuse, they don’t even bother to staff the gate anymore. I read that registration topped off around 3000 foreigners, so it’s not surprising. I noticed this starting around Summer 2008. When you walk over to the gate, it’s unstaffed. But remember that this “automated” gate always needed an officer to supervise anyway (quite some automation!) One of the staff will usually spot you from the window in the office, and an officer will run over to the booth to handle your case individually, returning to the office when you’re finished.
I’ve only seen one other person use the automated gate during my 7-8 trips out of Narita since they introduced the system. I remember clearly – the customer had native-level Japanese language skills, and I could have sworn I saw her holding a Japanese passport. I assumed I was mistaken. But now that I read this document you posted, I realize it was one of the handful of Japanese people that did pre-register in order to avoid those departure lines.
— Thanks for the correction. Sorry to be so late with this “news”.
Topaz:
As you commented, the gate is often unstaffed. I have only used it once. Every other time I have had to go through the regular lines. Whenever I ask, they tell me that it is closed for the day. If as you say they can staff it when needed, then perhaps next time I will be more persistent.
If I remember correctly, that one time I was asked if I wanted a departure stamp in my passport. I was told that it was not needed. Fewer useless stamps to fill up the passport pages with is a nice bonus IMO.
I heard this kind of system is quite common in Hong Kong…
Debito, your website is great to show outside world where not to come. I always refer to your website and articles in it. Great source of information for those who consider to come and live here as GoJ wants to increase foreign visitors (population?) by 10mln. and at the other hand try to do everything to control them like dogs. The best would be to get some kind of necklaces with RFID to all NJ residents and make real Police State toward foreigners. We wouldn`t need IDs then. Police wouldn`t stop us because passing through they would already know who we are and whether we are wanted or not.
Obviously this is still in the early development stage because there isn’t a kawaii mascot promoting it yet. I’d guess mandatory fingerprinting will have its pretext (and mascot) within five years.