Going snowboarding in Japan? Prepare to be fingerprinted...

[sunrise 0]

I feel very secure knowing guys like these are running the country.

[sunrise 0]

(unbelieveable).

[pie-eater 207]

So kind....

 

 Quote:

As it has done in the past, the generosity of the Japanese government will allow other countries to develop economically and socially. Japan is a rich nation, but not a greedy one, and is glad to spread the benefits of globalization and free markets as widely as possible. This new law will indirectly allow us to do so.

 

[tsondaboy 0]

 Quote:

　In an effort to get an inside perspective on the new law, I wrote to a high-ranking Ministry of Injustice official closely involved in the planning and implementation of the measure. My source, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent the following statement by e-mail

 

If it’s indeed something that comes from officials, then it is absurd!

But if it is the high ranking official position on the mater, why does it have to be under the cover of anonymity? As far as I understand the guy that wrote this article, may have done so in a Pub with some of his pissed friends over some rounds.

 

[skidaisuki 0]

The scary thing about that 'statement' is that despite it being a parody, it's close enough to the attitudes of some Japanese as to leave an element of doubt. Says it all, really!

[tripitaka 0]

 Originally Posted By: tsondaboy

 Quote:

　In an effort to get an inside perspective on the new law, I wrote to a high-ranking Ministry of Injustice official closely involved in the planning and implementation of the measure. My source, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent the following statement by e-mail

If it’s indeed something that comes from officials, then it is absurd!
But if it is the high ranking official position on the mater, why does it have to be under the cover of anonymity? As far as I understand the guy that wrote this article, may have done so in a Pub with some of his pissed friends over some rounds.

I agree. Why would a high-ranking official give such a ridiculous reply knowing that it was to be published? First, the person is probably not authorized as a spokesperson as he/she would have gone through different channels, i.e., an official press release or statement of intent. Japanese public institutions and/or companies don't work like this.

Also, why would the JT print tripe like this? Is their no editorial control?

[skidaisuki 0]

This, however, isn't a parody (from the Ministry of Justice website):-

 

http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/keiziban/happyou/an%20informant_070921.html

 

 

I like the bit about making Japan the safest country in the world by deporting illegal immigrants. Didn't exactly stop Shoko Ashara, did it...?

[sock_monkey 0]

 

soredemo boku wa yattenai!

[indosnm 0]

All you need is an ETAs visa to enter Oz.

Nothing wrong with that.

My wife is a permanent resident and gets treated like an Aussie. They'll even pay her the pension after she lives there for 10 years.

Me, a permanent resident.. What do we get? Nothing, besides the feeling that we are not really wanted..

[tsondaboy 0]

 Originally Posted By: skidaisuki

This, however, isn't a parody (from the Ministry of Justice website):-

http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/keiziban/happyou/an%20informant_070921.html


I like the bit about making Japan the safest country in the world by deporting illegal immigrants. Didn't exactly stop Shoko Ashara, did it...?

Are we opening the illegal alien issue now, or we are still talking about legally entering Japan (or any other country)?
Because if we do start a talk about illegal immigration, then we have to give examples and compare it with the procedures in US, EU and OZ.

[skidaisuki 0]

OK, Tsonda - it was just an example of the funny way things sound when they get translated... (rolls eyes)

 

I think you got my point - Japanese! you have nothing to fear from your fellow men! (except that you are far more likely to be a victim of Japanese crime than gaijin crime, but let's not get into that, either....)

[tsondaboy 0]

 Originally Posted By: skidaisuki

I think you got my point - Japanese! you have nothing to fear from your fellow men! (except that you are far more likely to be a victim of Japanese crime than gaijin crime, but let's not get into that, either....)

Name me a country that doesn’t blame foreigners for its criminality rates and you have my apology for doubting you.

[Go Native 70]

Never underestimate just how xenophobic people are in this country. Remember also that the hawkes in the LDP have been gaining more and more power over the years and have run a pretty good propaganda campaign against the evils of foreigners. Japanese being the sort of brainwashed automatums that they are, will believe most of what the government tells them. I mean god forbid anyone here would actually question authority! This fingerprinting is probably the thin edge of the wedge. We'll probably find many many more people being refused working visas and permanent residency become damn near impossible to obtain unless you've managed to produce a little halfu sprog. We'll see...

[tsondaboy 0]

If you think Japan is xenophobic dont bother coming to stay permanently in Greece (my country).

We have actually invented the word for Gods sake!

[Yuki's Passion 1]

>>>We'll probably find many many more people being refused working visas and permanent residency become very difficult to obtain unless you've managed to produce a little halfu sprog. We'll see...

 

as somebody already said, the fingerprinting doesnt affect good-natured people as illegal immigrants often find other ways of coming into Japan from HK, Taiwan, China, or Korea (both N. and S)

[thursday 1]

ahem, the shipping containers that transit through HK do not originate in HK. They are the fine products of our cousins on the mainland. God bless 'em

[HelperElfMissy 42]

 Originally Posted By: skidaisuki

Mamabear - with respect, if had been resident in Japan for years and had paid millions of yen in tax during that time, you might feel rather more aggrieved at this measure than you do as a casual holiday visitor. Even permanent residents (usually resident for at least 8-10 years) are not exempt from this indignity.

I'm glad it's not putting you off visiting (nor should it) but it's a scandal all the same.

Ohh! I hear ya skidaisuki!
I said previously that this would likely have a negative impact on those travelling in and out of Japan regularly on business - and I certainly concur that those of you LIVING in Japan will find this much more agregious than those of us holiday-making.

[Ewok 2 1]

Ouch, this starts as of today, and permanent residents included?

Waiting for your report Soubs.

 

Last weekend, I had to go through US custom.

After getting sniffed by a dog,

"Take off your jacket."

"Take off your shoes."

beeeps.

"Take off your belt."

beeeeps...

"Take off your hair thing."

I was "???"

The officer inspected my little hair thing as if it was a weapon or something. He was doing his job. To protect his country.

 

And then, finally my turn.

"Your left finger."

"Your right finger."

But there was something wrong with my right index finger (sweat lol?) or that was just the machine, not sure but took sometime for me to go through. The officer was a quiet grumpy lady, she was pushing my right finger this way and that way, but still couldn't do it right. There was some uncomfortable silence between us since she was holding my finger, but she was just doing her job, to protect her country.

 

This was 4:30 in a morning, there already was a long lineup.

 

I still had a long way to go after this, 90 mins of flight, and then had to wait for 6 hours at the airport, another 13 hours of flight, 90 mins of train, and 10 mins of drive, so I couldn't help but wonder how efficient it was, how safe our planet has become, and what we could do to make it better.

[tripitaka 0]

Excerpts from a Bloomberg news report today.

 

There was ``no noticeable delay between now and three weeks ago,'' Magnus Andersson, a businessman from Sweden who flew in for the second time today from London. ``As long as you have your papers in order, it seems quite efficient.''

 

There were no announcements of the change at check-in in London or on the British Airways flight, Andersson said.

 

Others say incidents of mistaken identity in the U.S. will occur in Japan. Yusuf Islam, formerly known as the pop singer Cat Stevens, was refused entry to the U.S. in September 2004, because he was mistakenly matched to an individual on a watch list. In another case, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts was barred from a flight because his name matched an alias of someone on a watch list.

[skidaisuki 0]

Tsonda - I'm not saying that people in other countries don't blame foreigners for crime. I'm simply focusing on what happens here because I live here and that's what this thread is about. With the exception of the USA - which in 9/11 arguably has more genuine excuse - no other country, including quite a number that have suffered large scale terrorist attacks, have seen fit to fingerprint everybody (including returning residents) who enters their country.

 

This move is either a paranoid overreaction or a use of that great indisputable cover-all excuse - 'security' - for bringing in another inconvenience to disturb, inconvenience and disrupt the lives of the vast majority of law abiding travellers. If Al Qaeda was determined to attack Japan then this is hardly likely to stop them, really. The trouble is that if, predictably (and of course hopefully), there is no attack on Japan in the near future, they'll say it's worked, and if there is an attack, they'll say they were right to focus on gaijin. It's a no win sitch.

[tsondaboy 0]

Mate, have you heard about the “Schengen treaty” in Europe?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_treaty

 

 Quote:

The agreement also includes consent to share information about people, via the Schengen Information System. This means that a potentially undesirable person cannot 'disappear' simply by moving from one participant country to another as each country will know the same about the person's background. Previously, a criminal with police in hot pursuit would be safe once they managed to cross the border, but under the agreement, police from one nation can cross national borders to chase their target for up to 30 km ('hot pursuit'). The officers either have to wear their uniforms, or their vehicles have to be marked as police vehicles. The officers may only use their weapons for self-defence.

 

 Quote:

An agreement was signed on 27 May 2005 by seven countries (Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, and Belgium) at Prüm, Germany. This agreement, based on the principle of availability which began to be discussed after the Madrid bomb attack on 11 March 2004, could enable them to exchange all data regarding DNA and fingerprint data of concerned persons and to cooperate against terrorism. Sometimes known as the Prüm Convention, this is becoming known as the Schengen III Agreement and was adopted into EU regulation for Schengen states in June 2007.[21] The Visa Information System, to be rolled-out in 2009, could be in the future the largest biometric database in the world.[22]

 

This is happening in Europe right now!

Not only to foreigners but all EU citizens!

Not only in England and Spain that have been targets of terrorists attacks but applies to all EU members!

 

[spook 0]

so what's wrong with that? if it helps with legitimate law enforcement it seems like a valuable resource

i've found euorpean law enforcement officials to be politie and efficient, whether at international airports or pulling me over on the freeway to inspect my car for drugs (i was driving a campervan, so it was a reasonable assumption on their behalf)

on the other hand, i've found US officials to be rude, abrupt, ignorant and inefficient. the treatment you get when you enter and leave the US beggars belief, and i do my best to avoid the place.

 

i guess we will see which lead japan follows

[tsondaboy 0]

Nothing wrong with that if you explain me to whom the 3 following points apply and who are being exempt.

 

potentially undesirable person

 

DNA and fingerprint data of concerned persons

 

The Visa Information System

 

 

 

Give it some time and when you enter EU in the future the officials will great you “welcome to Oceania”.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

soubs is going back to Japan today, right? It will be interesting to hear what he reports.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

 Originally Posted By: tripitaka

The Japan Times had a reply from an anonymous govt official about it today. The reasoning was so off the mark that I cast serious doubts on the letter's authenticity. The letter mentions that discouraging people from coming to Japan is good for other Asian countries (by keeping skilled labour from coming to Japan) and preventing English-speaking foreigners from getting caught up by suspect English schools.

It's difficult to believe that a high-ranking official would say something so ridiculous.

TBH mate, it doesn't surprise me as this is Japan!!