IMHO, it's not a big deal. I've done nothing wrong. I have nothing to hide. I can see the where LPRs are coming from in this discussion however.
The topic I want to chime in on here is the implementation. I just want to go on record saying that I'll bet you when this thing goes live there are not a bunch of Logitech USB webcams sitting on the immigration countertops at NRT. I think it will be a bit more high tech than that. Japan loves the challenge of offering up the new standard.
Cheers,
Scho
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As I said, I don't particularly like the idea, but I respect their right to screen tourists and temporary visitors in the same way they would people who were applying for a long-term visa.
Us long term visa holders(permanent residents, spouses with families, tax payers all) will also be photographed and fingerprinted each time. This despite having us on record and having special photo-ID! Do what ever you want with the tourists......
Us long term visa holders(permanent residents, spouses with families, tax payers all) will also be photographed and fingerprinted each time. This despite having us on record and having special photo-ID! Do what ever you want with the tourists......
If you read my first post, I made it clear that I think that should be changed. If you have a valid gaijin card, I do not think you should have to go through this mess.
I really don't, though, have a problem with this for people who are tourists or otherwise there on visa granted on arrival.
I really don't, though, have a problem with this for people who are tourists or otherwise there on visa granted on arrival.
Actually this entire threads thrust was about the "resident" Gaijin, I am sorry if everyone misunderstood that. I could give a flying #$%& about those coming for tourism. The authorities have already so much information on us.....clearly bureaucratic over-kill. This will just give the idiots at the local ward office more impetus to take ever more information about us !
I just want to go on record saying that I'll bet you when this thing goes live there are not a bunch of Logitech USB webcams sitting on the immigration countertops at NRT
OT but I've often wondered why BKK takes your photo when you leave. ??? Seems backwards to me.
Actually this entire threads thrust was about the "resident" Gaijin, I am sorry if everyone misunderstood that. I could give a flying #$%& about those coming for tourism.
What you say makes perfect sense of this thread now. LPRs should be treated with the same courtesies as citizens at immigration entry e.g. my friends with US PR status tell me they often get a "welcome home" from US immigration. However, anecdotal accounts lead me to believe that Japan is very different in their treatment of LPRs in all matters, not only this issue.
Countries fingerprint their own citizens; why should visitors be treated any differently?
Japan does not routinely fingerprint its own citizens except in criminal investigations. Visitors and non-Japanese residents should not be treated differently.
This was the argument that raged in the days when we used to have to carry our fingerprint on the alien registration card. I'm really sad to see the return of routine fingerprinting and storage of those data for non-Japanese residents who are not suspected of any crime.
In the end, it was the Zainichi Koreans (who were born in Japan or brought to Japan during the period when Korea was a Japanese colony) who did the most to embarrass the authorities into removing the finger print from the old alien registration card. They are specifically exempted from the legislation that has just been passed, so I guess we are less likely to see them fighting this.
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Japan does not routinely fingerprint its own citizens except in criminal investigations. Visitors and non-Japanese residents should not be treated differently.
I was not aware of that. In that case, it does seem a bit of a double standard.
Of course, this is Japan, and despite claiming to be "open" to the West, there is still very much a feeling among many Japanese that we (meaning, foreigners) are a lower life form than they. I can't say the double standard exactly surprises me.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Q Shoe Guy
Us long term visa holders(permanent residents, spouses with families, tax payers all) will also be photographed and fingerprinted each time. This despite having us on record and having special photo-ID! Do what ever you want with the tourists......
That's basically the point. It is sheer overkill for those who already have a gaijin card. The immigration office knows where you are, and your local city hall knows where you are. And furthermore, since a number of gaijin card holders would move and not report to their new city hall or ward office, they could effectively overstay. But that's going to change. The record of that will be kept at the federal level immigration, so then they'll know where you are at all times. What's the deal with the fingerprint and the photo? The damn gaijin card already has your photo and enough encoded information to make two of you.
Actually this entire threads thrust was about the "resident" Gaijin, I am sorry if everyone misunderstood that. I could give a flying #$%& about those coming for tourism. The authorities have already so much information on us.....clearly bureaucratic over-kill. This will just give the idiots at the local ward office more impetus to take ever more information about us !
Phew. Thanks, I was having OMNI flashbacks there for a while......
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Considering the alleged ties between conservative/nationalitst politicians and organized crime: It's a bit surprising that the same lawmakers who looked the other way when around 500.000 Iranians were illegally brought in as cheap labour are now so concerned about Canadian and Norwegian potential terrorists entering Japan.
Actually this entire threads thrust was about the "resident" Gaijin, I am sorry if everyone misunderstood that. I could give a flying #$%& about those coming for tourism. The authorities have already so much information on us.....clearly bureaucratic over-kill. This will just give the idiots at the local ward office more impetus to take ever more information about us !
I'm a non-resident. This affects the rest of my life. Thanks a lot for the solidarity!
I'll need to go through all this BS every time I go back to see my father-in-law and obaasan - whilst MrLapLap sails through the other queue. And what I'm really going to look forward to is dealing with our kids, all by myself, when they're grumpy and fatigued after a 12 hour flight, as these offspring of my Japanese husband will also be regarded as aliens, no matter where they're born.
If I'm deemed enough of a threat and a danger to Japanese society to warrant this expensive special treatment, you can rest assured that my evil conniving mind (and those of my devil spawn children) will have taken on the task of brainwashing my poor innocent Japanese husband. Since the authorities will have my picture and prints, I'd be a sorry failure as both a criminal and a woman if I wasn't able to persuade hubbie (usually kept far from the benign influence of his gentle pure motherland) to do my dirty work for me. And he'd blend in so beautifully in a crowd too!
Naturally, this just reinforces the theory that the authorities don't really care about preventing terrorist acts as they don't pose an overt threat to the government... just those carried out by a foreigner - this kind of attrocity would definitely cost votes, and the media would have a field day!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LapLap
Naturally, this just reinforces the theory that the authorities don't really care about preventing terrorist acts as they don't pose an overt threat to the government... just those carried out by a foreigner - this kind of attrocity would definitely cost votes, and the media would have a field day!
That's no different anywhere else, including the US. Foreigners don't vote.
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Anyone know if the plan of issuing IC-chip card versions of the gaijin card (called the zairyuu card) to non-Japanese (supposedly to keep better track of them) is still on the table?
!
