Body Scanners Coming to All Japanese International Airports
Erica Berardi January 14, 2016
Body scanners are coming to Japan airports in an effort to step up security.
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced it will introduce body scanners in all airports in an effort to thwart terrorist attacks, the Japan News reported Tuesday.
The transport ministry cited mounting threats of international terrorism for the security measure and hopes to install the body scanners at all airports with international flights by 2020, according to Japan News sources.
Japan will subsidize the costs of purchasing body scanners, estimated to run between YEN40 million to YEN50 million per machine.
Body scanners beam weak radio waves onto the entire body to detect potentially dangerous items hidden under clothing. Unlike standard metal detectors, body scanners are also able to detect explosives.
Japan tested body scanners in the last three months of 2015 at Kansai International Airport (KIX), Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and Narita International Airport (NRT). The results showed checks took between 10 seconds to 20 seconds per passenger, passenger flow was not obstructed and that the checks were highly effective.
Body scanners have proved controversial throughout the world as flyers fear their privacy is compromised. Like the United States, Japan said body scanner data will be deleted each time a check is completed.
Based on these results, the government decided to shoulder the cost of introducing body scanners, which would otherwise have to be paid by airline companies. Currently, the cost of security checks is split evenly between airline companies operating at domestic airports and the companies that operate the airports.
“We can expect that introducing body scanners will have a deterrent effect. Of course, for international flights, we’ll make security check systems at all airports across the nation as tight as possible,” a ministry source said, according to Japan News.
[Photo: Wikipedia]
A bit surprised by this as obsessed as Japanese are about privacy. As it is now though, their screening is one of the most lax in Asia. I don't know if that's due to having more sophisticated equipment to detect/view contraband or if it's from feeling too relaxed about Japan not being a terror target.
I bet this will launch a new genre of adult content in Japan!
They're correct -- it'll have a deterrent effect on those of us who absolutely abhor such intrusions into our private bits. I'll be avoiding JPN airports for connections when possible from now on.
The L3 lobbyist have gone international ...