Had a nice long chat with an immigration official at NRT on Friday. He explained how the new all non-Japanese Passports section will work at immigration. The Japanes eonly line will indeed be Japanese PAssport only. The balance of passports wiill be separated into three groups:
1. The special Permananet residents (i.e Those who made noise about fingerprinting last time)
2. Permanent residents, work visa holders, spouse visa holders, etc.
3. The unwashed masses
He said that this means the desks allocated to Japanese only will be fewer as the people in categories 1. and 2. above will not be in those lines. Those extra desks would be for the new larger macro group and its three subcategories. He said it also means that the total time through for those in groups 1. and 2. will be the same, or at least that is the design they are working towards.
We will have to allow for the system to get the kinks worked out, but it was very good to hear real answers to a big worrry many of us had had.
The actual fingerprinting and photo bit is IMHO no big deal. If the US can insist, why not Japan?
I am quite pleased and relieved after that conversation Friday.
Mike