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New Procedures in Entering Japan for Foreigners

bakaKanadajin said:
I'd imagine the sites I posted, which you're free to investigate at your leisure of course, are 'reasonable', certainly not anyone's blog or diary.
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I hope this is not a stab at the highly informative blog of Japan's chief human rights activist...
 
Just found this interesting article that I wanted to share with you guys:


 
All aboard the FUD train...

The program is NOT the same as the US program - the Japanese program requires permanent residents and residents with working permits to give their fingerprints, while the US program requires only visitors (Tourists) to give their prints.

The system came about in the most unusual way. Did you know that the company who got the contract to setup the system asked for only 100,000yen? Thats a mere US$925. Sounds suspicious? Well it should, and some Diet members agree.
gyaku.jp

The system itself merely records fingerprints and photos, which are then processed offsite. It would be impossible to cross check hundreds of thousands (soon to be millions) of fingerprints in only a few minutes. So far the government has been touting that it caught 5 people on the first day, but this was nothing to do with the new system and they were weeded out the way that many others are every day.
 
If anyone wants a huge amount of update on the policy and its pitfalls, please read this.
Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos
It's an enormous list of links and stories about how the government can't agree on this policy, how the fingerprinting process itself didn't even work (old people, dry fingers, broken machines) at some stations recently (and what officials did then), and other crazy stuff that just add fuel to the fire that this whole policy should be scrapped.

If you can't get access to that site, just read it on Debito Arudou's latest newsletter from his blog. It is very informative.
 

One of the reasons would be that the US requests the police certificate and all of your fingerprints to visa applicants like your country, I think.
Did the embassy demand the document from you when you applied the visa?

Police records check
Consent to obtain personal information
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1101.pdf
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Glenski, quote it here, please.
 
Glenski, thank you for the link, but what is your interest to talk about it here?
As many articles are there, I think it is good to be more specific.
 
My "interest" is simply to inform. I live in Japan as a Permanent Resident holder and take serious offense at the fingerprinting policy. And you?
 
Police Certificate: Each visa applicant 16 years and older must submit a certificate from the appropriate police authorities.
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I think this is more offensive than the fingerprint.
Did the embassy of Japan request similar documents from you?

One of the reasons I want to stay away from crimes is the above, for many countries requres the documents.
The language skill is much harder hurdle for Japanese including me, though.

I am just curious how many Britons could pass the IELTS 6.5/5.5 or how many Japanese could pass the JLPT Level 1/2.
 
Have Japanese "permanent residents" of America made a similar fuss???? Security issues are the responsibility of the democratically elected powers-that-be: if you don't like it then disappear somewhere that suits your persuasion
 
Some Japanese expats and wives are worried about the learning French order by the French government. In the worst case, a Japanese expat was ordered to take 400 hour French lesson... I think poor French speakers like me would hire more Japanese-speaking French people...
But when it comes to the security issue, few rants about it.

The few are someone like...
Human rights organisations say it violates foreigners' rights to privacy and could encourage xenophobia.
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japan ups checks for foreigners
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I don't know why the new security measure could encourage xenophobia...
 
pipokun,
Was your question above directed at me? I wasn't sure.

My reply comes from Arudou's blog entry quoted below (Red emphasis is mine.). Readers should take note that much of the information is not from Debito Arudou himself, but from others who have contacted the authorities in an attempt (sarcasm here) to get the straight story.

New Long-Term Residency Requirements: Prove you're not a criminal even overseas | debito.org

Glenski back again...
Since I don't have to renew my PR status at all, that shouldn't affect me, but if it has anything to do with alien cards, I won't know until I renew mine next year. Seems doubtful that I'll be asked to give an FBI check, though, since I'm not nikkei.
 
Nikkei visa is more lucrative and easier as you know. And it is natural after the horrible pedophile crimes. You can understand the feeling if you are from the country of Megan's and Jessica's Law.
The criminal record requirement is nothing unusual. I think it is offensive, but it is an effective measure not to worsen the xenophobia.

The government should enforce it to all visa applicants like your country, European nations, or Asian nations. Those countries are supposed to be less xenophobic than Japan, right?

*snip*
I am against the bloodline visa privilage, though I have nikkei friends.
I am against the special permanent resident loophole of some Korean and Taiwanse people about the fingerprint.
 

There is a huge point. These things are mainly for the Japanese immigration authorities to find who has dual citizenship. This means that they will be able to find out about your Canadian or American passport via visual digital and fingerprinting. So if you want to keep your dual citizenship with Japan, I strongly suggest you only travel as a Japanese national and exercise your second citizenship in that country only. There will be drawbacks to this. For example, a Japanese-Aussie or a Japanese Kiwi (New Zelander) will forfeit his commonwealth rights and easier opportunities to work in the UK, travelling on a Japanese passport. You shall never even make a second passport if you have a IC chipped Japanese passport. Japan will be able to link your foreign passport that will also have an IC chip and match your finger prints with your Japanese passport.

In a sense, by keeping your Japanese nationality, you have sort of renounced your commonwealth rights as a commonwealth citizen, and this dual citizenship game is getting increasingly tough.
 

All nikkei should be given full Japanese citizenship before Japan accepts naturalization of complete foreigners.

Priority I propose

1) Those who were born in Japan who are full blooded.
2) Those who were born abroad to Japanese parents (both)
3) Those who are third generation full blood

Then those of mixed ancestry should be considered. But Japanese born in Japan, should be allowed dual nationality, but never given the right to however exercise the rights of his or her second citizenship. This is the Japanese way to deal with the population decline.

We need to provide all Nikkeijin of full blooded ancestry to reinstate Japanese nationality by registration. (Like British subjects given full British nationality in the past)

If this isn't possible, they need to make a Japanese Nationality (Overseas) like India did for People of Indian Origin, a Indian nationality (Overseas), where they will enjoy all priviledges except the rights to vote. It is a way to allow all Japanese to keep their identity as Japanese, keep their names in the Japanese koseki tohon, etc.

If they need to add requirements such as a language test for retention of dual citizenship to like middle school, this too is acceptable. (someone who can do this is definately going to be bona fide, and would have clearly indicated that they are still Japanese). Those who are of Japanese ancestry should come ahead of line over everyone including the zainichi koreans and chinese.
 
This is ludicrous! Why are you promoting any priority at all?

Then those of mixed ancestry should be considered. But Japanese born in Japan, should be allowed dual nationality, but never given the right to however exercise the rights of his or her second citizenship.
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Even more ludicrous. You want to somehow exercise some control over a person's human right to choose citizenship now by forbidding them to take another country's nationality if he or she chooses. Apparently the only reason you give is to prevent a decline in the birth rate...? I don't follow this logic at all.

If this isn't possible, they need to make a Japanese Nationality (Overseas) like India did
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I am not familiar with what India did, but if a child is born to at least one Japanese parent abroad, that child can be put on the J parent's family register as well as be considered a citizen of the foreign country. At age 22, the child must then choose. So, the process is already there.
 

I think that for capital offenses, Japanese embassy can step in and help the person not be put to death especially if murder did not occur.
 

I think you misunderstood me. I am saying that the person not be able to exercise his or her foreign nationality in Japan, where they will be allowed to be only Japanese. That if he or she is also American, that they can be American outside of Japan only. No JET program, and that is that. No special Gaijin treatment either. That they get full Japanese rights, but also, should Japan remove Article 9, and require all boys to serve for 2 years, they are doing this too. (By the way, you can't expatriate someone who gives 2 years of his life if they faithfully show up for it despite living overseas)

Dutch Baka said:
Just found this interesting article that I wanted to share with you guys:
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This is because you co-operated and did everything in your part. If it was the fault of the Japanese immigration to not have a functioning apparatus, why would you be at fault for it? They obviously saw that it wasn't your fault as you did everything asked. So they cannot blame you.
 
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They have the Japanese people's faces on their IC Chipped passports. They got it alright. And should you make a passport with your second contry's having the same IC chip, the two datas will link up, and bam, you are busted. You will be caught for being a dual national.
 
Glenski said:
That is such a ridiculous question that I can't even think of a polite way to answer.
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Why should he? He is gaijin. Staying a PR holder is the proper solution for someone non Nikkei. Only a Nikkeijin like those coming from Brazil should be making that final step. Anyway, many have chosen to forgo their third world country passport to take back their right to have one from the first world. They can just buy a permanent residency going to Brazil as any normal Japanese can also. (I am sure any American can also). So who gives a crap about losing Brazilian nationality as a Nikkei Brazillian being allowed to return to the status of being Japanese that they should have remained in the first place. If I was the government, I would make it so that these Nikkei Brazillians who are full blooded Nikkei be given a Japanese passport instead of a nikkeijin visa. Then, when they arrive, they would whine a lot less being asked to learn Japanese fully and put in more than other gaijin being granted the full rights as regular Japanese. I feel that their co-operation for re-integration into Japanese society would strengthen by this method. They wont complain why the blond hair blue eyed gaijin doesn't have to learn kanji and they do. If they are accepted as Japanese even legally, I believe that they would stop thinking this way, and accept their different treatment, as they would be given everything back they lost.
 

Then perhaps we need to likewise make Japanese nationals give finger prints and do the same thing they do to all gaijin in all countries.
I know I have been harsh on gaijin, but I do think the reverse is fair game:
Mark Elliott Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
December 17th, 2007 at 2:36 am
Hi, I think that if Japan is going to put these harsh barriers on all foreigners even permanent residents, I feel that the only way to make Japan wake up is to require all Japanese nationals to require visas to enter first world countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zeland, United Kingdom, and all of the EU countries. If they want to play the "Sakoku" game, I think it would be likewise fair to not accept naturalization of Japanese nationals, or to make it equally difficult as Japan does on foreigners. In short, it should be made tit-for-tat, so that the Japanese people themselves will rise up and ask Japan to revise these xenophobic policies. It may be wrong to return the favor, but I feel that it is a necessary evil that all Japanese nationals be treated the same way Japan treats other gaijin trying to immigrate to Japan. But at the same time, we must be careful to return them the favour. Nikkeijin who are not citizens of Japan or dual nationals who enter other countries on their other passport should continue to be treated equally with other nationals of his or her respective foreign nationality.
I am sick and tired of the continued xenophobic attitudes of Japan, being a first world country, should have this favour returned by other first world countries on a tit for tat basis.
I studied about the history of the United States and the laws prohibiting Japanese from becoming Americans in the past. But I also wonder why should the Issei be given the right to become American when an American would have had the same difficulty becoming Japanese? I am sorry, but Japanese people must wake up to the fact that they should be made to lie in the bed that they made.
 
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Chipi said:
Something interesting and important for every non-Japanese who is going to go to Japan;




When entering the country, you will have to from now on give your fingerprints, and have your picture taken at the immigration.
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I was their when they removed the fingerprint from the Alien Rego. Card.

We are heading back to Japan long term before mid. 2008 with our eight month old son.

My wife being Japanese will escape the interigation, I will get it, I wonder what will happen to little Kai?

He is registered in Japan as Japanese, however, he will travel on his Aussie passport which I presume will prove him as non Japanese on entry.

This may be a good introduction to Japan for Kai.

Japan NEVER ceases to amaze.
 
Just use his Japanese passport.
When he does not have it, just go to the J embassy to apply it.

And unfortunately, he is still too young in the scheme.

Have a nice trip.

edit: Sorry I don't know how old he is, but do English speakers use "little someone" for people older than 16 years old?
I know kids are still kids for parents no matter how old they become.
 
I just came back from talking to one of the guys down at the City office about this. I was surprissed by him saying that it is silly how permanent residents have to do this( well actually I was hoping he would say that). This is the only beef I have with this new system.
 
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