Its what left unsaid that worries me the most. No details on how this is used (Is it stored? How long? Who is ultimately in control? Who has access? What will this data be used for? etc). It also means that foreigners with Japanese spouses MUST split up and go through immigration seperately. It also means that even those, like yourself Mikawa, who until now have been allowed to go through the Japanese lines may no longer do that.
Meanwhile, I have to disagree (or else it would be a boring morning
)
In terms of Japan, I agree that terrorism from outside is probably not very likely in Japan, but I must commend them for being agressive in their precautions against it, even if I personally don't like some of the specifics.
The Japanese reaction has been the equivilent of your neighbors being violently murdered in the night, and several years later you decide to start locking your front door at night. Too little, too late, to no effect.
Even in the UK where domestic terrorism is clear and imminent fingerprinting is still optional and being tested, even then not for just "foreigners", but for all. Actually being tested and properly implemented, not just tacked on as a political slogan to make Immigration look like its doing something for a change.
-As I remember, two years ago, it was necessary to show ID in order to enter Narita airport via hotel shuttle bus.
But anyone can walk off the train and into the station. Those carrying luggage may be required to show ID if security is about.
-After 9/11, security was stepped up in major train stations.
Which equals an officer with a riot sheild standing "guard" and telling people where platform 12 is, as well as removing or placeing see-through garbage bins - one solution being plain inconvenient, the other just plain amusing
-After the anthrax incidents in America, public institutions got a memo about it telling them what to look out for. I got one even though I was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains!
That's just what I've noticed.
And thats normal in Japan
By far the most annoying braindead knee-jerk reaction we've had to suffer is the liquids in carryon luggage farce. Despite experts saying that the bomb plot last year was unfeasable (since it would take hours to create, creating fumes that would set off the built in smoke alarms) there is only one case of liquid explosives being used by terrorists in December 1994, Philippines Airline Flight 434, where the bomb succeeded only in killing the passenger sitting directly next to it and injuring the surrounding 5 passengers.
So despite a "successful" use of liquid explosives in 1994, it took until 2006 when an unfeasable "plot" was uncovered until we get the rediculous reaction of banning *all* liquids despite the only thing they need to be afraid of is acetone, which is a clear liquid with a distinct smell, which would have to be carried aboard in a large quantity to do any damage.
