Japan to start taking Fingerprints and Photographs of visitors
Japanese immigration will start scanning fingerprints and taking photographs of foreign visitors like USA does, as a part of anti-terrorists law updates. This law seems to become effective next week.
Well, they decide/update laws like this while we're all not aware of (-- and they do a lot. Everytime we have elections the theme is some bullshit stuff like "Making Postal Office a private company" or "How to compensate lost pension notes")
Anyway, having FP scanned and face photo taken is one of the most gross and annoying experience at airports. When I come back to USA and go through the security process, I always feel that I'm not welcomed. Already feeling sorry for what all travelers feel in Narita.
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In addition to, arguably, infringing on my privacy and human rights, I wonder if this means they'll force me to stand in the long-ass foreigner line when I enter the country on my visa, instead of being able to use the shorter Japanese/Re-Entry Permit line.
I have a visa, I live here, I'm not a visitor, after all.
Looking at their PDF http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/keiziban/happyou/pdf/poster-english.pdf and it looks like you need to be FP scanned and photographs taken. The foreigner entry line is already so long in Narita and I wonder how this could make it horribly worse.
What a waste of time for anyone that does this. Nothing says 'Welcome, come spend money in our country and enjoy/learn about all our wonderful things" like being given the 3rd degree and fingerprinted and having your picture taken.
It's gone too far.