Job Discussion Forums

bluefrog · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 87 Location: Osaka

Thank you! That is how you make an argument, with facts and evidence, not personal attacks and silly emoticons (though you did make me laugh a few times). We've hijacked this thread long enough. If you'd like to continue this debate feel free to PM me.

Back to the topic,this whole trend of increase in incursions upon personal liberties is going in a bad direction. I think Benjamin Franklin said it best:
'They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.'

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

Just came through Narita this week with the new procedures. There was no queue at all and they let my wife (and our 19 month old kid; ｓleeping in my arms) all go through the foreigners area, even though they both have J passports, as the bub was sleeping.

Still against fingerprinting/photographing of foreigners in principle but, that said, it was all pain free and quick (too quick for me even to get the Mickey Mouse ears on for the photo..........................)

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Just wait until the holidays.
People have already reported the same "painless" experience as you, but they also reported that machines have broken down. Try that when there are holiday returnees in line.

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

Sorry. this new japanese keyboard is difficult for me Confused

maya.the.bee · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 118 Location: Stgo

my experience at kansai.

two lines as expected, japanese passports & all others. thankfully, the all others had a special line for re-entry permits. my flight was a red eye, so the lines were really short. in all it was painless & quicker than the j-passport line.

cafebleu · Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 404

I'll probably surprise some people but I think the Japanese logic has more to it than simply copying the US.

I do think it's not really valid to compare the two countries as the US had a terrorist attack in the real sense on its home soil committed by foreign residents who had obtained their visas supposedly to study in the US, is host to a huge multicultural population and is an immigrant country - there is far more validity to the US position. In one sense we cannot compare the justification of the US with that of Japan.

However - just think about the track record of Japan in being tolerant with visa overstayers or illegal entrants for so long.

Until the 21st century, Japan had a well deserved reputation for treating white visa overstayers with amazing leniency. Usually English teachers who didn't get their act together on time and were then given a second chance when too many didn't deserve it.

Japan was also somewhat laissez faire with chasing up illegal entrants and overstayers from various ethinc- racial backgrounds. The high price of illegals is evident in what has happened with children from Asian/Middle Eastern (eg Iranian)/South American backgrounds. There are generations who don't have Japanese language skills, job prospects or health insurance coverage because their parents lived and in most cases still are living illegally in Japan.

I can't blame Japan for not wanting these kinds of social problems and I can't blame Japan for not giving white foreigners the kind of tolerance previously displayed. I also know that the Japanese authorities are not being racist/xenophobic/paranoid regarding possible Islamic extremism.

A Japanese academic was murdered by an Iranian resident/Iranian residents who are believed to have been members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. His 'crime' was translating Rushie's 'Satanic Verses'. A Frenchman with proven terrorist links was in Japan relatively recently.

I think the authorities are genuinely concerned about these kinds of issues.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

alexcase · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 215 Location: Seoul

My conspiracy theory on these kinds of policies is that ruling parties in most countries, especially conservative ones, devise immigration policies that keep the voters happy they are doing something while not keeping out any of the cheap labour that their industrialist friends need. I saw very similar things in Spain and Italy for precisely those reasons, and the recent British visa restrictions on foreign fiances and spouses could easily fit into that too.

I'm only half serious with that theory. But then again, half serious means 50%, which is quite sure when you come to think about it...

matador · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 281

I went through the fingerprinting and photo deal in December when I entered Japan and it was very (in terms of time and hassle) friction-free. Funnily enough, here in Hong Kong today I applied for my HKID and had my photo taken and fingers..printed.

In Japan I would like to see everyone (native and non native) do it. But only once. Surely if your data is on file once it doesnt need to be taken again and again...

...or am I missing something here...?

Wink

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

It's interesting to see a handful of people on half a dozen forums talk about how little time it took and how little hassle there was when they recently went through.

One person tried to pass this off, despite also describing in nice detail how two machines he tried didn't work, and how there was actually a delay despite being in the reentry visa line.

The machines don't always function properly.
Not everyone's prints can be taken.
Any delay is unacceptable IMO, and especially if you have to be taken to a separate area for questioning.

Besides, delays are only part of the issue here.