The Japan Times (English-language daily in Japan) has an article today about a plan to photograph and fingerprint foreigners entering Japan. It had been in the works for some time, and has been a topic of some debate, but now it's law.

Here are some excerpts:

Diet passes bill to take foreigners' prints, pics

By Masami Ito

A bill requiring fingerprinting and photographing of foreigners upon entry to Japan was passed Wednesday as a way to prevent terrorism.

An estimated 6 million to 7 million foreigners entering Japan every year will be obliged to have their fingerprints and photographs taken, along with other personal identification information.

“By targeting only foreigners, the Immigration Bureau is encouraging discrimination against foreigners,” said Makoto Teranaka, secretary general of Amnesty International Japan. “(This law) is a violation of a person's right to privacy.”

The measure exempts people under age 16, [and some others, like diplomats]

Other than that, all foreigners will be targeted. For people already living here and regardless of having a permanent, work or spouse visa, all will be obliged to be fingerprinted and photographed when re-entering the country.

Teranaka pointed out that foreign spouses of Japanese will now be treated differently than their partners.

To be clear, I'm one of the “foreign spouses” that will be treated differently than my partner. I will be fingerprinted and photographed.

With this law, I will require special permission to enter the country (I will have no basic right to be here). I will be allowed to remain only so long as the government (and my wife) allow. Now, I will not be allowed to vote in Japanese elections. I will have to have special state-issued identification on my person at all times. I will not be allowed to hold public office.

To sum it up, with the passage of this law, I will be treated like I'm not a Japanese citizen.

Oh, wait. I'm not a Japanese citizen. I'm already not allowed to vote or hold public office, and I already require a visa to be here, and already am at the whim of the country. I already have to carry around an “alien registration card” at all times. I'm already treated as if I'm not a Japanese citizen.... because I'm not.

I just don't understand all the hoopla around this whole thing. The person quoted in the article complains that it will encourage discrimination against foreigners, but since this law centers around the procedures required to enter the country, it's about a subject which intrinsically treats nationals differently than foreigners.

You do need to be photographed for a driver's licence, but not to walk across the street, and no one complains about the discrepancy — such a complaint would seem comparably silly to me.

Here's the aforementioned “state-issued identification” that I have to carry around with me at all times. Informally called a “gaijin (foreigner) card” in English, in Japanese it's 外国人登 録証明書 — gaikokujin touroku shoumeishou — “proof of foregnier registration”

Years ago these cards had a fingerprint on them (right hand index finger, if I recall), and that was always a hubbub for some. I was here and was fingerprinted for it three times (the original, and two renewals over the years), and the fingerprint requirement didn't bother me in the least.

The last time I renewed the card, the guy was really sheepish about getting my fingerprint, and they provided a sticker I could put on the card's protective sleeve to cover the exposed fingerprint, should I feel sheepsih about it as well.

I don't really believe the “anti-terrorist” arguments the proponents of the law are using to grease its skids (in what country have we seen that approach before?), but at the same time, I think it's well within reason for a country to want to do if they want. It's their money and their time to waste, but it's also their country to do with as they see fit.

I'm a guest here. If I don't like it, I can always go to America where none of this will apply.... to me, at least.