Yesterday, thousands of foreigners entering Japan were fingerprinted and photographed at immigration points across the country. It was because of a new law that has come into effect in order to protect Japan from external terrorist threats. My ass. This law has two main objectives. The first is to put a cap on the number foreign residents in Japan. The second objective is to serve the corporate interests of the companies selling the technology for such identification checks. Concerns about 'Terrorism' ,I believe, were not a main objective when the law for this procedure was passed by the ruling coalition.
As a permanent resident of Japan I find the procedure discriminatory and unnecessary. If there are individuals determined to carry out terrorist acts in Japan then they will find a way into the country regardless of this ridiculous system. It should be noted that the last act of terrorism carried out on Japanese soil was committed by Japanese Nationals.
Japanese celebrities have been appearing in photo-ops promoting the new law. One went as far as to say that it is important to fight the rising level of crime committed by Foreigners in Japan. Bullshit. Compare foreign crime levels with those committed by Japanese Nationals. There is hardly a comparison. And if you want to look at crime in Japan, look no further than than the ruling coalition. The LDP is one of the most corrupt governments in the world.
The national broadcaster NHK has been predictably licking the ass of the government while covering the introduction of the new screening checks at international airports. Whatever.
I am a foreign resident of Japan. I enjoy living in Japan and all the good and bad experiences that go with it. The Japanese government has my personal details. My photos, my fingerprints, my life on their databases. I don't need to be repeatedly photographed and fingerprinted every fucking time I enter the country. I am here to the disgust of reactionary knuckle scrapers. A living, breathing and relatively content contamination in this society.
