The Japanese government is full of xenophobes who think the same way as those in power during the 1920’s. We gaijin are ruining Japanese culture and are a strain on the justice system due to the rampant foreign crime rates (you’ll love the post I have lined up talking about this “foreign crime problem”). If you force your long-term foreign citizens to communicate in Japanese, you also ensure the people who have the least amount of interest in blending in with the crowd never stay long enough to cause problems. Lord knows the Japanese blood line has become diluted over the last century

That said, I doubt the language requirements will pass through the house. It’s just one of the many pet projects that the Japanese government considers bringing in, but does so just to gauge public reaction. If the majority of voting age citizens are for such a thing, then a committee will be set up to draft a bill. Luckily, most citizens don’t care about such things, because they avoid us like the plague. Heck, I’ve yet to have an adult Japanese person willingly sit next to me on a crowded train.

[/sarcasm]

That said, even if the law does come into effect, I don’t think I’ll be leaving this country. There are bigger things that piss me off that should be resolved before I give up on this nation

Oh thats some funny s__t!
I could give a fu__ if they take my prints. (they actually took prints, DNA, Retinal scans back in 2005 without me signing anything or even asking me. Big deal.

But I’m NOT studying Japanese. I am a F___ING English teacher!!
6 years and no problems not speaking and not wanting too. They can b__w me !!!!

I don’t believe I’m falling for the “nothing to hide” sales pitch the government has been using as it’s something I’ve always believed. If I’ve done nothing wrong, then it’s all good. If I have done something wrong, then I’d better not be sloppy and leave evidence behind.

I agree that police may use this as yet another way of lazily “catching” somebody, but every nation can be accused of this. I’d hear of some mixup (as they like to call it) at least once a month in Canada or the US, so Japan can’t be expected to act any differently. That, and the Japanese police hardly strike me as having the highest IQ when it comes to handling crime scenes.

Regardless of where immigrants or foreign visitors decide to go in life, they will always be subject to some form of persecution or unwarranted ridicule from the native population. This is something that comes with being from elsewhere, and it’s seen in even the most multicultural of nations. At the end of the day, if we’re not happy with how we’re treated, then we’re almost always free to leave.

I, on the other hand, have made my bed in Japan and fully intend to sleep in it.

Japanese Police have already been using the Gaijin Card as a lazy way to catch criminals. When a nigerian man was wanted for a shoplifting crime they looked up the database and arrested the nearest registered foreigner. When they bought him back, turned out he was white. Oops, but they locked him up for 3 weeks and threatened him to sign a confession. He refused and they had to let him walk. Not a word of apology.

Japanese Police are all to ready to believe foreigners are criminals. If a Japanese criminal takes your fingerprints off something you’ve left in a public place and leaves it at a crime scene, they’ll only be too ready to believe in your guilt. There police have a history of forcing even Japanese to sign confessions for crimes they didn’t do. The Japanese courts won’t throw out a confession made under duress, and just rubber stamp the police’s decision.

Not surprising either. Nationalists like Koizumi and Abe have been publicly blaming foreigners for everything wrong with Japan. Police and public officials take their cue from them. Why spend all that money on internationalizing Japan, only to turn around and humiliate visitors?

Not surprising either. Nationalists like Koizumi and Abe have been publicly blaming foreigners for everything wrong with Japan. Police and public officials take their cue from them. Why spend all that money on internationalizing Japan, only to turn around and humiliate visitors?

I’ve gone through US immigration a few times since their cameras and fingerprint readers were introduced and have never once been asked to submit my details. That said, I’ve seen lots of East Indian, Middle Eastern and South Asian people face much more scrutiny than I would have thought necessary.

I can understand why so many foreigners are upset by this measure, but I can also understand what the government is trying to accomplish. Unfortunately, the law was poorly introduced, poorly implemented, and poorly discussed with the general population.

Personally, I don’t have a problem with this new policy. But ask me again if I’m ever denied entry to my new home country because of some technical glitch in the system

So far, it seems that there are some issues with the hardware, as well as the people who refuse to give their fingerprints. I’m hearing stories that people who refuse are being forced to submit their prints before being deported … but I haven’t been able to confirm this in the news

If Japanese immigration officers are resorting to such measures, perhaps we should have them train the regional police departments. The cops around here could stand to develop a little backbone.

Hope you get some buzz from it.