Yokoso! Japan - Welcome to Japan

[chachava]

Originally Posted by Danierux

Killing thousands of innocent people? If that isn't terrorism I don't know what is.

I don't want to get into politics but to me it was "Pay back" paid double in my opinion.

you seem to have an act of war and terrorism confused...

I'm not saying it was a good thing that happened (far from it), but Japan as a nation knew they were involved in a major war and were just as guilty of killing innocents as anyone else...

[samokan]

is this not already implemented in US?

my Japanese complained about this, when she made a stopover in US ( i forgot the airport though) to Brazil and her fingerprints and picture was also taken.. is this still implemented today? Isnt this law patterned on what the US immigration doing? ( no offense meant here )

if this is one way to control terrorism.. why the hell not?
i wish my country would also implement this

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Danierux

Does this mean america makes foreigners feel they have little rights as well? I think not.

you're wrong there. Since 9/11 tourism has decreased in the US not due to fear of a terrorist attack but due to the immigration and airport security staff and mesures they have.

For example. my brother he went to new york. he got stopped for about 2 hours just because he had a muslim name and was muslim.

another example of a non muslim. my ex gf's parents went to america, and they got stopped for along time and they were asked some questions that were rather forward and unneccasary.. they said that they were afraid at the airport and fealt like they were treated like criminals.

but luckily after the airport, everything seems fine in the US

[MMM]

The definition of the word "terrorism" had changed dramatically since 9/11.

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US in WWII was not a "terrorist attack". It was an act of war. I am not going to say it was the right decision or wrong decision, but let's at least get our terms right. I would say Pearl Harbor is closer to a "terrorist attack", but I still wouldn't call it that.

Anyway, I have been photographed and fingerprinted going through Canada (to Japan) and I have no problem with it. If it can help catch international criminals (19 of which came through Canada to commit 9/11) then I am all for it.

I have commited no crime, so I don't feel anything having a picture of my face taken and my fingerprint taken.

Like I said earlier... the Canadian pedophile who raped who-knows-how-many Asian children was caught in Thai thanks to this sort of system just a few days ago (he posted his acts on the Internet)

I have been in stores at least a dozen times when someone has purchased something with a credit card, and the clerk says "Can I see your I.D.?" and the buyer says "Why do you need to see my I.D.???" all offended. The clerk always responds saying, "I can run it without seeing your I.D., but this is for YOUR protection, not OURS." Personally, I always thank the clerk when she asks for my I.D. when I pay with a credit card. It tells me they are on MY side.

[noodle]

The problem for me about this kinda thing is WHY? there is already enough security to catch people... Passports are always checked, all the details and pictures of people are all kept on a database that can be accessed from any airport in the world. so where is the need to get your picture taken and fingerprint taken everytime you travel? its a waste of money and time, and causes more problems than it solves

[samokan]

and the next question would WHY NOT???

[noodle]

Originally Posted by samokan

and the next question would WHY NOT???

It causes more problems than it solves. First it wastes time. imagine if every country done this? everytime you travel you'll be wastin ur time, it will cause congestion (which is a major problem in airports already) Also, i disagree with a lot of this technology based security. Organised crime can easily access these databases (whatever security you have, there will always be hacker that can get passed it, its the first thing you learn in computer science) of fingerprints and pictures and change it to ANYONE. It's happened before in a night club in london.

[Dhillaire]

Its one thing to finerprint visitors, although i must admit i dont agree with that either, like the way the US does it. But look at the fine print. The US stops doing it when the person in question becomes either a US citizen or permanent resident. In Japan, on the other hand, even if you have lived here for the past 50 years, you still need to be fingerprinted and photographed in order to go home. I live in Japan and it is my home, I have been here for years, and I am not all that happy about having to be screened again. I have been screened many many times for my visa, for my alien registration card, and numerous other bits of rediculus paperwork that simply never helped anyone. This is just another excuse to annoy everyone. If the Ministry was serious about stopping terrorism in Japan, they would take the fingerprints of Japanese too (remember that in the history of Japan there have been many terrorist attacks but all have been commited by Japanese). But of course, the Japanese would revolt like the foreigners did LAST time Japan had a fingerprinting system for alien registration cards which was, due to the rebellion, abolished in 1999.

[jasonbvr]

I personally favor fingerprint cataloguing but only if it is done across the board. In other words, I think every country should be cataloguing both visitors and their own citizens upon immigration. I don't really understand the arguments based on privacy. As far as I am concerned, providing a fingerprint as a form of identification makes more sense than say a passport number or social security number. Fingerprints are much harder to steal and fake than a number. While we are at it, how about throwing a retina scan as well.

[MMM]

I am not sure how it could be argued that it is a violation of your rights. Being able to travel to other countries is a priviledge, not a right. If Japan says I need to give a fingerprint to get, it is my choice to not give it, and not enter the country. Having been in Japan during the Sarin subway attack and in the USA during 9/11, I am all for increased security. I do not think a fingerprint is a violation of privacy. Tapping my phone, reading my email...THAT'S a violation of privacy.