New ID cards for foriegn citizens...
 

Contain RFID

YouTube - Arudou Debito on new IC cards for foreigners in Japan

F*** you Japan.

ALL new ID cards in Japan contain RFID. Not just for foreigners. For Japanese citizens too.
Foreigner cards are going to include RFID because foreigners will be included in the SAME record system as Japanese (Juki Net) - a step closer to actually being treated the same in terms of registry and paperwork.

This whole mess has me laughing my head off. For years foreigners in Japan have been pushing to be included in the same system, treated the same as Japanese, allowed on the Juminhyo, etc... And when the government makes a move to actually DO this, people freak out because it`s including RFID...

You can`t have your cake and eat it too. You can`t just take the "good" parts of being treated the same legally and get exceptions for the "bad" parts (like RFID).

I'd take a hammer to that shit. I did to my passport.

You`re welcome to do that. Just don`t be an armchair activist screaming about the injustice of being singled out as a foreigner when that isn`t the case.
Does the RFID have the potential to be abused and to be used to single out foreigners? Yes. But potential does not indicate intent. It is in all the ID cards, regardless of whether you`re Japanese or a foreigner.

In other words, complaining about RFID in general is fine - not that there is RFID in foreigner cards (while ignoring the fact that it`s in the other cards too.)

They put RFID in everything. They put it in credit/debt cards. Yeah, I smashed that too.

I'm just not a fan of RFID, like you said, doesn't mean something can happen. But in all, it seems to Orwellian.

To be honest, I dont mind the fact that you have to have one, I kind of like it. But the fact that you have to have it on you 100% of the time, is a little over the top.

Just wait until they implant one in the back of your head. It'd make a great Youtube video. ;)

As long as you aren't doing anything criminal, what is the fuss?

Unless it's actually going into your body, I don't really see a problem with the actual chip. The privacy breach is the only thing that bugs me.

What's the privacy breach?

Can someone say "One Wolrd Government"?

Actually, I found my ARC to be kind of useful. Rules and regulations aside, it was the ONLY form of ID I had that made any sense to some Japanese people; I could waggle my UK provisional license (AKA my usual ID) at them till I was blue in the face, and it would just cause mass confusion because a) I don't think they'd ever seen one before and b) they couldn't tell which number on the card was what. It also meant I didn't have to carry my passport around with me, which I hate doing in case I lose it. At least the card just slots into the back of my wallet. Even then, though, I think I only had to use it once or twice. Most of the time it just languished in my wallet until I handed it back to customs.

I also know of one guy who must have been darn glad he had his ARC on him. He collapsed out the blue whilst he was away from the university over a weekend and had a massive seizure. Naturally he was hospitalized, but he was in the middle of nowhere, the hospital had no idea who he was, and he was pretty much solidly unconscious. He wasn't carrying his passport or university card, however, they did find his Gaijin card which obviously he was only carrying because the law said he had to. Ok, so maybe he was stupid to wander around without any other ID, but it's easily done and the card meant that the hospital could contact the university, who could contact his family, embassy, doctors back home, whatever and send someone down there to look after him.

So it's not all doom and gloom; they do seem to serve a purpose other than to help Big Brother follow you around the country. I'm sure there is some abuse of the system, but I also think this whole "The police will pick on you and make you show your card, isn't that just the meanest!" thing to be exaggerated. I cannot think of a single person there during the whole year who was ever pulled over by the police merely to make them show their card. Pulled over because they were drunk and disorderly, for sure, but that's a whole different kettle of fish. Hell, my teacher witnessed a suicide and they didn't ask him for his card once, throughout the entirety of the investigation. I don't know, maybe I'm lucky and all my personal experiences are just at odds with the scare stories, but I do think some people are whipping it into a storm and scare-mongering when they needn't be.

I guess you aren't aware that even in America you are supposed to carry ID on you at all times. If you aren't carrying an ID card or drivers license, and are stopped by the police for any reason, then they have a right to detain you until you can prove who are are. When I was a police officer, anyone who wasn't carrying an ID card was likely up to no good, and if they couldn't explain to my satisfaction that they were really who they said they were (it's pretty easy to find out when someone is lying about their identity), then they were going to be taken to the station, get fingerprinted, photographed, and wait in a cell until their ID was verified/discovered.

As for the new cards here in Japan, my drivers license already has the chip in it. I just renewed my old ARC card (they are good for 4 years, but you have to get a renewal stamp annually), I'm not sure if and when they'll have me come in for the new card.

I don't go "smashing" ID cards and other things because I don't like the fact that they contain RFID chip, that's stupid. Not having these cards pretty much relegates you to being a second or third-class person, unable to enjoy the privileges which most other people have. You can't vote, you can't drive, you can't open a bank account, and you can't travel.

I guess you missed the part:

1. I leave my house without a wallet sometimes and I have been pulled over by the police and not once did they take me to the police station to "Identify Myself". In the US you don't need to carry identification all the time though I can save your life if you are a foreigner.

2. Even if I had that card, In Japan, foreigners don’t have the right to vote, no matter how long you live there. And not only at national elections, but also at local elections. Now, if they want the right to vote, they must get Japanese nationality, because even a residency isn't good enough. And Everyone knows how long it takes to become a citizen :D

3. Since we are going to be included in the "same" file system isn't there another way to prove who we are like a Japanese native would ( because Japanese nationals are required to have them but not on them 100%) Its like a double standard...In the US we could check everyone in the system by social security, where if you are registered your pretty little face will pop up on their computers and there's no need to go a station.

4. I never Argued that this was a bad thing, I also said that I am for it. Never did I bash/smash it for being implemented as Japanese ID cards.

Foreigners cannot vote in US elections, either. I have a feeling that is probably a world-wide standard.

yea but its a hell of alot easier to become a citizen... :)

As proving that you are dedicated enough to become a citizen in Japan can take more 10 years in some cases lol

I read somewhere that permanent residents will have a vote in local government elections, or that they are at least thinking about it.

Worried about someone reading it? Line your wallet with tin foil...

I'm pretty sure if you look foreign but in reality ur a national, and they cant scan you will be pulled over :)

How did you come to this conclusion.

For those of you who think you do not have to carry a government issued ID in the U.S., times are changing. Even if you do not want to travel on any form of public transportation some states require that you carry an ID on your person at all times. Importantly, everyone born after Dec. 01, 1964 will be required to carry a federally compliant, government (state or terretorially issued) ID after December 01, 2014. So you might as well start thinking differently about your "personal ID tag". Those of us born before that date get an extra three years. If you want more details, its in Title II of the Real ID Act.

I like the idea, but not the possibility that an unauthorized person could read the chip. My passport and credit cards are now stored in wallets specifically designed to shield the contents from any electronic surveillance. You have to ask to read the chips in mine, or get it quick while I am actually using them.

If you search, there are commercial manufacturers who make very nice shielded wallet and document envelopes, that once were only used by certain specialized agencies. In fact I gave a nice leather passport wallet of to my brother, who thought it a very odd birthday present, till he read the spec sheet for it.

The guy in the video said it :P and hes a national but he looks foreign.

Isnt it the law to drive WITH your license yet I been caught without and have yet to spend 1 night behind bars. Things get lost and sometimes forgotten....should you spend countless days in prison for a simple mistake??? no,no

(So far I been pulled over in NY, NJ, and PA..same results. In fact I have about 1 year with my license MIA, but I'm gonna wait till it expires to renew it, so instead of paying for a copy of a license thats gonna expire soon I just pay the renew fee.. hehe)

I see where governments are going with this might as well get a chip in our body. This "putting" it in cards crap is just to get us confortable with the idea...then they are gonna suggest body ids (LOL ofcourse this is just my twisted mind at work but it could happen)

We already have to do that with the current alien registration cards, so nothing will change there. It's been that way for a long time.

The guy in the video absolutely LOVES to come up with tons of worst case scenarios, and hunt down anything that can be interpreted as as racism and throw a HUGE fit about it.

They don`t just walk past you and scan you. That`s not what these are designed for. They`re designed to reduce paperwork at city and town halls. Right now, it is a huge pain to do anything official as each and every hall has it`s own separate set of records. When you move, you have to go to one town hall and file paperwork that you are moving, and also get copies of all your stuff - then take it over to the new town hall and file everything again. Not just foreigners, mind you - it`s everyone. Japan finally got around to putting in a national system that can do this digitally and with ease (Juki net). The conversion process for Japanese citizens is still in progress, but it`s definitely not a system designed to discriminate against foreigners. There were a bunch of complaints that Japanese citizens got to be in the new cool system but foreigners still had to do all the registration, etc, by hand - so the new foreigner cards are to be incorporated into the Juki net system... Something which has been heralded as a great thing, as it allows government services to be offered to those eligible who would never have been noticed otherwise (as most groups don`t check the foreign resident registry). It also allows foreigners to be linked to their address in a very visible way (just like citizens) so you don`t end up with families looking like they`re single parent because one of the parents is foreign and in a different registry.

And then some people came along and saw RFID, and made the huge leap to "It`s to discriminate against us!!" while totally ignoring the fact that it`s in all the cards, not just foreigner cards.

If the guy in the video is so worried about being "pulled over because he can`t be scanned", why not carry a Juki net card? Because those carry the same chip and are part of the same system as the new foreigner cards... If police really are doing walk by scanning (which is pretty unlikely...) carrying a Juki net card would alleviate the worries.

But nope, he`d rather do some fear mongering.

Anyway, I have no problem with people being against the RFID. That`s fine - but being against it because it is in the foreigner cards, or because you think it is going to be used to discriminate against foreigners (while ignoring the fact that it is in ALL the cards) just makes me shake my head.

I don't care if its RFID, I'm just scared I might be considered an illegal if I happen to lose mine :P then thrown in jail oO ...me and rooms closed with bars are scary

That`s part of the reason why the new system is actually a good idea, as you can lose your card but still be able to check your info anywhere in Japan... Or apply for a new card anywhere in the country. Before you`d have to go to the office you were registered at and out of luck if you couldn`t get there.

Either way, they wouldn`t just toss you in jail for not having the card. If you were doing something criminal to begin with, then the card would be the last thing you`d need to worry about.
If they stop you and you have to produce identification - a passport works just as well. I hope that you don`t lose your passport on a regular basis. It`s only when you have NO way of producing ANY ID that you`re going to be looking at a jail.

If what you say is true, then I like that Japan is opening up more to immigrants then! AND that guy should stop misinforming people, because stuff he was saying was just scary...lol I don't think I ever lost my passport, so I guess I'm in the clear.

Living in Japan three years the only time I was asked to show my card when I needed work done at City Hall or a Prefectural office and at the airport. I have been to police stations many times (asking directions, recovering a stolen bike) and not once was I asked to show my card.

So you can live in fear or just enjoy yourself.

Thanks for the advice, I will choose to enjoy myself :P

I guess I was looking to much into what that dude in the video said..

I`ve lived in Japan 10 years, and the only times I have needed to present my foreigner card have been immigration related (City hall, immigration office). Anything else, and my driver`s license works with no problems at all.

That guy isn`t necessarily misinforming people - he doesn`t say anything blatantly false. He is misleading people...
He just screams (figuratively) about certain parts of certain issues while ignoring other important facts, and presents potential as intent and purpose (which it is not.)
I generally dislike him and his tactics because they make foreigners look bad in the end.

So this guy is well known?

Very much so.

That was a dumb question the guy is a Human rights Activist in Japan :D

They should do this world wide it might actually cut down on illegal immigration by a lot if you know where everyone is that is. I know a few states that would love this new technology implemented...

Calling him a human rights activist does injustice to real human rights activists.

I hate this guy too. He's overly aggressive in his tactics and it ends up looking like the worst brand of "Gaijin Whine". Every time he speaks, I almost expect him to end his sentences with "in America!" He's not a human rights activist in my book. If he were, he'd be working more to make people aware Japan's sometimes awful treatment of refugees or the 'working poor', or japanese nationals who fall through gaps in the system and I don't hear him doing anything of the sort.
In fact he doesn't talk about ANY human rights issue of real substance, he just niggles over how bureaucratic documents are handed out and clouds the issue. To top it all, I have this feeling that when he talks about 'foreigners' in Japan, I think he's only talking about those from America, or Europe or Australia. I can't see him going to talk to say, Bangladeshi immigrants working below the breadline and championing for their problems with living in Japan and racism. He'd rather have a moan about how he's discriminated against, you know, being asked if he can use chopsticks all the time is SUCH a hardship, like being asked to carry some ID. O, but doesn't your heart just ~bleed~ for him.

I'm seconding nyororin on the paperwork issue. It's a nightmare with all the paper forms and stuff in triplicate and copies and urgh... it's so slow and unwieldy. It's also the same reason why UK passports now come with a chip in them. Previously during check in, they'd have to enter each and every passenger's info into the system by hand. Now they just swipe it and the queues are much shorter as a result.

And it's nigh on impossible that any government would take this REID business to human micro-chipping standards. Why they hell would the bother when nature provides us with several very good stamps already; retinas, DNA and fingertips, all for no extra charge.

Agreed.

But 21 states in the U.S. have followed Maine's action and passed laws banning this action. Several others have bills pending to outlaw it. All 50 have extensions on the enforcement date. This could be an interesting show down in the Supreme Court. The law was passed with an effective date of May 11, 2008 and has been changed twice. Its being fought on several different constitutional principles by both traditionally liberal and conservative groups. North Carolina is already in compliance, but almost every state with significant immigration issues (except CA) is showing strong opposition.

Why its not like we don't have it inside our passports and passport cards, why not have it in out licenses and state id cards too lol

To be clear, the fight is not about RFID but a national, United States ID that would be required to get on an airplane. State IDs could be converted to also be national IDs, and everyone would be in one database.

I would feel so much safer knowing everyone's fingerprint, retinal, and personal information was in one GIGANTIC database....but everyone would start crying if that were to happen.

The minute people feel like they cant hide something they start crying "omg our rights of privacy are being taken away.."

To be fair, it is an issue of possesion. Surely your body is your own and something so personal and unique such as your DNA / fingerprint / retina should be yours to have the right to divulge or not. I don't have to explain to the the government where the birthmark is on my body and describe it in explicit detail in order to identify myself - so why should I have to give my DNA? It is really no different.

Just because it's not harming you doesn't mean it's acceptable. The government hijacking your personal information is a form of control. While I think it is perfectly acceptable if someone has commited a crime, to have a system to keep tabs on all your citizens seems a bit too orwellian for my liking.

A fingerprint or retina is not DNA. I am not aware of a government program to ID people by DNA, but if that exists, let me know.

How is "divulging" your fingerprint giving up your rights? If you aren't doing anything illegal, then what is there to be upset about? Your retina or fingerprint has no inherent value, so if sharing it ensures there are no, for example, terrorists on the plane I am about to fly it, then they have all the retina scans and fingerprints they want.