NARITA, Japan (Reuters) - Japan began fingerprinting foreigners entering the country on Tuesday in an anti-terrorism policy that has sparked complaints from human right activists, business travellers and long-term residents.
"At a time when terrorism is occurring throughout the world, we want foreigners entering Japan to cooperate, and to understand that it is better for them as well that Japan be safe," said Hisashi Toshioka, head of the Immigration Bureau at Narita airport, the main international airport serving Tokyo.
"The biggest objective is to prevent terrorism."
Critics, however, say the new procedures reflect a deeply entrenched view in Japan of foreigners as more likely to commit crimes and plays down the possibility of home-grown terrorism.
"In Japan, fingerprinting has been limited to those arrested for crimes, so treating foreigners the same way is a serious human rights violation," said Mitsuru Namba, a lawyer at the Japan Federation of Lawyers Associations.
"The government says the aim is to prevent terrorism, but in the background is discrimination linking foreigners with crime and overstaying visas," Namba said, noting the data would be kept even after a visitor was deemed not to be a terrorist suspect.
Some foreign visitors arriving at Narita were unfazed by the new procedures, which involve electronic scanning of both index fingers as well as taking a digital facial photo.
The data is compared with international and domestic lists and anyone considered to be a terrorist -- or refusing to cooperate -- will be denied entry and deported.
"It didn't bother me at all. It was pretty uninvasive," said Jake Heinrich, 33, an Australian who works at a language school.
"These days, it probably makes you feel a little safer."
