Japan to screen faces of departing foreigners

Tokyo: The system, which screens the faces of Japanese nationals returning home, will now also be used for foreigners leaving Japan from next year.

The system allows a single immigration officer to oversee multiple stations, freeing other officers to screen foreigners for entry and deal with suspicious persons.

The Japan government is currently hoping that through the system, it will strengthen the country’s anti-terrorism measures for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Under the system, the photograph stored on a passport’s smart chip and photos taken at immigration counters are checked by computers to confirm whether both photos are of the same person.

Travellers place their passports over an electronic reader and position their faces close to an attached camera. If a match is determined, entry or exit is approved.

Screenings take about 15 seconds, and the system can adapt to age-related changes.

“There would be almost no cases of misidentification,” a senior ministry official said.

The government began using the system in October last year for re-entry screenings of Japanese citizens at Haneda.

Three machines handle about 20% of all returnees, or about 2,600 people, every day at the airport.

The government plans to start installing a total of 134 more machines at Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Chubu and Fukuoka airports this year.

The system will also be used to screen foreigners leaving the country at the five airports next year.

In conventional entry and exit screenings, an immigration officer usually confirms a person’s identity through an interview-style interaction.

With facial recognition, one immigration officer could oversee the system on several machines, shortening the time required for screenings.

It is estimated that by operating 137 machines, dozens of officials will be able to undertake different duties. — The Japan News/Asia News Network