## (1) Strengthened Immigration Control of the Regional Immigration Bureaus such as the Narita Airport District Immigration Office

The “Basic Act for Promoting a Tourism-Oriented Country” was put into force in January 2007 and the “Basic Plan for Promoting a Tourism-Oriented Country” was decided by the Cabinet in June of year 2007. In June 2010, “the New Growth Strategy” aiming to “increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan to 25 million by 2020” was determined by the Cabinet. In the “New Growth Strategy and Plans”, “Efforts to increase visitors from China” and “The reduction of waiting time required for immigration inspection”, and other objectives were specified. Under such circumstances, the number of foreign nationals entering Japan, which decreased temporarily due to global economic recession and other influences in Japan, tended toward recovery due to economic recovery in Asian regions and the easing of visa requirements for Chinese tourists. As a result, the number of non-Japanese visitors entering the nation reached a record number of approximately 9.44 million in 2010. It is necessary to make efforts to shorten the waiting time for examination at individual airports and seaports including Narita Airport of which landing slots will increase to 250,000 in order to promote the implementation of a tourism-oriented country, and at the same time, to implement strict immigration examination as countermeasures against terrorism and illegal residents.

For this purpose, 113 additional immigration inspectors were allocated to individual bureaus and branch offices, mainly focused on the Narita Regional Immigration Bureau.

## (2) Strengthened Residence Management System of the Regional Immigration Bureaus such as the Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau

In the light of the circumstances under which the number of foreigners residing in Japan increases year by year, the “Three-year Program for Promoting Deregulation (revised)” decided by the Cabinet in March 2008 mentioned the need for an overall review of the alien registration system and the residence management system to reinforce the checking system for foreign nationals after entering Japan. And accordingly the revised Immigration Control Act was enacted and promulgated in July 2009. In addition, “the Action Plan of Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons in 2009”, which was formulated by the Ministerial Meeting on Anti-Crime Measures in December of the same year, requires “the prevention of trafficking crimes involving false/illegal residence through the strict residence management”.

Meanwhile, a system for more appropriate management of applications became necessary, due to the enforcement of provisions concerning “special exception on the period of stay for those who have filed applications such as application for extension of the period of stay” set forth in said revised Immigration Control Act, so that the permission could be decided within two months after the expiration following the reception of applications.

As one of the measures to reinforce the checking system for foreign nationals after entering Japan, the Immigration Bureau receives the information concerning the current employment situation of foreign nationals from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (public employment security offices) and analyzes the situation of foreign nationals, while