### 5. Strengthening Cooperation with Domestic Organizations

## (1) Coastal Operations in Cooperation with Related Organizations

In January 2005, the NPA, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance, introduced an Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) $ ^{1} $ which could collate information on passengers arriving in Japan by plane with information held by the above ministries on suspects before they enter the country. Initially, the system was carried out through the voluntary cooperation of each airline, but with the partial revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act in May 2006, since February 2007, the captain of every aircraft or ship is required to provide information on passengers in advance. Furthermore, in November of the same year, in order to prevent the use of forged passports and the illegal entry of terrorists and other malicious characters pretending to be another person, foreign nationals are required to submit fingerprints and other individual identification information upon entering the country.

Note 1: Advance Passenger Information System

According to the Action Plan for Prevention of Terrorism established in December 2004 by the Headquarters for the Promotion of Measures against Transnational Organized Crime, it was decided that with the cooperation of the NPA, the Ministry of Justice would begin to use the information on lost or stolen passports collected in the database of the ICPO for immigration screening. The NPA thus worked with the Ministry of Justice to develop a system for the sharing of the database, and in 2009, the Ministry of Justice began to utilize it.

With these efforts, strict disembarkation screening by the Ministry of Justice Immigration Bureau, inspection by customs, crackdowns by the police on international organized crimes and terrorist groups are becoming more efficient.

## (2) Promotion of Various Police Activities in Communities where Foreign Nationals Reside

Differences in languages and customs in regions where many foreign nationals reside make communication between such foreign nationals and Japanese citizens difficult and results in a high occurrence of troubling incidents in daily life. It is also very difficult to gather information on safety in such regions.

Within such situations, foreign nationals are unable to grow accustomed to Japanese society, and run the risk of being drawn into crimes and other incidents. There is the possibility that international criminal organizations have infiltrated many such communities, and that foreign nationals themselves are causing crime.

With the aim of having foreign nationals acquire the knowledge they need to live their lives in Japan smoothly, the police link up with related organizations and groups in regions inhabited by many foreign nationals and actively implement various police activities, such as courses on preventing crime and instructions on traffic safety.

Developing an understanding of the knowledge necessary to live smoothly in Japan is a good opportunity for foreigners to grow accustomed to Japanese society. Having foreigners participate in crime prevention patrols is thought to help them develop the mindset of being a member of their community. In addition to helping to prevent foreign nationals from becoming involved in crime and other incidents, it is expected that these efforts will help to prevent the infiltration of foreign communities by international criminal organizations.

## 1 ) Initiatives by the Gunma Prefectural Police

### a. Cooperating with students to establish an International Student Safety Volunteer Club

In October 2009, international and Japanese university students in Gunma Prefecture created an International Student Safety Volunteer Club (YUI). This club was created out of the Prefectural International Student Network created at the recommendation of the police in November 2008, and draws the participation of international and domestic university students going to school in the prefecture.