foreign residents and other issues.

In order to realize smooth examination for landing of foreign nationals including tourists upon their entry into Japan, one goal is to shorten the examinations for landing for a large number of problem-free foreign nationals while introducing a secondary examination system $ ^{*1} $ and a pre-clearance system $ ^{*2} $ to secure strict examination depending on the situation.

## (4) Appropriate Acceptance of Foreign College and Pre-college Students

Foreign college and pre-college students in Japan are called “ambassadors from the future” since they are expected to increase mutual understanding and to deepen the friendship between Japan and other countries. Foreign nationals who are interested in Japan and choose to study at colleges or pre-college schools in Japan can be expected to become those who truly understand Japan though their studies and experience of Japanese culture. If such foreign nationals gain special knowledge and skills and become active in Japan or foreign countries, this will help support Japan’s development in both economic and cultural fields. From this viewpoint, foreign college and pre-college students should be openly accepted.

In 2003, although Japan achieved the 1983 plan to accept 100,000 foreign students, a significant number of the foreign nationals disguised themselves as college or pre-college students to enter and stay in Japan when, in fact, their real purpose was to work. Some foreign nationals who entered Japan as college or pre-college students ended up working illegally or committing crimes for financial and other reasons. Therefore, there is a need to improve the quality of the policy for accepting foreign students.

In order to accept as college or pre-college students foreign nationals who truly wish to study in Japan and who will become active in various fields with a good understanding of Japan, it is necessary to improve education at colleges and other schools and to implement appropriate selection of school entrants and efficient management of their enrollment. For the purpose of allowing foreign students to increase their motivation for learning and to study without anxiety, it is also vital to expand scholarships, develop housing and other conditions and improve the quality of college education.

A cooperative link between these measures and the immigration control administration is of great importance, and through such means as utilizing the results of Japanese language tests

*1 The secondary examination system is designed to ensure both smooth, swift examinations for landing and strict examinations. Under the system, foreign nationals who clearly meet the conditions for landing may be given permission for landing at the landing examination booths. Those whose purposes for entry and other matters engender some doubt may be moved to a different booth for secondary examination in order to carry out a stricter examination of satisfaction of the conditions for landing.

*2 The pre-clearance system means that immigration officers are sent to foreign airports for preliminary checks of foreign nationals traveling to Japan. Foreign nationals who have reasons to be rejected by Japan may be recommended to cancel their trips to Japan. These officers may also confirm foreign nationals' planned activities in Japan as authentic at foreign airports so that their examination process at Japanese airports or seaports may be simplified thereby shortening their waiting time and forestalling illegal residence problems.