Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
This will enable the Minister of Justice to accurately and continuously keep information related to the residence conditions of foreign nationals. Information on the situation of the foreign nationals residing in Japan for a mid to long term kept accurately under the system will be reflected in the Residential Basic Books for Foreign Nationals newly established in accordance with the Act for Partial Amendment of the Residential Basic Book Act kept by the municipal governments; and as a result, foreign residents will be able to receive better public services.

Along with the introduction of a system to keep accurate information necessary for residency management, measures to enhance convenience, including extension of the maximum period of stay and a review of the re-entry permit system, have been taken. The detailed measures are as shown below.

## (1) Measures to Establish a System Enabling the Minister of Justice to Accurately and Continually Collect and Maintain Necessary Information

A. The Minister of Justice shall issue a residence card to mid to long-term residents certifying their name, nationality/region and other basic matters for identification, such as the status of residence, period of stay.

B. Mid to long-term residents shall notify the Minister of Justice of the place where they have decided to reside after landing via the head of the municipality where they live, within a prescribed period of time. (The place of residence will be stated on their residence card.)

C. Mid to long-term residents shall notify the Minister of Justice of any change in not only the matters contained in their residence card (a change in the place of residence will be reported via the municipal head), but also the organization to which they belong and their personal status or position, according to their status of residence.

D. The Minister of Justice shall be allowed to obtain information about mid to long-term residents from the organizations to which they belong.

E. The Minister of Justice shall be allowed to inquire into the notified matters, if necessary, in order to keep the information on mid to long-term residents updated.

F. Notification of a false place of residence and failure to continue to engage in the activities corresponding to the status of residence while residing in Japan for six months or more without a justifiable reason were added to the grounds for revocation of status of residence.

G. With regard to the forgery of residence cards, penal provisions and grounds for deportation were established. Penalties related to illegal employment were revised.

## (2) Measures for Increased Convenience for Foreign Nationals with a Legal Status Lawfully Residing in Japan

A. The maximum period of stay was extended from three years to five years.

B. The valid period of the re-entry permission was extended. In principle, foreign nationals who have valid passports and residence cards who will re-enter Japan within one year from their departure need not apply for re-entry permission (introduction of a “system for special re-entry permission”).
## ③ Measures for Special Permanent Residents

Along with the introduction of the new residency management system, the special permanent resident system was reviewed.

As there have been no particular problems with the special permanent resident system, the system was improved from the viewpoint of enhancing convenience for the special permanent residents, but essentially retained the status quo, as follows. The improved system was enforced on July 9, 2012 as was the new residency management system.

A. The Minister of Justice shall grant a special permanent resident certificate that certifies legal status as a special permanent resident.

B. The maximum period of validity of a re-entry permission has been extended. In principle, special permanent residents who have valid passports and special permanent resident certificates and re-enter Japan within two years from their departure date need not apply for a re-entry permit (introduction of the “system for special re-entry permission”).

## Article: Basic Resident Registration System for Foreign Residents

In the wake of the introduction of the new residency management system, the Alien Registration Act was abolished and, at the same time, the Act for Partial Revision of the Residential Basic Book Act (Act No.81 of 1967; hereinafter referred to as the "Residential Basic Book Act") (Act No.77 of 2009) came into force. As a result, foreign residents are now governed by the Residential Basic Book Act and their residence records are issued by the municipality with jurisdiction over their place of residence as is the case with Japanese nationals.

Under the amended Residential Basic Book Act, for example, a copy of the residence record containing all members of the household can be issued with respect to a household composed of different nationalities (e.g., a non-Japanese husband and Japanese wife) which was previously identified under two separate systems (the Alien Registration Act and the Residential Basic Book Act).

The points of the residential basic book relating to a foreign resident are as follows:

## (1) Foreign nationals who are eligible will be issued with residence records

Residence records will be issued for foreign nationals falling under any of the following who have addresses in the relevant municipalities.

(i) Mid to long-term residents

(ii) Special permanent residents

(iii) Foreign nationals permitted temporary refugee or provisional stay

(iv) Persons who are to stay in Japan owing to birth $ (^{*1}) $ or persons who have renounced their Japanese nationality $ (^{*2}) $

## (2) Matters Contained in Residence Records for Foreign Residents

Resident records for foreign residents include a description of not only the basic matters for identification, such as the name and address, as with Japanese nationals, but also matters concerning national health insurance and the national pension as insured persons, and matters specific to foreign residents, such as the nationality/region, status of resi-
Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau. In addition, the “Immigration Bureau’s e-Notification System” was launched on June 24, 2013. Under that system, notifications can be submitted via the Internet from the home or office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without the need to visit the regional immigration offices counter.

## ② Inquiry into the Facts

When the Minister of Justice finds it necessary to inquire into the facts with respect to any information notified by any mid to long-term resident or any information provided by the organization to which such foreign national belongs, the Minister of Justice may have immigration officials conduct fact-finding investigations. More specifically, the competent immigration inspectors and/or immigration control officers can require the applicable mid to long-term resident and other persons concerned to appear, ask questions or request documents, and make inquiries of public officers or of public or private organizations and request the submission of reports on necessary facts, regarding his or her notification of the place of residence, notification of a change of an item on the residence card other than the place of residence, notification concerning the organization where he or she is engaging in activities, and notification concerning the mid to long-term resident by the organization of affiliation (Article 19-19 of the Immigration Control Act).

The inquiry into the facts set forth in Article 19-19 of the Immigration Control Act is conducted, limited to an inquiry into the facts relating to the submitted notification, in order that the Minister of Justice may keep accurate information necessary for residency management with proper consideration being given to the protection of personal information.

## Section 3 ☐ Public Relations Activities

In order to enable the smooth introduction of the new residency management system, the Immigration Bureau prepared and distributed leaflets and posters, made a special website, and uploaded introduction videos to the Japanese government's Internet TV site. Furthermore, the Immigration Bureau held briefing sessions for embassies in Tokyo, municipalities, airline companies and other related organizations so as to widely spread the information on the new system.

The leaflets, website and videos mentioned above are partially available in multiple languages (in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese). The leaflets giving guidance to the new residency system are available and distributed in 26 languages including Japanese, and are introduced on websites. Efforts have thus been made to translate them into as many languages as possible in order to inform as many foreign nationals as possible of the new system.
### Chapter 2. Implementation of Points-Based Preferential Immigration Treatment for Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals

## Section 1 ☐ Background to Implementation

The report prepared in May 2009 by the “Panel for Promotion of Acceptance of Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals” convened by the Chief Cabinet Secretary in July 2008, entitled “For Full-Scale Deployment of the Policy on Acceptance of Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals” referred to the “creation of preferential treatment for highly-skilled foreign professionals.” After that, in January 2010, the fifth meeting of the Immigration Policy Discussion Panel submitted to the Minister of Justice a report entitled “Future Ideal Course of Immigration Control Administration”, in which they recommended that “introduction of points-based preferential treatment suggested by the Panel for Promotion of Acceptance of Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals should be concretely discussed at the earliest possible date”.

Based on this, the “Fourth Basic Plan for Immigration Control” prepared in March 2010 advocated the acceptance of foreign nationals to revitalize the country’s economy and society, and required study of the introduction of the points-based preferential immigration treatment system.

The Immigration Bureau held discussions with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and other related ministries and agencies on points-based preferential treatment in the immigration procedures in order to promote the acceptance of foreign nationals with advanced abilities and qualifications who are expected to contribute to Japan's economic growth and the creation of new demand and employment under the current framework for accepting foreign workers, and publicized the results of their discussions on December 28, 2011. After going through the procedures for public comments for draft public notices of the Ministry of Justice to establish the points-based system, the Public Notice of the Ministry of Justice was enacted on March 30, 2012 and came into force on May 7, 2012.

## Section 2 ☐ Outline of the System

In order to promote the acceptance of foreign nationals with advanced abilities and qualities (highly skilled professionals), the points-based preferential treatment for highly skilled professionals provides three categories of activities, namely, “advanced academic research activities”, “advanced specialized/technical activities” and “advanced business and management activities”, with points being awarded according to the characteristics of the particular category for such items as “academic background”, “professional career” and “annual salary”. When a foreign national satisfies the criteria by acquiring a prescribed total of points, he or she will be recognized as a “highly-skilled foreign professional” and granted the status of residence of “Designated Activities”.

Foreign nationals who are recognized as highly-skilled professionals may receive the following preferential treatment in immigration procedures.
## Section 3 ☐ Status of Implementation

In total, 434 individuals have been recognized as highly-skilled professionals in the eleven months after the start of the preferential treatment on May 7, 2012 up until April 6, 2013.

## Section 4 ☐ Consideration for Review

Initially the Ministry of Justice was supposed to analyze the status of implementation of the points-based preferential treatment for highly-skilled professionals within one year after the start of the system and, based on the results of such analysis, hold discussions with the related ministries and agencies, and representatives from the business and labor sectors in order to review the system, but in response to the discussions of the government on ensuring further economic growth, the “Sub-panel for Discussion on the System for the Acceptance of Foreign Workers” was established in April 2013 under the “Immigration Policy Discussion Panel”, which is one of the private advisory groups of the Minister of Justice, in order to hold collective discussions with the related ministries and agencies and representatives from the business and labor sectors on the manner in which the system should be reviewed. In May 2013 the Immigration Policy Discussion Panel submitted to the Minister of Justice a report entitled “Results of the Discussions for Review of Points-Based Preferential Treatment for Highly-Skilled Professionals in Immigration Procedures”.

Also, in the “Japan Revitalization Strategy” (decided by the Cabinet on June 14, 2013), the preferential treatment for highly-skilled professionals was reviewed and it was decided that a new system would be started within the end of the year.

Based on these developments, the Immigration Bureau has been working with the related ministries and agencies to review the system.
## Chapter 3 Smooth and Strict Implementation of Immigration Examination at the Port of Entry

It is necessary to promote smooth immigration examinations at the port of entry for the great majority of unproblematic foreign nationals who come to Japan, while ensuring strict immigration examination for any foreign national who has an illegal intent. In order to increase the number of foreign nationals visiting Japan as part of efforts to achieve a tourism-oriented country, it is very important to prevent terrorists who are disguised as tourists from entering the country at the border. It is also necessary to satisfy two seemingly contradictory objectives: smooth but strict implementation of immigration examinations in an appropriate manner.

The Immigration Bureau is making efforts to implement flexible examinations on a case-by-case basis in order to achieve such objectives.

## Section 1 ◆ Efforts to Promote a Tourism-Oriented Country

## Efforts to Reduce the Waiting Time for Examination

Japan is now making government-wide efforts for the promotion of a tourism-oriented country, and the Immigration Bureau is required to enhance international exchanges that will contribute to the realization of a tourism-oriented country through smooth immigration examinations at the port of entry and departure.

The Immigration Bureau has already been making efforts to ensure smooth entry (landing) examination procedures at each airport and seaport, and is now promoting the secondary examination system introduced in FY 2005. The Bureau also set up an examination support team at the Chitose-Tomakomai Branch Office and the Haneda Airport Branch Office (at that time) in FY 2006, and at the Fukuoka Regional Immigration Bureau in FY 2009, for the purpose of providing more efficient examination support to local ports, etc.

In addition, the bureau arranges immigration booth concierges to guide foreign passengers to a vacant immigration inspection booth, check the ED cards, give instructions to the foreign national on how to fill in the cards, and assist them in the steps required for the biometrics devices $ (*) $ , in order to prevent stagnation and confusion in the vicinity of the entry (landing) examination counters and to achieve smoother examination procedures by utilizing the limited capacity of each counter as efficiently as possible.

Measures to ensure the functional operation of the examination booths for Japanese nationals and those for foreign nationals in order to promote prompter and smoother immigration procedures were finalized in the “Action Program toward Making Japan a Tourism-Oriented Country” (approved by the Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Japan as a Tourism-Oriented Country on June 11, 2013), and the Immigration Bureau is continuing its ongoing efforts and will consider what measures to take to further reduce the waiting time for examination.
commencement of the entry (landing) examination using personal biometric information to the end of March 2012, the total number of people who were issued with a deportation order or were ordered to depart at a port reached around 3,800.

On the other hand, there have been many cases of foreign nationals who attempt to enter Japan illegally using fake fingerprints created by causing direct injury to their fingers or by having plastic surgery, or using forged or illegally obtained passports, in order to avoid detection of their departure under a departure order or deportation in the past. If such a case of a foreign national using fake fingerprints occurs, the Immigration Bureau is not only responsible for implementing the deportation procedures, but is obligated to put them into the criminal procedures which have stricter punishments. Therefore, the Immigration Bureau files a report or accusation of illegal entry with the investigative authorities, and strives to detect fake fingerprints by upgrading the examination devices.

Immigration Examination

through the Use of Personal

Identification Information

Countermeasures against the counterfeiting or alteration of documents

## ② Use of ICPO’s Database on Lost and Stolen Passports

The “Action Plan for the Prevention of the Terrorism” (approved by the Headquarters for the Promotion of Measures against Transnational Organized Crime (TOC), Other Related Issues and International Terrorism on December 10, 2004) stipulated that a system to use ICPO’s Database on Lost and Stolen Passports in the process of the entry (landing) examinations should be introduced and operated as “Immediate Preventive to Combat Terrorism”. To that end, it was decided that examination procedures using said database should be put into effect in August 2009.

The Immigration Bureau seeks to detect illegal entry cases by terrorists and those contemplating illegal conduct through the misuse of lost or stolen passports, by utilizing the abovementioned database.

## ③ Immigration Examination through the Use of APIS

The Immigration Bureau is working to track international terrorists, etc., and collect information related to them in close cooperation with the relevant agencies to prevent them from entering Japan and committing terrorist acts. In the process of entry (landing) examinations, the Immigration Bureau is trying to detect terrorists, etc., by unfailingly checking foreign nationals against a blacklist based on such information.
Since February 1, 2007, all vessels and aircraft calling at a port in Japan have been required to submit, in advance, a list of crew members and passengers which contains their personal identification data. Since February 21, 2010, it has become possible to receive advance passenger information about aircraft calling at an airport through the Air-NACCS (Nippon Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System) operated by the Nippon Automated Cargo And Port Consolidated System, Inc., and a new air cargo advance passenger information system (APIS) was launched.

## Article: Activities of the Mobile Teams

As a result of the introduction of immigration examinations utilizing biometrics information in November 2007, there is the fear that those who were deported from Japan would attempt to illegally enter Japan using vessels in order to avoid entry examination, and further that the number of such illegal entrants would increase.

There is no denying that terrorists may be included in such illegal entrants. In order to deal rigorously with such situations, the Regional Immigration Bureaus in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka set up mobile teams consisting of immigration control officers (Kita-Nihon Mobile Team, Tokyo Wangan/Chiba Mobile Team, Tokyo Wangan/Yokohama Mobile Team, Kobe Mobile Team, and Nishi-Nihon Mobile Team) to strengthen countermeasures at the ports of entry. These mobile teams gather, analyze and share information on illegal foreign nationals entering and departing from Japan and conduct various joint drills, while reinforcing their cooperation with the related ministries and agencies. These mobile teams conduct patrols at the seaports and coastal areas under their jurisdictions and search onboard ships in port, as well as conducting investigations and detection of suspects, related suspects and brokers in connection with illegal immigration issues.

Scene from a joint drill by a related organization

Detection on a smuggling boat
## Article: Patrol Activities in the Transit Areas

Transit areas are special areas made available in international airports, consisting of areas through which those who enter the country by airplane move until they reach the entry examination site, and places where those who are making airplane connections can stay before they go onboard. In fact, there have been some cases of illegal entry into a third country misusing the transit areas in Japanese major airports.

There is the concern that there are some groups which facilitate terrorists disguised as tourists or

victims of trafficking in persons enter a third country.

Accordingly, in combination with strict landing examinations utilizing biometric information, officers in charge of patrol in the transit areas of Narita Airport and other major airports with transit areas monitor and detect suspicious individuals. (We have been reinforcing our efforts through organizational patrols by immigration control officers since 2006.)

Scene from patrol activity
## Article: At the front line of immigration control administration (voice of document examination office staff)(Saki Hirata, Document Examination Office, Narita Airport District Immigration Office, Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau)

The document examination office where I work is located at Narita Airport where about 90,000 travelers come and go every day. Many of you may consider forged passports as an event of an unfamiliar and distant world. However, there is no end to the number of persons who attempt to illegally enter Japan using forged passports among the regular travelers. Those who rely on such illegal means cannot enter Japan by going through the normal procedures, and may have become involved in a crime. The reason for the existence of the document examination office is to prevent such persons from entering Japan.

I think that the document examination office takes on a behind-the-scenes role in supporting entry examinations in the Immigration Bureau. However, the techniques required to “examine passports”, that is, to identify forged passports are important to prevent illegal entry. The work of examination requires attention and concentration so as to ensure that we do not overlook any small evidence, and this is mentally exhausting. I sometimes get exhausted.

However, the sense of achievement we feel when we actually examine passports and uncover a forged passport is irreplaceable. That is the driving force in my work.

Do you know how you can prove that your passport is genuine? In fact, many measures are taken to show that your passport is genuine. They are called measures to prevent forgery, as they are also the means to prevent forgery. Each country has its national pride at stake and therefore strives to develop and improve its passports to protect them from counterfeiting. We, investigators, must constantly acquire new knowledge on forgery prevention measures. We also need to gather and analyze information on forged passports from around the world, and consider measures to ensure the prevention of forgery. Those operations seem simply to be arduous. However, I believe that it is such dedicated and steady efforts that help maintain Japan's security. As an immigration officer, I wish to continually contribute to the realization of a society in which people living in Japan can live safely.