## ② Automated Gates

Smooth and strict examinations have been further assisted by the installation of automated gates, which allow Japanese nationals who have registered themselves as users of the automated gates and foreign nationals who meet certain requirements (such as not being a foreign national residing in Japan with the status of residence of "Temporary Visitor") who have registered themselves as a user of automated gates to go through immigration procedures without undergoing an immigration examination at an ordinary immigration booth in person. Specifically, new automated gates were installed at Narita Airport in November 2007. In September 2009, new gates were installed at Chubu Airport and Kansai Airport. Additional gates were installed at Haneda Airport in October 2010.

In August and September 2012, 24 automated gates were installed at Narita Airport and Haneda Airport on a trial basis, as part of the "Survey and Study for Improvement of the Processing Capacity of the Biometrics System", and tests of the face recognition technology were conducted. Even after the completion of those experiments, the Immigration Bureau continued its original trial utilizing the functions of the normal automated gates in order to collect long-term trial data.

User registration of automated gates was started at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau and the Narita Airport District Immigration Office in November 2007, followed by the Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau, the Chubu Airport District Immigration Office, the Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau and the Kansai Airport District Immigration Office in September 2009, and the Haneda Airport District Immigration Office of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in October 2010.

Moreover, in order to promote user registration at the automated gates and to facilitate smooth im-

migration examinations, the Immigration Bureau has improved services by introducing “mobile on-site user registration” where immigration staff visit companies and provide registration services.

As the use of automated gates for prompter immigration procedures at airports is encouraged in the “Action Program toward Making Japan a Tourism-Oriented Country” in Section 1 above, the Immigration Bureau is considering measures to encourage the use of such automated gates through public relations in collaboration with the related ministries and agencies.

Automated Gates

## 3 Response to Cruise Ship Passengers

In recent years, the number of cruise ships calling at ports in Japan have increased and they are getting much larger in size. In response to requests from the municipalities hosting the cruise ships at their ports, for prompt processing of post-arrival procedures to enable passengers to fully enjoy sightseeing and other activities within the limited time the ship stays at the port, the Immigration Bureau has been conducting prompt examinations onboard ship, while securing strict examinations, since June 2012. These efforts include preparation for onboard examinations for large-sized cruise ships, adoption of a new method of examination utilizing arrival permits at the port of call, utilization of examination devices for which the systems have been modified, and the dispatch of help personnel for examinations across Japan.

Reflecting efforts to promote prompter and smoother immigration examinations for cruise ship passengers in the “Action Program toward Making Japan a Tourism-Oriented Country” in Section 1 above and the “Japan Revitalization Strategy” in Chapter 2, Section 4, the Immigration Bureau is considering