The lowest form of flattery?

In order to avoid the entry of terrorists into Japan, it has been decided to impose fingerprinting and photography at immigration.' So begins the Foreign Ministry video explaining the November changes to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.

Two months later, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura proposed adding a Japanese-language requirement for long-term foreign residents. "Being able to speak Japanese is important to improve the lives of foreign residents in Japan," he told reporters.

Recently, I was asked by Radio Australia to comment upon both these changes. I explained that the toughening of immigration controls was part of a worldwide movement, especially since the Sept. 11 attacks. In America, Europe, and Australia, public attitudes toward immigration have hardened, anti-immigration rhetoric has grown louder, and new measures aimed at better controlling immigration — both legal and illegal — introduced. There is no reason to believe that Japan should be immune from such global trends.