The government has submitted to the Diet a bill to introduce a "common number system" under which the government would issue each citizen with an electronic chip-equipped ID card that contains the cardholder's personal information for taxation and social welfare purposes.
The government says the ID number system would enhance administrative efficiency and fairness in taxation and the distribution of social welfare resources. But it could also enable the government to systematically access vital information on each citizen and expand its control over the population.
The government hopes to introduce the system in January 2015, but there is no need to rush. The issue requires careful and informed discussion by both the public and the Diet.