Japan mulls preclearance for S Koreans for speedy immigration check

This setup is only effective if the country being left does not perform exit checks.

Why don't the Japanese end their discriminatory behavior and speed up procedures for ALL visitors, or at least the visa-waiver country ones? The last time I came though Narita, there was only one re-entry booth open with about 40 people lined up. The foreign visitor counters were even worse, huge numbers of people and barely moving at all.

The desks for the smaller number of Japanese citizens were fully staffed (so much for the "labor shortage) with no waiting at all. When I got to the baggage carousal nearly an hour later, the only people there were non-Japanese. The Japanese travelers had all already hopped about the Narita Express or Skyliner on their way home. Totally unfair, just like this measure mentioned above.

Maybe it's just timing or awareness.

I came back last week through KIX, re-entry and foreign visitors lines were starting to full up, once the Japanese lines cleared up, some immigration clerks started directing visitors and re-entry to the available lines. It took almost 20 minutes.

 once the Japanese lines cleared up, some immigration clerks started directing visitors and re-entry to the available line

Which begs the question as to why are Japanese immigration's resources so heavily assigned to Japanese citizens? Common sense would say because they are deemed requiring more extensive inspections than foreigners. In fact, from what I've seen, the Japanese are merely waved on thru the counters. The only explanation is discrimination. Not a great first impression for visitors to Japan. Omotenashi? LOL.

Creating a Koreans only fast lane is going to create lots of resentment while everyone has to wait for them to go first.

try going through atlanta immigration with a foreign passport.

i remember many times at narita when people would direct us with permanent resident visas into the japanese lines when the others were backed up.

So, would this preclearance be like the US preclearance at selected worldwide airports where the US bound flights would be treated like domestic flights? If not, what's the point? If so, then passengers going to Japan can go through South Korea to Japan and would skip immigration in Japan once touching down in Japan.

Why don't the Japanese end their discriminatory behavior and speed up procedures for ALL visitors, or at least the visa-waiver country ones?

Because other countries don't give Japanese visitors a hard time so there is no incentive for them to stem their disgusting behavior.

What I WISH civilized countries would do is cancel visa free travel for all countries that practice collecting fingerprints and photos as well as other intrusive measures.

The only explanation is discrimination.

absolutely

Not a great first impression for visitors to Japan. Omotenashi? LOL.

that's a made up BS word and it doesn't exist. Omotenashi my butt.

Creating a Koreans only fast lane is going to create lots of resentment while everyone has to wait for them to go first.

I agree. But hopefully it will lead to a backlash with other countries hopefully reciprocating in some way.

If not, what's the point? If so, then passengers going to Japan can go through South Korea to Japan and would skip immigration in Japan once touching down in Japan.

That's a good point but I think that it only applies if you show a korean passport

We went to Korea in Obon and there were long queues at Incheon immigration. We went on an LCC called Jeju, which are notorious for delays and the flight was delayed by one hour, so we ended up arriving at a distant terminal (typical LCC) at the same time as other flights. So I can see why procedures should be speeded up at the Korea end. Often these things are biciprocal, so it would be good for Japan to do it too.

Lots of LCCs now, going to cheaper airports, cheaper terminals, and turning up whenever they can get their act together. So more strain on immigration staff and more reason to simplify things.

It's nice to see relations between Japan and SK warming, compared to a few years of weird hostility on the part of SK. We visited SK in 2019, shortly before the hysteria took hold, and everyone we encountered was quite friendly to my Japanese wife.

It was weird to see all the hate and resentment towards Japanese on TV and news media so soon after we encountered such relatively pleasant attitudes. Although, TBF, the hospitality in general didn't compare to what one sees in Japan on a daily basis.

"Japan mulls preclearance for S Koreans for speedy immigration check."

What is there to mull about? Any actions that contribute to the process efficiency while maintaining security should be welcomed.

The headline. I initially read: "Japan mulls preclearance for 5 Koreans for speedy immigration check". Almost was thinking this was the Onion again.

this is just a common sense thing todo:

Having a "preclearance" between two frequently visited destination is kinda common sense. There is something similar between US and Canada where people travelling from Canada from certain airports go through US border checks in Canada. When they land in US, they are treated like domestic travellers where there is no additional checks. Japan having this from Korea and Taiwan makes sense. Maybe even from China in the future.

Having the lane moving faster for their own citizens is also kinda the norm for almost every country that I have ever visited. People sometime forget that they are "the foreigner" when not in their home country.

Lines at Narita and Haneda are getting longer year by year

But compared to the US or Heathrow they aren't so bad

Having the lane moving faster for their own citizens is also kinda the norm for almost every country that I have ever visited. People sometime forget that they are "the foreigner" when not in their home country.

Never underestimate how stupid people can be.

same system as flying from toronto or vancouver to the u.s. you go through u.s. immigration at the depature airport, so you just get off the plane at your u.s. destination.

i did it once in toronto and stood in line for an hour.

f not, what's the point? If so, then passengers going to Japan can go through South Korea to Japan and would skip immigration in Japan once touching down in Japan.

That's a good point but I think that it only applies if you show a korean passport

Wait a minute. That would lead to more confusions because pre-clearance means going to a border pre check in another country so your flight would be treated more as a domestic, rather than an international flight. So, as you said, if it only applies if you show a Korean passport, how would that work when you go through security in Seoul and on your flight when you touchdown in Japan? I'm not disagreeing with you, but just asking?

same system as flying from toronto or vancouver to the u.s. you go through u.s. immigration at the depature airport, so you just get off the plane at your u.s. destination.

i did it once in toronto and stood in line for an hour.

That also happened to my flight in Vancouver while connecting on to my US flight. There was only one US border officer for our flight and half of us, including myself, ended up missing our connecting flights to US destinations. That was the last time I went through Vancouver on a US bound connecting flight.

So does a pre-check mean that if a zipper is done in Korea, it won't be necessary on the Japanese side?

I think it will just mean that Koreans who try to shove a bar of gold up their ass and exchange it for cash in Japan will be turned a blind eye.

At the very least, Koreans, who are prone to crime, need to have their visas reinstated and be forced to take fingerprints.