In 2015, a record 19.74 million foreign visitors arrived in Japan, compelling the government recently to double its target for the number of tourists it hopes to attract annually by 2020.
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Users will need to register two fingerprints at their arrival airport, along with credit or debit card details, which are then encrypted. It aims to realize the system by the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. They are located in areas that are popular among foreign tourists such as Hakone, Kamakura, Yugawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The government plans to substitute fingerprint authentication for that requirement.
The experiment would allow the government to fully evaluate the system before making any sweeping changes before the game.
The state-of-the-art system will allow travellers to make payments for products and other services using only their fingerprint, according to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.
As far as the issue of how and where the system will be used by the tourists, the government has stated that the data will be managed by a particular consultative body that will be led by the government.
It’s not a completely new idea in Japan – In October previous year, a theme park in Nagasaki introduced fingerprint payments for about 30 of its stores and restaurants.
However, critics are concerned about the reaction of tourists when they will be asked to share personal information like fingerprints with the authorities, hotels, and retailers, etc. Currently, some 300 stores, restaurants, hotels, and other places of commerce are signed up to participate in the initial testing of the fingerprint payment option.
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“The system is also superior in the area of security, such as preventing people from impersonating our customers”, an official from the bank said.
