“Authorities have been trialing this biometric eGate technology at the Tokyo International Airport since October, and further deployments are planned for the Chubu Centrair International Airport, Kansai International Airport, and Fukuoka Airport.”

Biometric eGates went into operation today at Japan’s Narita airport.

The eGates’ functionality revolves around facial recognition, with technology from Panasonic being used to scan the faces of Japanese citizens and compare them to biometric data contained in their passports. As The Japan Times reports, 31 such eGates are to go into operation this month at Narita airport, which is Japan’s primary hub for international flights.

Authorities have been trialing this biometric eGate technology at the Tokyo International Airport since October, and further deployments are planned for the Chubu Centrair International Airport, Kansai International Airport, and Fukuoka Airport.

The eGates prefigure a comprehensive biometric entry and exit system planned for Japan, and reflect the government’s growing interest in biometric technology more broadly. Government authorities have also been involved in the development of a biometric payment system aimed in part at letting tourists make purchases with only their fingertips during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the implementation of biometric border screening may also be seen as a security measure anticipating the international sporting event.

Source: The Japan Times