Japan Facing Customs Officer Shortage amid Growing Foreign Visitors

October 3, 2018

Tokyo- Japan is faced with a serious shortage of customs officers for border controls amid an increase of travelers from abroad.

As the number of foreign tourists is expected to rise further toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the Finance Ministry hopes to boost the maximum number of customs officers by 263 in fiscal 2019, which begins in April next year, from 9,387 at the start of fiscal 2018, to ensure smooth customs inspections and thoroughly implement measures to prevent terrorism and other crimes.

In addition, the ministry aims to secure a budget of 5.9 billion yen in fiscal 2019 for introducing high-performance metal detectors and X-ray security screening equipment.

In the Kyushu region of southwestern Japan, located close to China and South Korea, large cruise ships with thousands of tourists from the two countries arrive one after another.

Moji Customs in the region, in the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, carries out border controls with support from officers dispatched from nearby customs.

"If something illicit is found, such as an unauthorized drug, we get caught up in related paper work and inspections," said an official at Moji Customs. "As a result, delays are caused in our usual customs operations."

Nagasaki Customs in the city of Nagasaki, also in the Kyushu region, which covers Amamioshima, Yakushima and other remote islands that are popular tourist destinations, sends staff to ports every time a cruise ship arrives.

Another factor behind the shortage of customs officers is an increase of gold smuggling cases stemming from soaring gold prices.

The number of such cases detected in 2017 rose 66 pct from the previous year to a record 1,347, with the amount of seized gold jumping 2.2-fold to 6,236 kilograms, also a record high.

The Japanese government aims to increase the number of foreign visitors to the country from some 20 million in 2015 to 40 million in 2020 and 60 million in 2030.

"The workload is always increasing," said a senior official of the Customs and Tariff Bureau at the Finance Ministry.

"Streamlining our workflow through equipment upgrades and increasing the staff are essential, in order to conduct baggage checks properly," the official said.

While the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached 28.69 million in 2017, up more than threefold from 8.35 million on 2007, the maximum number of customs officers at the beginning of fiscal 2018 was up only 9.6 pct from fiscal 2007. Jiji Press