New resident's cards run into technical glitch on first day

By Jahanzaib Bin Liaquat

Correspondent, SAM Daily Times

TOKYO —Reports from the Tokyo Regional Immigration branch at NIA indicate that the system of issuing new resident cards to arriving foreigners, developed a technical glitch, causing authorities to consider a temporary halt to issue of the cards.

The system had been functioning normally from 8:30 a.m., when cards were issued to the first 14 foreigners but subsequently began experiencing problems exchanging data with the server, at 1:30 p.m., efforts to restore operations were still ongoing, and immigration authorities were reportedly considering temporary countermeasures. An update by NHK issued at 3:25 p.m. noted that technical difficulties were being experienced at all 14 immigration facilities in the Kanto Koshinetsu region, with issue of the cards, when possible at all, requiring over two hours per person.

The cause of the trouble was not immediately clear.