Tokyo train station gets facial scan payment systems

First they want to scan our brains for passwords, now they want to scan our faces as train passes? Privacy advocates, get on your tin foil hats facemasks, we've received report that Tokyo's Kasumigaseki Station will be shutting down their totally antiquated FeliCa RFID / NFC payment systems for an hour or two daily for a couple weeks, and switching on biometric cameras that snap faces, match them to train passes, and grant entry (or deny it if your train fare's depleted or late, or you, you know, are a terrorist). Despite lawyers calling it of questionable or outright dubious legality, it's gonna happen over there alright -- at least at Kasumigaseki Station -- so if you're in Tokyo and use this station, we have two suggestions: first is to wear a rubber mask of your pal so as to get on free and avoid detection. Second is to go to the next stop down the road in a show of protest for this system and in support of basic civil liberties and rights to privacy. You know, either works.

[Via Smart Mobs]

[joe @ Apr 27th 2006 10:59AM]

Isn't that the DC Metro?

[guest @ Apr 27th 2006 11:01AM]

surely looks like it

[S.M.Mehdi Hassan @ Apr 27th 2006 11:02AM]

Japan is always trying new technologies this is just another new invention in security. Developed countries are all switching to tight security in fear of terrorist attack.

[Galls @ Apr 27th 2006 11:10AM]

I can assure you this tech will only be used during very slow periods. I pretty much do the equivlant of this work for the US and facial recognition is possible but not in large scale. There just is not enough bandwidth or processing power to analyze a group of faces.

[Fanguad @ Apr 27th 2006 11:10AM]

The summary takes some liberties with the text of the article (maybe they have other sources?). It doesn't say anything about granting access based on the biometric data. They're just testing it to see how well it works. Furthermore, it won't be at work on the general public (thus the "closing down"). So no need to get out your tin-foil hats just yet.

Also interesting is that Kasumigaseki is near a lot of government buildings in downtown Tokyo. Maybe that has something to do with the location.

[ash @ Apr 27th 2006 11:18AM]

the pic looks like a station from the Washington DC metro system

[Phong @ Apr 27th 2006 11:24AM]

If the picture shows DC Metro, then I don't trust this article.

[Mix @ Apr 27th 2006 11:38AM]

Jfox, ha ha. I think they just trying new security level. I hope no one other will decide to make it. And what if my face changes?! For example some plastic operation or disaster?

[B. Minich, PI @ Apr 27th 2006 11:54AM]

That is without question the DC Metro. The station is right, and if you look on the train, you can make out a motion-blurred "M" logo that is on all the Metro trains.

[diulei @ Apr 27th 2006 12:02PM]

Tokyo public transit system > DC public transit. While living in Japan, I came back to the states and visited DC and realized just how crappy our American public transportation is.

[Wayne @ Apr 27th 2006 12:05PM]

Um, the photo is just another photoshoped image engadget uses to represent an artical.

The story at the end of the link doesn't even have a picture.

[Ryan Block @ Apr 27th 2006 12:08PM]

Yeah, that was a free-license image of the DC Metro I photoshopped -- we like to have images. Why would you not trust the article because of a demonstratory image? That's just silly.

Best, Ryan

[umijin @ Apr 27th 2006 12:30PM]

I can tell you it's not Kasumigaseki station. That station doesn't even look that nice - quite dirty in comparison. Kasumigaseki is a hub for three subway lines running through central Tokyo. My wife works at the next station on the Hibiya line, so I know it fairly well.

This area has quite a few gaijin working or passing through, due to nearby embassies and such. I suppose they want to increase their chance of actually testing their machine on non-Asian faces. I second the comment about not doing it during busy times - that will never fly. People wouldn't put up with the wait, and when the trains are packed - I dunno how everyone could get scanned quickly enough.

[B. Minich, PI @ Apr 27th 2006 12:37PM]

Looks like one of the newer, brighter Metro cars too.

[Hannah @ Apr 27th 2006 2:40PM]

I agree, that's totally the D.C. Metro. To those of you who denigrate it, however, I would like to remark that it's much better than Philadelphia's subway system! But enough about that...

As some other commenters on this thread have pointed out, Kasumigaseki Station is close to a number of government buildings. It was also one of the targets of a terrorist attack by a cult called Aum Shinrikyo in March of 1995 - they released home-brewed nerve gas in the subways, killing a few people and injuring hundreds more. At the time of the gas attack, several leaders and members of Aum Shinrikyo were already suspected of criminal activities and under investigation.

So I can understand why the Japanese want to try something like this, particularly at Kasumigaseki station. Being able to profile suspected terrorists and criminals might prevent another disaster like the Aum Shinrikyo attack, or at least minimize the damage and chaos that follows. But I still think it's rather impractical, and an invasion of privacy.

[MT @ Apr 27th 2006 4:16PM]

Metro opens doors!

[rolfo87 @ Apr 27th 2006 4:36PM]

thats a nice station....the stations over here (fairfax) are all too ghetto....but the fact that they use a picture of a different metro station does not make the article less valid....they just dont have a picture of the tokyo station

[Tim @ Apr 27th 2006 6:33PM]

At least find a proper photo for Kasumigaseki eki

http://images.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=Chikatetsu%20&oe=UTF-8&percentage_served=*:100&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

[Wario @ Apr 27th 2006 7:12PM]

what if my no good waste of a twin brother is in the tubes at the same time as me?

[the truth hurts @ Apr 27th 2006 8:13PM]

Okay, so it is the dc metro, which if you have ever been in, reminds you of star wars. I guess it was a fair assumption by an engadget editor that to alot of people japan = star wars.

Facial recognition system in japan, i believe the phrase is an oxymoron.

[J.Z. @ Apr 28th 2006 12:01AM]

I just came back from tokyo and the train line system is pretty nice. Very easy to get around in tokyo. However, I feel Paris can give it a run for its money in that category.

Hong Kong gets my vote for the best overall system. Super clean, techie, and very fast.

[peb @ Apr 28th 2006 1:46AM]

I like how more has been made about the fact that the picture is of the DC metro, than the actual content of the article. Just to add my two cents, it looks like the woodley park station

[Tailless Terry @ Apr 28th 2006 7:01AM]

What happens if somone who closely resembles you passes by.... there are plenty of people out there who look like eveyrone else

[z @ Apr 28th 2006 10:12PM]

The picture Shows Dc.... nah nah nah..

WOULD YOU STOP CRYING PLEASE?

tnx

[the truth hurts @ Apr 28th 2006 11:06PM]

oh come on Tailless Terry, what are the chances that two people in japan will look alike?

[Tailless Terry @ Apr 29th 2006 9:15AM]

oh your rite asians all look totally different i forgot thanks truth