Japan mulls language requirement 

Japan will consider tightening its long-term visa conditions by requiring applicants to pass a language test, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said.

There is at present no requirement for Japan's more than 2 million foreign residents to master the language, which in its written form includes about 2,000 Chinese characters in everyday use.

"For foreign people living in Japan to be able to speak Japanese is not only important for improving their own quality of life, but also necessary for Japanese society as a whole," Kyodo news agency quoted Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura as telling reporters.

Kyodo said cracking down on illegal immigration was likely another aim of the move. Japan started fingerprinting and photographing almost all foreign entrants in November, including permanent residents.

The foreign and justice ministries will soon begin consultations on the language-requirement proposal, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tomohiko Taniguchi said. The change is expected mainly to affect work visas, Kyodo said.

As of the end of 2006, there were 2.08 million foreigners legally resident in Japan, almost 30% of whom were of Korean origin.

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