Japan will start a system on Jan. 4 in which information on passengers flying to the country will be provided to authorities in an effort to enhance security against terrorism and criminals, government officials said Tuesday.

Under the so-called advanced passenger information system, airlines will send the names, gender and dates of birth of passengers, including Japanese citizens, to a data center in Japan when they go through boarding procedures at overseas airports for flights to Japan, the officials said.

The system was jointly developed by the National Police Agency, the Justice Ministry and the Finance Ministry.

The agency as well as immigration and customs authorities will then screen the data to check if any suspicious individuals are boarding Japan-bound planes, the officials said.

The system will be utilized to help identify terrorists, prevent illegal entries and clamp down on smuggling, the officials said.

The information will be used only for investigative purposes and will be erased after a set time, they said.

The system will be initially launched with about 20 domestic and overseas airlines, which accepted the government's request to join. The government asked about 60 airlines that operate flights linking Japan to join.

Passengers whose information is provided to Japanese authorities and who pass the screening will be allowed to use a priority gate at airports for prompt immigration control procedures, they said.