Said A. Bahashawan's Nov. 2 letter, "Money declaration a key tool" -- which rebuts my Oct 30 letter, "Another Dumb Immigration Rule" -- entirely misses the point. To have to count up every single foreign currency note and coin in my possession every time I return to Japan as a foreign resident is, I again maintain, petty, stupid and mindlessly bureaucratic, and will do nothing to assist in controlling money laundering, etc.
If, on the other hand, the question is rephrased to resemble the wording on several other countries' immigration forms ("Declare here any foreign cash in your possession over $10,000 or equivalent"), and if the random spot-checks to verify foreign currency cash amounts that individuals actually have in their possession are applied to returning Japanese nationals as well, I would have no objection at all.
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