Japan plans to fingerprint most foreign visitors aged 16 or more as a measure to fight terrorism, Kyodo News reported Tuesday.

A bill on revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law has been compiled to allow the fingerprinting, and the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito party plan to submit it to the parliament, according to Kyodo.

Permanent residents such as ethnic Koreans and others with special status are exempt from fingerprinting as well as those under 16, visitors with diplomatic or official purposes and those invited by the state.

Statistics show that a record high of 7.45 million foreigners visited Japan in 2005.

(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2006)