Japan developing GPS-based app to locate nationals overseas

The Japanese Foreign Ministry is creating a smartphone application that employs GPS technology to pinpoint the locations of Japanese citizens residing or traveling abroad, according to recent reports. This app, which requires users' consent to access their location data, aims to swiftly confirm the safety of Japanese nationals during armed conflicts or major disasters overseas.

The ministry envisions the app's launch in fiscal 2027, with current embassy staff relying on phone calls to verify the safety of Japanese nationals in remote areas with weak or no mobile signal coverage.

Unlike the previous method, the new app will maintain users' location tracking even in areas with poor reception. It is also anticipated that the app will enable the ministry to send a safety confirmation message to users and receive their responses. Furthermore, the app may allow users to submit documents necessary for stays of three months or longer and apply for stay certificates.

The app will incorporate the "Tabi-Regi" service, launched by the ministry in 2014, which provides Japanese nationals overseas with local safety information through email or the Line messaging app. However, a ministry survey revealed that less than 20% of respondents were aware of Tabi-Regi, and about 30% of overseas travelers were aware of it. Despite this, the same survey indicated that around 80% of respondents would agree to the government using their location information in emergencies.

A senior ministry official emphasized the importance of improving awareness of the new app and ensuring its user-friendly design to address the low visibility of Tabi-Regi.