Japan’s government plans to test systems that detect dangerous objects on train passengers

Tokyo >> Looking to improve security on public transportation, the Japanese government plans to conduct tests at a rail station by the end of March using an electronic system designed to detect dangerous objects on train passengers, a transport ministry official said.

Equipment makers have been submitting proposals to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for devices that can detect hazardous objects, such as knives and explosives, in train passengers’ belongings.

The official said the government wants to test whether such security measures will inconvenience train riders, while testing feasibility of using the device on a daily basis versus during prominent international events.

The government may conduct the experiment at the Kasumigaseki subway station in February, but the official said details of the test may change as the ministry has just finished accepting proposals from device makers and train operators.

Part of the reason for the test is the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, but “we are also aware of calls for improved security on trains,” the official said.

In June, one passenger was killed and two injured when a man in his 20s with a knife went on a rampage near Yokohama during a bullet train ride from Tokyo to Osaka.

After the incident, the transport ministry immediately considered introducing luggage inspections, but that plan was opposed by railway companies. Instead, the ministry decided to prohibit the carrying of unwrapped knives on trains beginning in April.

Railway operators argue inspections are inconvenient and it is difficult to find space at stations to conduct inspections.