Japan is planning to completely digitalize its customs declaration and processing systems, with a target date of 2030 for complete elimination of paper and paperwork at airports and in commerce.
Half of all applications are already on paper, but Japan is preparing for both growth to 60 million visitors a year from 40 million now, and for a growing labor shortage as Japan’s population ages and shrinks.
The system will rely on AI systems at major airports such as those serving Tokyo and Osaka to both process forms and permits and to evaluate packages and other goods passing through X-ray systems, replacing manual supervision of scans.
