As per the reports published in The Asahi Shimbun, Sony Corporation has collaborated with Fujitsu Ltd to develop an encrypted database that would stop fake Japanese proficiency documents. Such activity is conducted to provide the forged documents to foreigners to assist them in getting residential status to pursue an education in Japan.
Both the companies joined hands to build up instrument through the deployment of blockchain technologies used in cryptocurrencies in response to reports of forged documents being produced overseas.
The companies further plan to test the operation of the distributed ledger by the end of this month and will be focusing on implementing the same into the practical world from the beginning of second quarter onwards.
Foreigners are required to obtain and produce resident status proof in the event they want to study in Japan, for which they are required submit a certificate to Japan’s Immigration Bureau as a proof to certify that they are proficient enough to understand the Japanese language efficiently either by way of passing the Japanese language proficiency tests or via Japanese language course for a certain number of hours. The government requires the foreigners to follow these guidelines as it helps them to have a smooth life in Japan thereby reducing the difficulties that might arise due to their Japanese language inability.
Typically, the Japanese language educational institutions overseas and Japanese language schools in Japan are equipped with such authority to issue certificates which can be further submitted to the Immigration Bureau to ensure that the foreigners submitting the certificate is proficient enough to understand the Japanese language.
However, it was reported that a few of them were submitting fake certificates to the respective departments. During the last year, a local broker was suspected of creating fake certificates. To identify and stop the fake certificates, Fujitsu and Sony have mutually developed the prevention instrument which shall combine the data available on the Fujitsu’s online learning system with a blockchain developed by Sony’s subsidiary, Sony Global Education Inc.
This instrument would list down all the relevant information pertaining to the certificates which are issued by the Japanese department to foreigners, who are eager to study in Japan. As soon as the foreigners submit the certificates to the education department, the certificates would be checked with the details available online with the help of blockchain to confirm that such certificates are actually true and correct.
With such mechanism being developed with the help of blockchain, the information is stored in various computers, thereby making it difficult to fake a document.
The developed mechanism would be put to the test beginning from the end of this month and the tests would continue for almost a month to know about the complexity arising from it and to take adequate actions appropriately. Human Academy Co., that operates Japanese language schools in Tokyo, Osaka and Saga would start the test operations.
Both the companies also plan to promote the instrument to various other Japanese language schools.
