TOKYO - JAPAN refused entry to 846 foreigners over the past year for failing its stringent new security checks including electronic fingerprinting and photographing, the justice ministry said on Friday.

Most are believed to have been rejected because they had already been deported in the past. A majority were from Asian countries such as South Korea, China and the Philippines.

Justice Minister Eisuke Mori said it was 'a significant result.' 'With the introduction of the new immigration check, we are able to block people with fake passports from entering Japan at our borders,' he said.

Japan began fingerprinting and photographing foreigners entering the country in November last year in an effort to tighten security, despite concerns by rights groups and business leaders.

About 10,000 foreigners are also refused entry to Japan every year through conventional immigration checks, a ministry spokesman said.

Japan, which has a very low crime rate, does not require visas from nationals of most developed countries for short stays, although it imposes strict restrictions on immigration.

A total of 9.37 million foreigners were allowed into Japan in the year to November 19, up 3.6 per cent from the same period last year, the government said. -- AFP