Japan's justice minister says the country will tighten background checks before granting residency status to foreigners of Japanese descent.
Justice Minister Seiken Sugiura told reporters in Tokyo Friday that the new security measures will apply to those who enter Japan with a special visa reserved for spouses and descendants of Japanese citizens.
He said Japan will begin asking potential immigrants for more documentation to verify their Japanese ancestry and proof they do not have criminal records.
Mr. Sugiura announced the changes after police said a Peruvian suspected of killing a seven-year-old girl in Hiroshima was found to be using a false name and passport.
Police say Jose Manuel Torres Yake confessed to using a fake name and a false date of birth to buy a forged passport.
Some information for this report provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.