~~ On February 9, government officials revealed a proposal to ease the strict penalties on foreigners who overstay their visas, under certain conditions. The amendments, proposed by the Immigration Bureau of Japan, would change the current law so that foreign nationals who are caught overstaying their visas can leave Japan without being deported. Under the proposed rule change, foreigners who declare their intention to leave the country when their overstay is discovered, for example, would be allowed to return in one year, instead of being barred for the current five years. Intended to speed up the repatriation process by encouraging violators to leave Japan voluntarily, the bill is currently before the Diet and expected to be passed during the current session.