新旅券、４日から受け付け　北斎の絵柄、偽造対策向上

　葛飾北斎の「富嶽三十六景」を査証欄にあしらった新旅券（パスポート）の申請受け付けが４日から始まる。外務省が３日発表した。「江戸日本橋」や「凱風快晴」など異なる絵柄が見開きごとにカラー印刷され、偽造・変造防止対策の向上も図ったという。
　外務省は旅券を約５～７年ごとに更新しており、今回は２０１３年以来。「日本的なデザイン」をコンセプトに有識者らの意見も聞いた。絵柄は有効期間１０年の旅券に２４種類、５年のものに１６種類をそれぞれ採用。内蔵のＩＣチップに記録される個人情報が不正に読み取られるのを防ぐため、チップの性能を高めた。（2020/02/03-16:30）

Japan's Foreign Ministry said Monday it will accept from Tuesday applications for new passports featuring woodblock prints of Mount Fuji by ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai.
   From the famous "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" series, 24 designs including "Nihonbashi Bridge in Edo" and "South Wind, Clear Sky" are used for passports valid for 10 years and 16 designs for five-year passports, with one design printed on one pair of pages.
   The color-printed different designs are expected to help prevent forgery, ministry officials said, adding that improved built-in chips can better protect personal data from theft.
   The ministry renews passport designs about every five to seven years, with the change this time the first since 2013. Before deciding to adopt the Hokusai works, it listened to experts' opinions about Japan-style designs.
   The new passports will be issued in four to six business days.