Cameras in the streets: Japan

I came across an interesting article in the Japan Times that discusses cameras which are being used in a pilot program to identify people at train stations. The cameras are able to scan a traveller's face and give them a unique identify. It bring up some interesting questions about privacy vs. security. This new form of technology is not yet being used on the public however it could be rolled out more widely in the future. It may be that to pay for the train you must have your facial scan completed. Imagine that other video surveillance systems begin to use the same information and start collecting data about where you are, who you are with, what you're doing, etc. Also in this article is the how police lease security cameras to private residents and businesses for about 13000 yen ($110+). The footage (stored for the police) is supposedly used only to investigate crime.