Business Context
Japan is replacing paper pre-clearance with a digital system, modeled on the US ESTA.
J-ESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is a new digital pre-clearance system for visitors from 71 visa-exempt countries. We proposed the design directly to Hitachi — GlobalLogic's parent company — with a target release of 2028.
The Problem
The current process is dated, and every family member starts from zero.
Visitors today go through an old-style web and mobile process — no shared data across family members, no digital identity once approved, and a physical passport you still have to carry and produce on demand.
Constraints
—Had to work within Japan's existing visual identity — the government's current app is blue, and departing entirely risked feeling unfamiliar to returning users
—Family travel is the norm, not the exception — any redesign had to solve for groups, not just solo travelers
—A digital identity replacing a physical passport raises real verification and trust questions with local authorities, not just UX ones
My Leadership Role
I designed it, and the E-Card idea was mine.
I created the app screens Hitachi is evaluating for the 2028 release, working through GlobalLogic's relationship with its parent company. The E-Card — the single idea that most changed the direction of the proposal — wasn't a brief I was handed. It was mine.
Leadership
Proposal design lead
Client: Hitachi (via GlobalLogic)
Originated the E-Card concept
Execution
The full flow: choose your country and check eligibility, create an account, verify your passport via live camera capture, fill personal and travel details, review and pay, and receive approval — roughly 8–12 minutes total, family members included. Once approved, the E-Card becomes the traveler's primary credential — tap to verify with local police, renew, or manage family applications, all from the card itself.
Evidence
signup → e-card · both color directions
The complete flow, signup to E-Card, in both color directions — blue for continuity, red for identity.
the full flow · step by step
Step 01–04 · Get Started
Splash
Choose Country
Create Account
Terms & Conditions
Step 05–08 · Verify Identity
OTP
OTP Verified
Eligibility Check
Eligible Confirmation
Step 09–12 · Capture Passport
Scan Passport — Start
Live Camera Capture
Reading Passport
Verification Summary
Step 13–16 · Confirm & Activate
Personal Details
Address — Shared Family Record
Review Details
Home — E-Card Active
Sixteen screens, the full path from splash screen to an active E-Card — go row by row to walk through onboarding, verification, passport capture, and activation.
Outcome
Proposal stage
Hitachi is evaluating this for the app's 2028 release. The E-Card direction was the biggest single idea in the proposal — replacing a physical passport with a digital identity a traveler can actually use at the border.
Reflection
Designing government-scale identity systems means the interesting constraints aren't visual — they're about trust. A tourist's willingness to rely on a phone instead of a passport is a bigger design problem than any single screen in the flow.