People who travel to foreign countries - do you have to show your passport at hotels?

[Rabrrrrrr]

I was just thinking about this and my various trips to Japan, that every hotel I've ever checked into I had to show my passport AND they photocopied it.

Never had that in Canada, but my last time in Canada was in the 80s, and my Japan trips have all been post-911.

Is it a post-911 thing, is it a normal thing in other countries, or is it just a "Japan is totally fucking addicted to officious paper trails" thing?

I have a feeling it's the latter, but am curious.*

(and this includes you non-Americans who have traveled to America - do you have to show your passports to check into hotels here?)




* Seriously, if you've never been to Japan, you have NO IDEA how much they love their official paperwork with many forms, stamps, signatures, and whatnot. Changing money at a bank in Japan is more difficult and time-consuming, and requires more paperwork, than buying a car in the US.