In March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese government installed a blanket ban on new entries of foreigners into the country with only a few exceptions since then. Now, two years later, roughly 149,600 students are still waiting to enter Japan with no clear roadmap from the government. Japan remains the only G7 country that has restrictions banning the entry of most new foreign students as part of coronavirus measures. In contrast, Japanese nationals and residents of Japan are allowed to exit and re-enter the country as long as they follow quarantine measures upon arrival. So why are students, professors, and potential workers being kept out of the country?
Some students have been forced to pay full tuition costs to Japanese universities while taking online classes in their home countries, and despite of the time zone differences. Many other students have changed plans, and are instead going to other countries such as South Korea to continue their studies.
But this issue isn't limited to just students and academics. On Twitter, the hashtag #JapanTravelBan has quickly gained momentum as people affected by these measures tell their story of being unable to travel to Japan. Families are being kept apart, and workers have lost job opportunities as their employers are unable to wait for the borders to reopen.
Last month, the Japanese government allowed only 87 government-sponsored foreign students to enter Japan. The current version of the ban -- put in place in November 2021 -- was extended until the end of February 2022 due to the threat of the Omicron variant of COVID. Japan's entry ban has received international criticism, including from the WHO, which urged member nations to lift or ease international travel bans in mid-January, saying that they do not provide "added value."
The future of Japan's borders remains to be seen.
