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| Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Japan has been closed off to foreigners since practically the beginning of the pandemic.
It is obvious that this did not prevent the rampant infections that took place in waves in Japan. The Asahi Shimbun posted an editorial calling for the reopening of the country.
They begin it with:
Japan’s stringent COVID-19 border controls have been in place for far too long, which has had ramifications across a wide range of areas.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged over the weekend to consider easing the restrictions.
We urge the government to swiftly review the rules. It is time for Japan to reopen its border to those longing to study or work here.
Japan has maintained a closed door policy, in principle, for foreign nationals since January last year.
The government planned to ease the travel ban in November but retracted the policy after the emergence of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Only 150,000 or so foreign nationals were permitted entry in 2021, less than 1 percent of the total for 2019.
While acknowledging the necessity of border controls, Asahi Shimbun editorials have argued that steps to block the inflow of people should not remain in place for longer than is reasonably necessary.
To read the full editorial, go here.
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