Japan’s Attempt to Ease Strict Entry Bans for Foreign Residents Too Little, Too Late

Above, Asya and I having lunch in Santa Monica a week before I moved to New Mexico. Now she's been stranded in Denmark.

Gaijinpot.com has posted an interesting article on expats who have been left stranded in other countries during the coronavirus outbreak when Japan and some other countries imposed entry bans.

One such country is Denmark (which caught my attention). My Russian artist friend, Asya, has been stranded in Denmark since the imposition of travel restrictions. She hasn't been able to get back to her home in St. Petersburg, Russia.

According to the article:

Many expatriates living in Japan consider themselves to have two homes. For some, though, the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic left them choosing between their home country and the country where they have built their lives. An associate professor at Tohoku University told us, under the condition of anonymity, they have been stranded in Denmark since early March—just before the coronavirus reached pandemic level. 

Japan began closing its borders to certain countries in early April. More nations were added to the ban on April 29, bringing the total to over 100 countries, including all of Europe, most of Asia, and North America. The ban included foreign residents of Japan, regardless of whether they had a working, student, or spousal visa.  

Far away from home 

In the Tohoku University professor’s case, they left Japan to attend a work conference in Sweden and then continued onto Denmark for further business meetings. 

“There were only a few cases in Denmark at that time,” they told us over the phone. “I arrived on a Monday, by Wednesday the Prime Minister was holding a press conference, and by Thursday, people had stopped going to work. We shut down pretty quickly.” 

In stark contrast to Japan, however, Denmark has allowed residents and work permit holders to re-enter. Japan is reportedly the only country on the G7 Summit to impose such harsh restrictions. 

“Even though Denmark shut down quickly, they allowed residents back in and not only residents but anyone with an important reason, for example, to attend a funeral,” the professor said. “I assumed that because I have a work permit and legally reside [in Japan], I would be able to return.” 

That assumption would prove to be wrong. 

In response to criticism, on June 12, the Immigration Services Agency released updated guidelines for foreign residents to be allowed to re-enter Japan under “exceptional circumstances.” Exceptions include those who left Japan to attend a funeral or who received court summons overseas. Residents with children enrolled in Japanese schools will be allowed re-entry as well. 

But the damage has already been done. Many foreigners in those circumstances have been affected for months. Moreover, those who were traveling for work have received no such consideration. 

“There are a lot of [foreigners] where it was a question of being torn if they needed to return home in the case of an emergency, but I was out for work, and I’m stuck,” the professor said. “There was no choice to make.”

 To read more, go here.

Japan Extending Visa Suspension To The End of May

Above, G-fans will have to wait until after may to visit Godzilla in Shinjuku. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Anyone planning to travel to Japan to gorge themselves with sushi or to buy any kaiju toys they could get their hands on will have to wait a while.

Why?

Japan is extending their suspension of visas into the country.

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO - Japan will extend its suspension of visas held by foreign nationals to the end of May, a government source said Tuesday, having deemed it too early to lift travel restrictions meant to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. 

The Foreign Ministry announced on April 1 that it was suspending visas and short-stay visa waivers for people from more than 100 countries through at least the end of April. 

Foreign travelers have almost completely stopped coming to Japan amid the travel restrictions, with government data for March showing a 93 percent drop from a year earlier.

To read more, go here. 

"A First-Time Visitor's Guide To Tokyo"

Above, springtime at Asakusa's Nakamise Street. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Information and tips are always most welcome, no matter where the source originates from. That is certainly the case with a post by the GMA News from the Philippines.

GMA News has posted their "A First-Time Visitor's Guide To Tokyo" which includes basic nuts 'n bolts information on visiting Japan, with the focus on Tokyo.

They begin with:

Move over, Hong Kong! There’s now a new “it destination” for Filipinos: Japan. With more affordable direct flights by budget carriers and the ease of getting a Japanese visa, locals finally find it accessible to visit the Land of the Rising Sun. 

I recently organized a family trip to Tokyo and managed to take care of everything—from visa application to flights and accommodations—for all 15 of us. I am no travel agent nor am I affiliated with a travel agency, but I was able to execute our trip with minimal fuss and stress thanks to technology and a lot of research.

Fortunately, American don't need to go through the visa process as outlined in the article. But there may be readers who are from countries who still do need to know the visa process procedures.

More from: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/504854/lifestyle/travel/a-first-time-visitor-s-guide-to-tokyo 

The U.S. Should Follow Japan's Example On Immigration

Above, Tom Logan and Armand at Starbucks in Shinagawa Station last February.

Yesterday's post about Japan granting extended stay visas to the wealthy up to a year prompted an interesting response from friend Tom Logan. I totally agree with his points.

Logan had been living and working in Yokohama and during my visit to Japan last February, we met up over coffee in a very cold Shinagawa train station in Tokyo. Since then, Tom had moved to Northern California.

In response to my blog post, Tom wrote:

A country decides who and who will not enter and stay in their country--on THEIR terms and on what basis the visitor can bring something beneficial to that country--rather than just take. Imagine that! My! How novel! (Unlike what we do letting in anyone to eat out our national substance upon the backs of our citizens and tax payers). (That's why I truly enjoyed living there, in Japan, and contributing to both them and me, for over two decades).

Yes, what novel approach!

Instead of allowing anyone and everyone to immigrate into the country (as the United States is currently doing in allowing the dregs of humanity to illegally enter in order to suck the teats of the taxpayers or commit crimes), Japan has standards on who is to be allowed to live and work in the country.

In general, Japan only grants work visas to persons who have at least a B.A. degree and a company sponsor, among other requirements.

The United States should follow Japan's example.