Kishida says Japan to relax COVID border controls, give priority entry to students

Academic year starts from April 1. I imagine there is going to be a crush in the lead up to that.

Isn’t this yesterday’s news?

“Japan considering raising daily entry cap to 7,000 from 5,000” — Mar. 3 

https://japantoday.com/category/national/update1-japan-considering-raising-daily-entry-cap-to-7-000-from-5-000

A master strategy, he has approved another 2000, however they can only arrive midweek when the carriers have empty seats!! And wait for it.....drum roll..........ANA and JAL have stopped flying to europe...however its a nice move to support the airlines in a quiet time as he has done with the hotels.

It would be better if he followed the science, the omicron variant is not a threat to life, although it is accepted more people need medical support due to infection rate, however it is short term.

This government has had 2 years to resolve the medical issues and have failed.

They have even created a scenario, that many choose to believe, that it is non japanese who spread the virus. If it was satire, no one would would find it funny. If Kishida wants to be taken serious on the international stage (all Japanese Prime Ministers seek this), then he should stop being led by a drive for popularity.

Non vaccinated people are the problem, no matter colour or creed, vaccinated people are problem free, the students that they have decided to allow in the country are the age group that has shown the greatest relutance to be vaccinated, so, even if they are free of the virus on arrival, they are most likely to catch or transmit it.

The next omicron variant is beginning to gather pace, therefore, Kishida should be clear about the future policy on border control in the inevitable event that it reaches Japan....especially when only non Japanese can carry it.

If they were in charge of an organisation, would such incompetence be tolerated?

There's a massive loss of interest of people wanting to visit or study in Japan.

Foreigners don't want to come to Japan anymore.

I may be in the minority here and playing devil's advocate, but I am for it as long as the students are vaccinated, follow the local required guidelines for masks. Quick word for the people here, in Asian countries, Japan included, people wear masks even prior to the pandemic, so if you think you are the majority, think again, you will be the minority over there and may be even ostracized and refused service because of it. As for me, having used to live there, I would like to visit Japan when they allow tourists in again and I will follow whatever rules they advise me to follow rather than playing the part that because I am foreigner I can do whatever I want. Like the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Well, if they're opening the gates for Ukrainian refugees they can hardly continue to exclude foreign students.

For those who aim to fly into Japan over Russia, those from Europe, better get ready a bit fast for departure. The current warfare could affect the airspace and flight schedules. Mine was cancelled abruptly and unilaterally.

I hope they complicate things more, because it's just so clear what the immigration policy and "rules" are.

Starting 4 days ago, the cap was re-set to 5000, now it's re-set again to 7000, but now "around 1,000 will be allowed on top of the 7,000 daily cap." (note: "around").

But there is supposedly "priority" to students, but the priority is only "when business travel demand is not high", which means the priority is actually for business travel (since tourism is not allowed, then what other demand is there).

And what is not even mentioned in this article are Covid hotspot countries for which entry rules and quarantine are different. That number has just changed again too. When they set it up, again just 4 days ago, it was 37 countries and now its 26. And good luck finding a complete published list on that (the MOFA English website is utterly disjointed and confusing in explaining the current and upcoming status for countries)

https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

sounds like a confusing mess for a long while. if they're lifting restrictions why have a number limit?

Japan will ease its COVID-19 border controls further from March 14, raising the daily cap on entrants from overseas to 7,000 from the current 5,000, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday.

how big of him

The quasi-emergency is more limited in terms of restrictions and geographical coverage than a full-blown state of emergency.

Limited? That's an understatement...

The government will consult with an advisory panel of health experts and formalize its decision to extend or end the anti-virus measures for the targeted areas on Friday.

Comedy gold! What experts? The same ones that recommended closing the bars and restaurants early even though a large amount of spread was through school aged minors? Those experts?

There's a massive loss of interest of people wanting to visit or study in Japan.

Foreigners don't want to come to Japan anymore.

Can you blame them?

those students had to have made other arrangements by now so they probably gave up on Japan

At literally the same time, the last remaining airlines that were serving europe to Japan have cancelled their flights (ANA and JAL - they will fly cargo only now) Now only Finnair remains with 3 flights per week - how cruel can you be to dangle some hope in the media yet know this information that means they cannot acutally get here anyway?

those students had to have made other arrangements by now so they probably gave up on Japan

For sure. I would have. There's been a lot of talk on the internet about many prospective students switching from Japan to S Korea. Does anyone have any info on that?

Well, if they're opening the gates for Ukrainian refugees they can hardly continue to exclude foreign students.

Are you serious???

You compare the situation of foreign students with the situation of the refugees from Ukraine???

Do you realize what is going on in Ukraine??? I don't think so!

Another lip service from the far rightist Kishida member of the Nippon Kaigi just to show to the world that they are “opening”

As always too little and too late.

Many students and even potential future tourists lost interest in a country which is full of xenophobia.

Well, that's what a few of the more outspoken students on Twitter, Facebook (or whatever the cool kids are using nowadays ... Tiktok? Tinder? Excel?) are saying. Others say they went to Hong Kong (because that's certainly fun these days). Even others went to even other places, a lot gave up on Asia altogether. I mean it makes sense, if you can't study where you want to study you study elsewhere. According to some surveys that's not a small fractuion but about 40 to 50% of all those who applied for a Japanese uni, but online surveys need to be taken with a full shaker of salt.

Thank you so much for that info Taki!

I wonder what that ever could be that they could only learn here but nowhere else. lol

Maybe some folks are not following what unfolding in Europe. Pretty soon no one will be flying here, lights are getting dimmed my friends.

Just more of the messy, consensus based gibberish that passes for official statements in this country

Give priority to Ukraine refugees, you can learn Japanese over Internet

The Japanese measures are completely irrational, and the cap is nothing more than a draconian measure, since most people who would enter otherwise are already blocked by the temporary visa ban.

I mean, you have to be boosted in order to be allowed to avoid quarantine, when most people in Japan still cannot get the booster.

The prime minister is playing with people's lives just because he knows that the border restrictions are a popular measure, and he care way more about maintaining his own approval rating than caring about the lives of anyone who is affected by this.

Again, why +2000? No reason, just that they decide it that way.

Kishida the clown, the most illogical and worst PM of Japan ever.

 Kishida unveiled a new scheme to give priority to such students when business travel demand is not high.

Well that makes this article's title a bit misleading, no? Priority is not given to students but business travelers. Unsurprising considering how Japan has no interest in fostering the education of overseas students (though they sure have no qualms about sending their students abroad to study) but will let in business travelers because well...money.

I am supposed to go to Japan in April as a scholarship student. I am starting worry as someone else who had to go to Japan since December of last year is still waiting. He has to go before I do.

Hopefully they hurry up and send us already. I don’t want to receive online classes only for a year (unless a new variant comes out and they keep delaying it forever…)