U.S., European business leaders urge Japan to end COVID entry ban

Japan has banned entries by foreigners in principle

'in principle'.... in other words, except for: sports teams, new U.S. ambassador (and entourage), a bunch of IAEA 'investigators'.... and so forth and so on.... the elites, in other words.

This will all fall on deaf ears.

It’s time to start reciprocating the ban for Japanese nationals into other countries. That is the only thing that will get their attention. And frankly, it’s what they deserve.

'in principle'.... in other words, except for: sports teams, new U.S. ambassador (and entourage), a bunch of IAEA 'investigators'.... and so forth and so on.... the elites, in other words.

exactly!

It’s time to start reciprocating the ban for Japanese nationals into other countries. That is the only thing that will get their attention. And frankly, it’s what they deserve.

THIS!!!! Best post I've read all week!!!

Yesterday, NHK news program has a five minutes info related to the problems of students not being able to enter, and that is was hurting both side.

urging the country to adopt a science-based policy by permitting vaccinated business travelers and scholars to enter.

Vaccination has proved not being effective against the virus transmission. Only a PCR test is science based.

Slowly but surely the world is awakening to the real Japan.

Well we in Japan tend to look inwards during crisis and unfortunately get rather xenophobic and adopt an island attitude about things.

It’s easier to blame others and close off than to be open and honest.

So much anti-Japan propaganda going on here.

Guess what...

Japan wants to get back to Normal as well!

Japan wants this to end as well!! Tourism to return and foreign talent and youth to return!!

Japan does not give a rip about anything foreign. Who does not understand this by now?

apan does not give a rip about anything foreign. Who does not understand this by now?

rightwingers and apologists

Didn't JT post a similar article just a few weeks or months ago?

I can not clearly remember the content in detail, but it was similar to this.

And any reaction from the J-Gov?

Nothing!

Perhaps you mean “biweekly” @Monty 8:22am:

“Didn't JT post a similar article just a few weeks or months ago?

I can not clearly remember the content in detail, but it was similar to this.”

The issue’s not going away for those with heads buried in the sand.

Pandering to people's fear of anything foreign is one of the grifts LDP is using to secure their grip on the xenophobic elder voter base. They'd start deporting the foreigners if they knew they could get away with it too.

@ Larr Flint, you seem not to know that Japanese nationals are free to travel, yes travel for leasure, but 3 times vaccinated international students, Phds, professionals ecc are not allowed in, isn't this not only ridiculous but also terribly counterprodutive? I live here and being a long term resident can go abroad but if I would be a professional or student waiting 3 years I would go somewhere more welcoming!

@Tom Doleym if only, most still believe in this wonderland, i've been hit with the reality for the last 24 years .....

The issue’s not going away for those with heads buried in the sand.

The issue will go away when Japan decide it is time to finish this issue.

And like I said, there was no reaction form J-Gov the last time, and there will be no reaction this time.

But yeah...It is Japan, Japan's country and Japan's rule.

We all know that cases will increase after all border restrictions will be eased.

So the decision to make is, can we or Japan accept this?

I think the people who are counting every single case and are telling us how high are the numbers every day and fearmongering and predicting the end of the world, these people will for sure not support that.

But people who takes things easy and are saying let the Virus take its way through the population, they will absolutely support that.

But in my personal experience with talking to japanese people, I will say about 90% do not want that the border restrictions to be eased.

They support the border restrictions.

About business, I can go to business trips and come back because I am a PR.

But you know what my boss is saying...Monty, you stay here...your business trips are on hold, because we don't want you to catch Covid overseas and bring it back into Japan.

We have many branches overseas and many customers overseas, but so far nobody can come personally here to Japan to discuss business.

Everything is done online.

In other words, also my company supports the border restrictions.

Online.

Same thing that most posters here are pushing for.

No need to attend meetings or work at the office if things can be done online.

There's your answer, good job.

it seems they are now listening to the conventional wisdom that criticism will only cause Japan to buckle down tighter and urging is the way to go.

Anyway setting that aside, does anyone really think that a nation who has had a measure of success in mitigating effects of the pandemic (relatively low number of deaths among other things) will listen to urgings of people from nations who have had trouble doing the same ( high number of deaths) ?

Probably not.

But people (keidanren is that what it's called) from the inside are also lobbying for easing of border restrictions so they may listen to that

Pandering to people's fear of anything foreign is one of the grifts LDP is using to secure their grip on the xenophobic elder voter base. They'd start deporting the foreigners if they knew they could get away with it too.

absolutely

Pandering to people's fear of anything foreign is one of the grifts LDP is using to secure their grip on the xenophobic elder voter base. They'd start deporting the foreigners if they knew they could get away with it too.

probably what did Suga in, letting in foreigners

« Japan has banned entries by foreigners in principle since Nov 30 »

You keep writing it, I keep correcting it: Japan has banned entries of foreigners since February 2020, including to its permanent residents during the first seven months, for a total of now two full years except for 25 days between November 7 and November 30, during which it has actually seen barely any new entry because the time was not enough to resume issuance of eligibility certificates and visa.

Sorry but saying Japan has banned foreigners for two months when it’s actually two years makes those of us who protest the incredible stupidity of the situation look silly.

It’s two-freaking-years!

I don't know why all of the sudden everyone wants Japan to open the borders? 

Not actually sudden, as the poster above you said, it has been two years.

People want to be reunited with families is chief among many reasons.

If the border restrictions aren't helping much with mitigations they need to lift them is what people are saying.

Personally, it may be too late - no one of worthy talent and skills needed for Japan going to trust moving to Japan or contributing anything to Japan again.

If people need to quarantine in a facility at Narita, fine. 7 or 10 days. Happy to pay. Just design a system for us so we can get on with our lives.

All countries have to lift the travel bans. Covid is here to stay and the world can not stay locked up forever. Of course proof of vaccination and testing must stay but the closed boarders and quarantines have to go.

Maybe it's time to leave Japan...

Nope. Not until bars start serving alcohol past 8pm and closing at 9.

if that can’t happen it’s clearly not safe in Japan yet.

Let's think about it this way:

Innovation and advances in medicine, science, and technology are primarily driven by countries like the US and the UK, to name a few examples. That is to say the English speaking world is responsible for not all but most of the world's progress. New findings and advancements are being discovered primarily at Western higher education institutions, not Japanese ones. Our world is technology and data driven. The fundamental language of all computers, all programming languages, networks, and operating environments is ENGLISH. English is the world's lingua franca. It's spoken in nearly every country on the globe as either a primary or recognized language. It links languages together, and allows for a system of global cultural exchange. You know how many other countries in which Japanese is an official language? Zero. Not good for a country that already struggles with English proficiency test scoring rates.

It eventually becomes abundantly clear that Japan as a country and as an economy is basically carried by the English speaking world. The majority of Japan's prosperity and success has been because people from foreign countries have wanted to come here and share their ideas and talents. There are a lot of countries that probably wish foreigners wanted to move there and study/work (for example, Uzbekistan). Global exchange has been a blessing to Japan. Foreigners coming to Japan propelled Japan several centuries forward in the mid 1800s. Yet every step of the way nativists here have needed to dragged by the ear kicking and screaming in order for progress to be made.

Japan is not a global leader, it is a global follower. This is not a society that inspires heavily in the way of innovation or creating new things. I will acknowledge Japan's workaholic culture does make it easier for them to take what other people have made and improve them (like trains or automobiles).

The travel ban doesn't reveal what Japan is turning into, rather it is revealing what Japan has always been. Sadly despite the constant injustices and nasty ways in which foreigners have always been treated, bigger and stronger countries will always find a reason to give Japan another chance. Japan will continue getting a million more "second chances", because that's just the way the world works.

But have no misconceptions. If gaijin stopped endlessly propping up Japan, it would collapse.

Don't open borders just because someone pressure, we are our own lords here.

Borders stay close.

Don't put out fire just because someone pressure, we are our own lords here.

Let house burn.

We are in a pandemic it’s natural to that Japan is protecting its Japanese citizens.

Why do other countries have to force other countries to open their borders during a pandemic?

I’m sure Japanese citizens don’t want more people to come in and in effect Japanese citizens with the omicron virus.

European Business or U.S. has no rights to force Japan to open up its borders during a pandemic.

Why do other countries have to force other countries to open their borders during a pandemic?

No other country is forcing Japan to do anything.

I’m sure Japanese citizens don’t want more people to come in and in effect Japanese citizens with the omicron virus.

This is stupid. The virus is spreading like wildfire in Japan regardless of how tightly they slam the door shut on foreigners.

European Business or U.S. has no rights to force Japan to open up its borders during a pandemic.

Yup, they don't have the right to force Japan to do anything. But they do have the right to point out how stupid and counterproductive this policy is, which is all they are doing.

Don't open borders just because someone pressure, we are our own lords here.

Borders stay close.

Don't put out fire just because someone pressure, we are our own lords here.

Let house burn.

Hahaha! Brilliant! Well said!

Yup, they don't have the right to force Japan to do anything. But they do have the right to point out how stupid and counterproductive this policy is, which is all they are doing.

EXACTLY!

Arthur Brown

That post was one the most thoughtful, candid, and correct that I have ever read here. My hat off to you sir for such an amazing post

European Business or U.S. has no rights to force Japan to open up its borders during a pandemic.

You're missing the point. What they are trying to get across to Japan is that the actions that Japan has taken will have consequences. I doubt that any country would do anything as petty or as illogical as banning Japanese people from entering.

But it may mean that US/European companies simply stop doing business with/buying from/selling to Japan. It may mean that if universities overseas cannot send their students to Japan, well maybe they will stop taking in Japanese students. Japanese people may not be able to get work visas if they wanted to try working for foreign companies.

Japan is not being forced by anyone to do anything. Well, that's not true actually - Japanese voters are forcing Japan to do foolish things. Educated people in Japan realize how much of their country's success is owed to foreign countries/people's.

Japan needs the rest of the world more than the rest of the world needs Japan, it's that simple.

Do you know or realise that Japan Tourism have been advertising on YouTube for Japan as a tourist destination for the last 18 months yet the borders have been close to tourist all that time.

Not gonna happen in 2022.

Their vaccines?

Look at Europe and U.S. everyone… well almost everyone.

-Don’t want to wear mask.

-Don’t want to get the vaccine.

-Everyone wants to do what ever they please.

Giving no consideration of other people around them.

Business can be done by using our wonderful technology computers. Fast enough to do job.

If everyone got the vaccine and wore masks, and followed the rules. The pandemic could have been over last year and business as usually.

Stop begging for entries and go somewhere else. There 200 countries in the world!

We get the Nikkei Shinbun every day and from why we can read here business and the educations sector in Japan is more than angry about this populist full out entry ban. They can’t understand why fully vaccinated (some even 3 and in the case of Israelis 4 times…..) can’t enter Japan. What is the problem with this government? Maybe because the same old dudes have been in power for the last 70 years… LDP forever…. What shall we expect?!!

Look at Europe and U.S. everyone… well almost everyone.

-Don’t want to wear mask.

-Don’t want to get the vaccine.

-Everyone wants to do what ever they please.

This is demonstrably false. There are vaccination rates in these countries and the vast majority wear masks as required.

If everyone got the vaccine and wore masks, and followed the rules. The pandemic could have been over last year and business as usually.

Did you just wake up from a two year sleep? I hope one day you’ll realize that everything you wrote is just wrong.

The trick is to make them think it is their own idea and should be praised for it. They'll never do it with simple pressure alone. They close eyes, put fingers in ears, and sing "Lalalalalala!" and curl up in a ball on the floor until they think you're gone.

""U.S., European business leaders""

Business Leaders, the very same people that held the Olympics in the middle of a Pandemic, it's all about Money Money Money $$$ and NOT the well being of the people.