News Japan to allow re-entry to foreign nationals

[thomas]

After weeks of criticism from foreign governments and organisations, Japan will permit foreign nationals stranded abroad to return. Japan is the only G7 nation barring foreign nationals, including residents with permanent residence status, while no such restrictions were imposed on Japanese citizens. Returnees will have to undergo PCR tests upon departure and arrival in Japan. They are also expected to quarantine for two weeks.

Japan to allow re-entry to foreign nationals stuck overseas | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Here's an interesting analysis by Rochelle Kopp of Kitakyushu University:

Re-entry ban causes foreign firms and talent to question long-term plans in Japan

As confusion continues over the Japanese government's re-entry ban for foreign residents, the international business community has started voicing concerns.

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[Majestic]

"The measure only applies to those who went abroad before the entry ban was implemented on April 3 and does not cover people now in Japan who want to travel overseas for nonessential purposes. "

 

[thomas]

More tatemae legislation...

I wonder what is considered "nonessential". I have read about many cases on Twitter where people were refused to attend their parents' funerals at home. Well, not refused to leave but to return.

 

[Lothor]

The number of people involved must be tiny with compared with the population of Japan. Extrapolating from my need to go to Britain for compassionate reasons twice in 17 years and a foreign population of 2.5 million suggests that about 25000 non-Japanese people a month will be leaving the country for this reason, with the majority going to other Asian countries with much fewer infections than Japan, compared with a Japanese population of about 125 million.

It's difficult to attribute any reason other than xenophobia to such intransigence on such a small issue in the scheme of controlling the virus, particularly when Japanese people are not being restricted.

 

[johnnyG]

I guess I'm lucky. I have three sibs, two who are older (I'm 68). We talked a good while before the virus and agreed there was no need for us to go to any of the other's funerals. That includes them, and they're all in the US (my brother has the classic fear of flying--trapped in a tin can, no control, etc).

Part of this sprang from the recognition that on my father's side (all long-lived) he and his sibs had long before stopped going to each other's funerals (all within the continental US). The other part is that I'm permanent here, and it was obvious to my sibs that they weren't going to come here for mine, so why would anyone even begin to expect me to go there for one (or two, or three) of theirs. Kind of similar--one of our friends here, the wife died. None of his family came from the states for that. Even when my dad died (4-5 yrs ago, at 97), I didn't go for the funeral. Instead we set up and I went for an interment ceremony for his ashes several months later. <–And that might be an intermediate model idea for folks here to put on the table if someone 'close' dies overseas.

If you think some relative might give you a hard time about why you can't drop everything and come, stop and think about who would/wouldn't do the same for your funeral here. Or if you die, is there the expectation that your body/ashes would get shipped 'home'? And would one or (hopefully) more people come from there to help with that? Or would it all be on your spouse? (if so, I'd suggest sending the remains COD) And if they couldn't make it for your funeral here, then how about the 7th day, or the 49th? Yeah, they'll come, eh? I guess how you think of "home"--what and where it is--might affect your thoughts. Still, I think it's at least worth considering, one way or another, what your homies would do for you.

It wasn't too long ago that there were no video calls, and even phone calls cost a small fortune. Being able to casually board a plane and be on the other side of the world within a day is even more recent--so being able to make it back for a funeral isn't some god-given right. (I know a guy who grew up here whose parents were missionaries--he's recalled having taken a boat back and forth every few years for their home visits.)

Blah, blah, blah, ...