In the face of harsh criticism as the only Group of Seven member nation still banning legal long-term and permanent residents from returning home, Japan has softened its stance on humanitarian grounds and says it will allow foreign residents to re-enter the country regardless of their visa status.
The entry restriction, which covers 111 countries, including the United States and most countries in Asia and Europe, was introduced as a measure against the novel coronavirus. It has left several hundred non-Japanese residents stranded abroad and prevented others from temporarily leaving the country as they risk being denied re-entry.
Unable to view this article?
This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.
Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.
If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see out this support page.
We humbly apologize for the inconvenience.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.