Don't leave Japan if you want to come back

[RetireJapan]

I am actually a bit shocked at this one. As of tomorrow, foreign residents (even permanent residents and spouses of Japanese nationals) will in principle not be allowed to re-enter Japan if they leave after April 3rd with a re-entry permit.

Justice Ministry website (Japanese): http://www.moj.go.jp/hisho/kouhou/20200131comment.html
British Embassy summarised it thus: "On 1 April the Japanese government announced that – for arrivals from 00:00 on 3 April – it will deny entry to Japan for any non-Japanese nationals who have been to the UK or this list of countries in the last 14 days, other than in exceptional circumstances. These measures also apply to people who live in Japan but are temporarily out of the country. Exceptions are likely to be restricted to those who left Japan on or before 2 April with re-entry permission and who are either holders of permanent residency permits (eijusha); or long-term residence permits (teijusha); or spouses or children of permanent residency holders (eijusha no haigusha-to); or direct relatives of Japanese nationals. In addition, those who leave Japan on or after 3 April will in principle be denied entry even in the above cases. To confirm eligibility, before travelling you should consult with the consular section of your nearest Japanese Embassy if you are abroad, or the Immigration Services Agency if you are in Japan. The Japanese Embassy in London can be contacted between 09:30-16:30 Mon-Fri on 020 7465 6565. Japan’s Immigration Services Agency can be contacted on +81 570 013 904 or +81 357 967 112."

I'm actually a bit shaken at this, not so much because I want to leave Japan, but because it reveals a little about how the Japanese government sees non-Japanese residents.

My entire life is here, so I guess it is time to either naturalize or make plans to leave at some point

[N00bster]

Well there has to be differences between PR and nationality... And it's not forever.

... isn't it?

[RetireJapan]

Well there has to be differences between PR and nationality... And it's not forever.

... isn't it?

No, not forever. But it reveals the world is not as I thought it was. And that is worth thinking about.

[RetireJapan]

To be fair, such measures have already been implemented around the world for quite some time. If anything Japan is a bit late in this game.

And it is not as harsh as what others can do. Some countries will refuse entry based on nationality alone and not travel history.

This is a new world we are living in.

The main problem I have with that is that it treats permanent residents as 'other'. I had (naively, it seems) assumed that permanent residents were seen as residents instead by the government. This requires me to recalculate a few things, given that I intend to stay here and my entire life is here.

[Beaglehound]

I can understand your feelings on this Ben. It’s hard for me to see the justification for treating citizens and permanent residents differently in this instance. Even as a spouse visa holder and Japan resident it feels arbitrary. Our homes are here and we are all equally capable of acting as disease carriers. I have no intention of travelling overseas just now so it’s rather moot in a practical sense though.

[adamu]

edit: nevermind. Realised I hadn't added any extra useful information.

[mule96]

To be fair, such measures have already been implemented around the world for quite some time. If anything Japan is a bit late in this game.

And it is not as harsh as what others can do. Some countries will refuse entry based on nationality alone and not travel history.

This is a new world we are living in.

Yes and no. I am fully for restrictions of tourist or business travelers. But refusing to let in people who have their residence in Japan sounds like a really harsh measure. Even there, something like a quarantine should be ok.

[mighty58]

Yeah, agreed this is a bit of a shock. I also have permanent residence, own a home here, and pay more in taxes than most Japanese citizens, but to know that none of that means anything when push comes to shove is a HUGE reminder of the where we foreigners stand.

And no, the circumstances do not warrant this, and the infantile "but so-and-so country did a similar thing" arguments absolutely do not hold any water.

[adamu]

I hope it does not come to this point but in a worst case scenario where a healthcare system is faced with collapse leading to a need for triage, visa status will not be the key factor. Nationality will.

This is a pessimistic view that I prefer to hope is not the case!

In this specific case, the government seems to be saying "Please don't go to these high-risk areas" (and potentially bring the virus back with you), which is a perfectly reasonable request. Then they are saying, "if you do go, don't expect to be allowed back in again, here's advance notice!".

There is a question of rights here and whether the government has the ability to restrict only foreigners. Japanese have the right of abode in Japan so the government cannot forbid entry for Japanese. But foreigners don't have right of abode, so they can restrict foreigners. The law that justifies this says entry will be denied to foreigners who "The Minister of Justice has reasonable grounds to believe is likely to commit an act which could be detrimental to the interests or public security of Japan".

It does seem rational that going abroad during this time and then trying to come back to Japan would be detrimental to the public security of Japan.

[captainspoke]

And the idiot governor here (Ishikawa), invites 'symptomless' people to come:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20 ... na/017000c