TokYO Kyodo demonstrations against Japan's tight border restrictions on nonresident foreigners that were implemented to prevent the spread of COVID 19 have been staged in several countries, with people calling for the Japanese government to reconsider the measures they have dubbed as lacking a scientific basis.
As foreign exchange students and business people barred from entering the country gathered at various locations such as in front of Japanese embassies in a string of countries including Mongolia, Poland, India and Malaysia, protests started on Tuesday by Stop Japan's Ban, a group launched on Twitter.
Japan confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant later this day, despite an anti-coronavirus entry ban that has been in place since Nov. 30, with the move coming amid an anti-coronavirus entry ban that has been in place since Nov. 30. The entry ban was extended until the end of February.
More protests are taking place in countries such as Germany, Austria, Spain and Argentina this month, as well as in Tokyo in front of the Japanese prime minister's office in February, according to organizers.
Demonstrators claim most exchange students have had COVID 19 booster shots and would adhere to necessary anti-virus measures when in Japan, and that they have been told by the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida when all foreigners will be allowed to enter again.
Some participants in the demonstrations have also uploaded pictures of placards indicating how many days they had been stuck in limbo.
In January of this year, Jade Barry, one of the organizers, had planned to arrive in Japan to open a variety store and had completed PCR tests as well as vaccinations, but plans went awry due to tighter border controls.
Barry in Illinois said limiting entry to a small fraction of exchange students was a narrow-minded move and had no scientific basis.