More than 300 people have declined offers for foreign language teacher and assistant positions because of Japan's COVID 19 border restrictions, according to a survey by Kyodo News.
The withdrawal from the Japan Exchange and Teaching JET Program comes as prospective language instructors from the United States and other countries remain in limbo over Japan's strict immigration policies since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to the survey.
The number of withdrawals could be even higher because of the fact that some municipalities have yet to respond to the survey, which covers prefectural governments, major cities and international groups that promote educational exchanges.
The JET program, launched in 1987, works with municipalities — together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Foreign Ministry — to send those living abroad to teach at elementary, junior high and high schools across the country for a maximum of five years.
In fiscal 2019 there were 5,761 candidates who joined the program, according to the internal affairs ministry. The ministry has not released data for the subsequent years due to an inability to accurately state the number as the situation evolves, an official said.
In fiscal 2021, the number of JET candidates is believed to have fallen to around 4,000, including those who have been reappointed.
The emergence of the omicron variant last year has resulted in participants arriving in December and January to suspend their travel, with some being told not to come on the day they were supposed to leave.
Anna Burbo, who had originally planned to arrive in Japan from Michigan this month, is one such candidate. The suspension has resulted in economic distress for many and has been unable to find new employment due to uncertainty over when participants may be able to fly over, according to the 25 year-old.
Bahia Simons-Lane, executive director at the U.S. Japan Exchange and Teaching Program Alumni Association, said Japan should be more flexible in its border restrictions and make exceptions for some people coming from overseas.