Like many other international students, Larissa was ready to go to study in Japan in April 2020. Her goal was to create joint research between the Laboratory at her university in Germany and the University in Japan to further study tumor diagnosis. After waiting for over 1 year, Larissa lost her scholarship and cancel her research and thesis in Japan, switching to complete her study in Germany. It was a hard decision to take, but if she didn’t quit her study abroad in Japan, she would have had to postpone her Bachelor’s graduation one more year.
Foreign students pursuing higher education or language study in Japan are a key resource for the country’s aging economy, however, Japan is prioritizing the entrance of foreign Olympic athletes and foreign Olympic-related staff.
Japan has guaranteed access to 200,000 athletes from around the world plus related staff and families but has forgotten international students who are now left in limbo and don’t know if/when they will be able to enter Japan.
Maria was 23 when she first applied to study in Japan, now she’s going to be 25 and she still doesn’t know when she will be able to enter the country because of the Japan Entry and Travel Ban
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Paris from Canada has been waiting since September 2020 to enter Japan. He is studying now online for his Master’s, with lessons ending at 3 am.
International students are willing to self-isolate during their quarantine, take PCR tests before and after arriving to Japan and follow all the necessary procedures to avoid the spread of the virus, but because of the Japan entry and travel ban they still don’t know when they can enter Japan.
Anne is a law student and she will quit her exchange study In Japan if she can’t enter Japan. She has already waited for over 10 months. Anne, together with thousands of other students, asks the Japanese government to let her know when and how she can enter Japan.
Ikutree has been waiting to enter Japan for over a year. Ikutree was ready to go to live and study abroad in Japan in March 2020, sold all her furniture, clean her flat, but just before she could take her flight to Tokyo, the pandemic started. She lived for months in an empty flat, trying to understand if and when she was going to be able to study in Japan.
Japan has guaranteed access to 200,000 athletes from around the world plus related staff and families but has forgotten international students who are now left in limbo and don’t know if/when they will be able to enter Japan.