As Japan's border controls are extremely strict toward foreigners, the message they send overseas is that "Japanese people think the restrictions are OK as long as the situation is convenient for themselves." The fact is, Japanese people can go on holiday abroad, while at the same time there are foreigners who have been separated from family and those who have been unable to enter Japan for more than a year. This is clearly unfair.

Needless to say, it's a country's duty to protect members of its public, and it wasn't wrong to take these control measures in the initial stage of the virus's spread. However, if unfair conditions targeting foreigners are imposed for such a prolonged period, the government will not be able to give a justifiable explanation. For example, New Zealand also introduced rigid border measures, but these included strict regulations on its own citizens.

Up to now, many of the non-Japanese people around me regarded Japan as "a fair society." For example, if you line up to get on a train or other vehicle, anyone can get a spot on-board if they wait their turn. My foreign acquaintances apparently felt that this was fair in a sense.

However, when it comes to Japan's current border restrictions on foreign nationals, people are stuck in a situation where they have no idea where to queue to gain entry. And as this is going on, some people get in through "VIP treatment." Many countries do not have nationality-based entry controls, so I understand there's growing discontent over Japan's unfair policy.

(Original Japanese interview by Motomi Kusakabe, Foreign News Department)