NHK


 

Dozens of people who plan to come to Japan for their education have voiced their frustration at being denied entry into the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.

About 60 would-be students from outside Japan joined an online event on Monday.

The event, organized by a group that includes Japan-based Japanese language schools, was for people still waiting in their home countries for the Japanese government to allow them in. It was livestreamed.

A 25-year-old Italian woman pleaded with the Japanese government to let her enter the country, saying she has already been vaccinated and is ready to comply with all necessary rules.

Japan's Immigration Services Agency said the number of people coming to Japan to study last year was about 49,000, down approximately 60 percent from the previous year.

This was due to the government's travel restrictions, which deny entry of all but those under special circumstances.

The organizers plan to publish the participants' opinions online to make their voices heard by more people.