Professors and students in Japan and the United States are appealing to the Japanese government to resume issuing visas for students and researchers. The issuance of such visas has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A representative of an organization that supports a Japanese university's overseas activities submitted a petition to Yamanouchi Kanji, Japan's Consulate General in New York, on Thursday.

The petition was signed by about 650 professors and students in the United States and Japan.

The petition says relationships with overseas education institutions are being damaged by the suspension of exchange programs.

It also says the decrease in the number of foreign students is hindering the internationalization of Japanese universities.

The Japanese government does not currently allow foreign students and researchers to enter the country amid the pandemic.

The representative says some students are staying up all night to take online courses at Japanese universities, and this is very stressful for them.

He adds that some students who can't go to Japan are choosing to study in other countries.