Can “Isoationist” Japan accept diversity?
IWAMA Yoko / Professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
January 7, 2022
Why is there such a strong isolationist mentality in Japan? In the Edo era, “checking guns coming in and women going out” (1) was said to be the tight control function of the checkpoints established by the Shogunate or the feudal clans to guard their respective territories. Today, it is “checking viruses coming in”, as if closing doors as tightly as a clam to bar entry of foreign elements would make people feel at ease. I was aghast to see a substantial portion of the people welcome or accept as a matter of course the Japanese government’s sudden closure of the border when the Omicron variant of the coronavirus started spreading. I could not help wonder why the Japanese were so enamored of the policy of isolation reminiscent of the Edo era.
In the Edo era, during which time Japan closed itself off from the rest of the world (called “Sakoku”), domestic commerce flourished with abundant flow of goods, the standard of education was high, and so was civil consciousness. But behind it all was the society that was suffocatingly closed. Last summer I took a family trip to the historic site of Fukushima Checkpoint, which would be the equivalent of today’s immigration control office. The document required then, called “tegata”, with its drawn portrait of the carrier, would be today’s passport. Travelers would have to have their documents examined in minute detail, be subjected to tough questioning and endure harassments before being allowed to pass the checkpoint.
Women travelling alone were considered to be especially suspicious. At the Fukushima Checkpoint, there was an exhibit called the “How to conduct interrogation of women”, indicating that it took about two whole hours for the process to be completed. That was about how long it took me to go through the procedures at Narita Airport to reenter Japan upon my return after a 5-day trip to Europe. Not that I was considered especially suspect because I am a woman, but I felt as if everything that was coming in from abroad was being treated as if it were a germ.
The problem is that as long as COVID-19 appears to be under control, the Japanese public are more or less at peace with these measures. Whether in the Netherlands, Germany or France, even a slight tightening of the corona-virus related restriction would give rise to riotous protests and a mountain of litigations. A sizable portion of the people would go berserk shouting “How dare you trample on my personal liberty?” It is true that such reactions would hamper the progress of vaccination and do harm to society. At the same time, there are things to be lost from being too subservient as is the case with the Japanese public.
I had to transfer flights a number of times in Europe during my trip. Passing through airports in several European countries meant going through a variety of controls, some requiring only vaccination certificates and some requiring PCR certificates. None of the countries had as stringent a control as Japan. In each of the countries I passed through, the passport control officer would demand to see the necessary document, glance through it, and let me go. PCR certificates were also accepted if they were readable in English.
However, once I arrived in Japan, I was pushed around for solid two hours going through document checks, hearings, having apps installed on my cell phone, submitting pledging documents, having my saliva taken for testing, and so forth. I was so annoyed that I felt a little empathy with those who dared break through checkpoints in the olden days. The regulations had been revised so many times that I could hardly tell which category I fell into. As it happened, my home was within the distance that a special limousine would take me from the airport. It meant that I was to self-isolate myself at home for 14 days. Otherwise, I would have been isolated in a hotel.
It cost quite a bit as well. ¥33,000 for the PCR test prior to departure. ¥10,000 for the PCR test when boarding a plane in the country I was visiting. (The test in Japan is so expensive!) ¥20,000 for the limousine service for the airport to my home, specially arranged because of the ban on using public transport. There was a system whereby if I underwent a PCR test within ten days after my arrival, my isolation period could be shortened. I looked further into it and discovered that this test would cost another ¥ 22,000 if the result was to be obtained within the day of the testing. If you stayed in a hotel, the hotel fare would add to the cost. I muttered to myself the old hackneyed phrase, “this is a blatant non-tariff barrier!”
Balance is essential in everything. I am not arguing that people should travel into and out of countries freely even if there is a life-threatening danger. I personally was opposed to the holding of the Tokyo Olympic Games in the summer. At the same time, the reality is that we live in this world. As such, we need to have the sense, at least to some extent, that we share risks as well as the fate with the people on this planet. Just not getting sick does not provide all the answers. The economy, the nation, and other entities can survive, function and grow only if their life can be sustained by blood or its equivalent circulating through their systems. What is happening now is tantamount to preventing the blood from circulating.
The policy to deny entry even to Japanese nationals was immediately criticized for being draconian, and was withdrawn overnight. But there are still family members of Japanese nationals who apparently cannot enter Japan because they do not have Japanese nationality. Article 7 of The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union recognizes the right to respect for one’s private as well as family life as a fundamental human right. If the aforementioned restrictions were placed on EU citizens, they would immediately be a subject of litigations.
From a medium-term perspective, the number of foreign residents in Japan is bound to increase. This means that we should develop the sense to consider the right to respect for family life as an issue of human rights.
There is also the issue of foreign students. For the past two years, with only a handful of exceptions, foreign students have not been able to enter Japan. We should be concerned about how great a loss this means to the future of Japan. For those foreign students who plan to stay in Japan for longer periods, the risk of their spreading the viral infection in Japan can be minimized by clearly setting their quarantine periods. At the least, there is no scientifically rational ground for treating them differently from those Japanese nationals who return from trips abroad. The “Plan for 300,000 Exchange Students”, aimed to reach the goal by 2020 and played up with such fanfare, has come to this sorry state when faced with obstacles. These students are already good friends of Japan when they make up their mind to come to Japan to study. Whether they stay in Japan for long periods or go home when they finish their studies, there is no doubt that they play a significant role that meets Japan’s national interest in the broad sense. Why is it that Japan keeps turning its back on these students so stubbornly?
Before COVID-19, there were several direct flights per day between the major cities of Europe and of Japan. Today, there are only a few flights per week, and the planes are sparsely boarded. This poses a dire challenge to the airlines and the tourism industry. No recovery is in sight yet for the revival of inbound tourism, either. Japanese youths, unless they are super-reckless, will hardly venture abroad. Business-related exchanges have all but ceased. The negative synergy of all these could be that, in about 5 years’ time, Japan would be feeble and unsteady on its feet.
Nation-building begins with human resources development. In the early post-WWII years, it is true that exchanges with overseas were sharply limited. However, among the people who rebuilt Japan in these years, there were many who had experienced the world outside Japan during the wartime and in the period before the war. “Repatriation” in a variety of senses formed the core of their experiences as they faced the challenges back home. Venturing spirit and curiosity were a part of their mentality. Bearing their experiences in mind, why don’t we start with opening up our mind?
(1) The Shogunate was highly vigilant of possible mutinies by the daimyos (feudal lords) of various clans and imposed tight control on guns being smuggled into Edo and the wives, daughters, etc. of the daimyos, living in virtual captivity in Edo, going incognito out of Edo.
Yoko Iwama is Professor at National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies ( International Politics.) This is an abridged version of the article that appeared in the Political Premium section of the Mainichi Shimbun on December 20, 2021.
In the Edo era, during which time Japan closed itself off from the rest of the world (called “Sakoku”), domestic commerce flourished with abundant flow of goods, the standard of education was high, and so was civil consciousness. But behind it all was the society that was suffocatingly closed. Last summer I took a family trip to the historic site of Fukushima Checkpoint, which would be the equivalent of today’s immigration control office. The document required then, called “tegata”, with its drawn portrait of the carrier, would be today’s passport. Travelers would have to have their documents examined in minute detail, be subjected to tough questioning and endure harassments before being allowed to pass the checkpoint.
Women travelling alone were considered to be especially suspicious. At the Fukushima Checkpoint, there was an exhibit called the “How to conduct interrogation of women”, indicating that it took about two whole hours for the process to be completed. That was about how long it took me to go through the procedures at Narita Airport to reenter Japan upon my return after a 5-day trip to Europe. Not that I was considered especially suspect because I am a woman, but I felt as if everything that was coming in from abroad was being treated as if it were a germ.
The problem is that as long as COVID-19 appears to be under control, the Japanese public are more or less at peace with these measures. Whether in the Netherlands, Germany or France, even a slight tightening of the corona-virus related restriction would give rise to riotous protests and a mountain of litigations. A sizable portion of the people would go berserk shouting “How dare you trample on my personal liberty?” It is true that such reactions would hamper the progress of vaccination and do harm to society. At the same time, there are things to be lost from being too subservient as is the case with the Japanese public.
I had to transfer flights a number of times in Europe during my trip. Passing through airports in several European countries meant going through a variety of controls, some requiring only vaccination certificates and some requiring PCR certificates. None of the countries had as stringent a control as Japan. In each of the countries I passed through, the passport control officer would demand to see the necessary document, glance through it, and let me go. PCR certificates were also accepted if they were readable in English.
However, once I arrived in Japan, I was pushed around for solid two hours going through document checks, hearings, having apps installed on my cell phone, submitting pledging documents, having my saliva taken for testing, and so forth. I was so annoyed that I felt a little empathy with those who dared break through checkpoints in the olden days. The regulations had been revised so many times that I could hardly tell which category I fell into. As it happened, my home was within the distance that a special limousine would take me from the airport. It meant that I was to self-isolate myself at home for 14 days. Otherwise, I would have been isolated in a hotel.
It cost quite a bit as well. ¥33,000 for the PCR test prior to departure. ¥10,000 for the PCR test when boarding a plane in the country I was visiting. (The test in Japan is so expensive!) ¥20,000 for the limousine service for the airport to my home, specially arranged because of the ban on using public transport. There was a system whereby if I underwent a PCR test within ten days after my arrival, my isolation period could be shortened. I looked further into it and discovered that this test would cost another ¥ 22,000 if the result was to be obtained within the day of the testing. If you stayed in a hotel, the hotel fare would add to the cost. I muttered to myself the old hackneyed phrase, “this is a blatant non-tariff barrier!”
Balance is essential in everything. I am not arguing that people should travel into and out of countries freely even if there is a life-threatening danger. I personally was opposed to the holding of the Tokyo Olympic Games in the summer. At the same time, the reality is that we live in this world. As such, we need to have the sense, at least to some extent, that we share risks as well as the fate with the people on this planet. Just not getting sick does not provide all the answers. The economy, the nation, and other entities can survive, function and grow only if their life can be sustained by blood or its equivalent circulating through their systems. What is happening now is tantamount to preventing the blood from circulating.
The policy to deny entry even to Japanese nationals was immediately criticized for being draconian, and was withdrawn overnight. But there are still family members of Japanese nationals who apparently cannot enter Japan because they do not have Japanese nationality. Article 7 of The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union recognizes the right to respect for one’s private as well as family life as a fundamental human right. If the aforementioned restrictions were placed on EU citizens, they would immediately be a subject of litigations.
From a medium-term perspective, the number of foreign residents in Japan is bound to increase. This means that we should develop the sense to consider the right to respect for family life as an issue of human rights.
There is also the issue of foreign students. For the past two years, with only a handful of exceptions, foreign students have not been able to enter Japan. We should be concerned about how great a loss this means to the future of Japan. For those foreign students who plan to stay in Japan for longer periods, the risk of their spreading the viral infection in Japan can be minimized by clearly setting their quarantine periods. At the least, there is no scientifically rational ground for treating them differently from those Japanese nationals who return from trips abroad. The “Plan for 300,000 Exchange Students”, aimed to reach the goal by 2020 and played up with such fanfare, has come to this sorry state when faced with obstacles. These students are already good friends of Japan when they make up their mind to come to Japan to study. Whether they stay in Japan for long periods or go home when they finish their studies, there is no doubt that they play a significant role that meets Japan’s national interest in the broad sense. Why is it that Japan keeps turning its back on these students so stubbornly?
Before COVID-19, there were several direct flights per day between the major cities of Europe and of Japan. Today, there are only a few flights per week, and the planes are sparsely boarded. This poses a dire challenge to the airlines and the tourism industry. No recovery is in sight yet for the revival of inbound tourism, either. Japanese youths, unless they are super-reckless, will hardly venture abroad. Business-related exchanges have all but ceased. The negative synergy of all these could be that, in about 5 years’ time, Japan would be feeble and unsteady on its feet.
Nation-building begins with human resources development. In the early post-WWII years, it is true that exchanges with overseas were sharply limited. However, among the people who rebuilt Japan in these years, there were many who had experienced the world outside Japan during the wartime and in the period before the war. “Repatriation” in a variety of senses formed the core of their experiences as they faced the challenges back home. Venturing spirit and curiosity were a part of their mentality. Bearing their experiences in mind, why don’t we start with opening up our mind?
(1) The Shogunate was highly vigilant of possible mutinies by the daimyos (feudal lords) of various clans and imposed tight control on guns being smuggled into Edo and the wives, daughters, etc. of the daimyos, living in virtual captivity in Edo, going incognito out of Edo.
Yoko Iwama is Professor at National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies ( International Politics.) This is an abridged version of the article that appeared in the Political Premium section of the Mainichi Shimbun on December 20, 2021.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
「鎖国」メンタリティーが強い日本 異質さを受け入れられるか
岩間 陽子 / 政策研究大学院大学教授
2022年 1月 7日
どうして日本はこんなに鎖国メンタリティーが強いのだろうか。「入り鉄砲に出女」（江戸幕府の関所での取り締まりを表現した言葉）と、その昔言ったそうだ。今は「入りウイルス」である。入れないために貝のように口を閉ざしてしまって、みんな安心しているのだろうか。オミクロン株が出始めて、いきなり日本が国境を閉ざした時、それを歓迎したり、当たり前だと思う声が結構あったりしたことにあぜんとした。そんなに鎖国が好きなのかと思った。
江戸時代、商業も物流も発達し、教育水準が高く、市民の意識も高かっただろう。けれどそれは、江戸の息詰まるような閉鎖的な面と背中合わせであった。この夏、家族旅行で福島関所跡を訪れた。関所は今でいえば、出入国管理である。「手形」は、パスポート及びその他必要書類であろう。人相書きがあるところまで、パスポートそのものである。そこで、ひっくり返すように書類を詮索され、いろいろ難癖をつけられ、嫌がらせをされてやっとのことで通してもらう。
特に女性の一人旅は疑われたという。「女改めの実際」という説明書きがあり、何のかんのと一連のプロセスを通り抜けるまで、「約一刻（2時間）を要した」と書いてあった。2時間！ 今回私が２年ぶりに海外に出て５日間のヨーロッパ行きから帰り、成田空港で入国に要したおよその時間であった。別に女であるから厳しく見られたとは思わないが、外国から入ってくるものは、すべてバイ菌扱いである。
問題は、コロナが収まっていると、結構これで国民が納得しているところである。オランダでもドイツでもフランスでも、ちょっとコロナ規制を厳しくするというと、暴動が起こる。山のように訴訟が起こる。「俺の自由になにしやがる！」と言って、怒り狂う人がかなりの割合でいる。もちろんそのせいで、ワクチン接種が進まなくて、社会としては困る面もある。しかし、日本のように従順であり過ぎることで、失っているものも多々ある。
今回、乗り継ぎが多かったので、欧州内数カ国の空港を通って来た。ワクチン接種歴だけで良かったり、PCR検査結果が必要だったり、国によって違いはあったが、日本のように厳しい管理をしている国は皆無であった。どこでも通常のパスポートコントロールの係員が、必要書類を要求して、それにざっと目を通してOKと言われて終わりであった。PCR検査も英語で読めるものなら大丈夫だった。
ところが日本に着くと、書類チェック、聞き取り、携帯電話へのアプリの設定、誓約書提出、唾液の採取など、2時間引き回された。関所破りの気持ちが、少し理解できた。しかも、規則も改訂に改訂を重ねているため、自分がどのケースに当たるのか、さっぱり分からない。私の場合、自宅が空港から特別ハイヤーで行ける範囲にあったので、自宅での14日間自主隔離であったが、そうでなければホテル隔離である。
費用もばかにならない。出る前のPCR検査3万3000円、滞在先で搭乗する前のPCR検査約1万円（日本の検査は高すぎる！）、成田から自宅まで公共交通機関が使えないので特別仕様のハイヤー代2万円。さらに、10日目にPCR検査をすれば、隔離期間が短縮できるという制度があったが、調べたところこのための検査は、即日結果が出るもので2万2000円。もしホテル滞在なら、ホテル代もかかる。これ完全に、非関税障壁だよなと、古い言葉を思い出してしまった。
物事は何事も、バランスが肝要である。生命の危険があるのに、自由に出入国させよとは言わない。私も夏季五輪開催には、反対であった。しかし、同時に我々はこの世界の中で生きている。ある程度は地球上の人々と、危険と運命を共有する感覚も必要である。病気にさえならなければ良いのではない。経済も国家も、血液が流れるように、さまざまなものが循環してこそ、成長し、発展するのだ。今は、血流を止めているようなものである。
日本人さえ入国させないのは、さすがにひどいという声が上がり、これは一夜にして撤回された。しかし、日本人の家族であっても、日本国籍がなければ入国できない人はたくさんいるようである。欧州連合（EU）基本権憲章第7条では、私生活と並んで家族生活の尊厳を、人間の基本権として認めている。このような措置がなされれば、すぐさま訴訟が起こされるであろう。
外国人居住者が増えることは、日本でも中期的には必然である。家族の権利というものを、人権問題としてとらえる感覚は必要であろう。
さらには、留学生。この2年、ごく一部の例外を除いて、留学生が入国できていない。これが日本の将来にとって、どれほどの損失か。長期にわたり日本に滞在する予定の留学生は、きっちり隔離期間を定めれば、日本において感染を広げる危険は防げる。少なくとも、海外からの帰国者と区別して扱う科学的合理性は全くない。「留学生30万人計画」とかで躍起になっていたのに、何かあるとこうなってしまう。日本に来て学ぼう、と思ってくれる時点で、十分親日派である。将来、日本に長期滞在することになろうと、留学期間を終えて自国に帰ることになろうと、日本の大きな意味での国益増進につながる存在であることは、疑いようもない。なんのためにここまで留学生を拒み続けるのか。
コロナ以前、ヨーロッパ主要都市と日本の主要都市間には、毎日数便は直行便が飛んでいた。今は、週に数便である。それでも機内は閑散としている。航空業界、旅行業界がこれでもつはずがない。インバウンド復活も全くめどが立たない。日本の若者も、よほど身の程知らずでなければ外に出ない。ビジネス往来も途絶えている。これらの相乗効果の結果として、5年もすれば、日本の足腰はヨタヨタになるだろう。
国づくりは人づくりに始まる。戦後早い時期の日本は、確かにそれほど海外との行き来はなかったかもしれない。しかし、あの時代の日本を作った人々は、戦争とそれ以前の時代に、日本の外の世界を体験していた人々が大勢いた。いろんな意味での「引き揚げ」の経験が、原体験になっていた。気概と好奇心を持った彼らの経験を思い起こして、心を開くことから、始めてほしい。
（筆者は政策研究大学院大学教授（国際政治）。本稿は２０２１年１２月２０日付毎日新聞の政治プレミアムに掲載された記事の要約である。）
江戸時代、商業も物流も発達し、教育水準が高く、市民の意識も高かっただろう。けれどそれは、江戸の息詰まるような閉鎖的な面と背中合わせであった。この夏、家族旅行で福島関所跡を訪れた。関所は今でいえば、出入国管理である。「手形」は、パスポート及びその他必要書類であろう。人相書きがあるところまで、パスポートそのものである。そこで、ひっくり返すように書類を詮索され、いろいろ難癖をつけられ、嫌がらせをされてやっとのことで通してもらう。
特に女性の一人旅は疑われたという。「女改めの実際」という説明書きがあり、何のかんのと一連のプロセスを通り抜けるまで、「約一刻（2時間）を要した」と書いてあった。2時間！ 今回私が２年ぶりに海外に出て５日間のヨーロッパ行きから帰り、成田空港で入国に要したおよその時間であった。別に女であるから厳しく見られたとは思わないが、外国から入ってくるものは、すべてバイ菌扱いである。
問題は、コロナが収まっていると、結構これで国民が納得しているところである。オランダでもドイツでもフランスでも、ちょっとコロナ規制を厳しくするというと、暴動が起こる。山のように訴訟が起こる。「俺の自由になにしやがる！」と言って、怒り狂う人がかなりの割合でいる。もちろんそのせいで、ワクチン接種が進まなくて、社会としては困る面もある。しかし、日本のように従順であり過ぎることで、失っているものも多々ある。
今回、乗り継ぎが多かったので、欧州内数カ国の空港を通って来た。ワクチン接種歴だけで良かったり、PCR検査結果が必要だったり、国によって違いはあったが、日本のように厳しい管理をしている国は皆無であった。どこでも通常のパスポートコントロールの係員が、必要書類を要求して、それにざっと目を通してOKと言われて終わりであった。PCR検査も英語で読めるものなら大丈夫だった。
ところが日本に着くと、書類チェック、聞き取り、携帯電話へのアプリの設定、誓約書提出、唾液の採取など、2時間引き回された。関所破りの気持ちが、少し理解できた。しかも、規則も改訂に改訂を重ねているため、自分がどのケースに当たるのか、さっぱり分からない。私の場合、自宅が空港から特別ハイヤーで行ける範囲にあったので、自宅での14日間自主隔離であったが、そうでなければホテル隔離である。
費用もばかにならない。出る前のPCR検査3万3000円、滞在先で搭乗する前のPCR検査約1万円（日本の検査は高すぎる！）、成田から自宅まで公共交通機関が使えないので特別仕様のハイヤー代2万円。さらに、10日目にPCR検査をすれば、隔離期間が短縮できるという制度があったが、調べたところこのための検査は、即日結果が出るもので2万2000円。もしホテル滞在なら、ホテル代もかかる。これ完全に、非関税障壁だよなと、古い言葉を思い出してしまった。
物事は何事も、バランスが肝要である。生命の危険があるのに、自由に出入国させよとは言わない。私も夏季五輪開催には、反対であった。しかし、同時に我々はこの世界の中で生きている。ある程度は地球上の人々と、危険と運命を共有する感覚も必要である。病気にさえならなければ良いのではない。経済も国家も、血液が流れるように、さまざまなものが循環してこそ、成長し、発展するのだ。今は、血流を止めているようなものである。
日本人さえ入国させないのは、さすがにひどいという声が上がり、これは一夜にして撤回された。しかし、日本人の家族であっても、日本国籍がなければ入国できない人はたくさんいるようである。欧州連合（EU）基本権憲章第7条では、私生活と並んで家族生活の尊厳を、人間の基本権として認めている。このような措置がなされれば、すぐさま訴訟が起こされるであろう。
外国人居住者が増えることは、日本でも中期的には必然である。家族の権利というものを、人権問題としてとらえる感覚は必要であろう。
さらには、留学生。この2年、ごく一部の例外を除いて、留学生が入国できていない。これが日本の将来にとって、どれほどの損失か。長期にわたり日本に滞在する予定の留学生は、きっちり隔離期間を定めれば、日本において感染を広げる危険は防げる。少なくとも、海外からの帰国者と区別して扱う科学的合理性は全くない。「留学生30万人計画」とかで躍起になっていたのに、何かあるとこうなってしまう。日本に来て学ぼう、と思ってくれる時点で、十分親日派である。将来、日本に長期滞在することになろうと、留学期間を終えて自国に帰ることになろうと、日本の大きな意味での国益増進につながる存在であることは、疑いようもない。なんのためにここまで留学生を拒み続けるのか。
コロナ以前、ヨーロッパ主要都市と日本の主要都市間には、毎日数便は直行便が飛んでいた。今は、週に数便である。それでも機内は閑散としている。航空業界、旅行業界がこれでもつはずがない。インバウンド復活も全くめどが立たない。日本の若者も、よほど身の程知らずでなければ外に出ない。ビジネス往来も途絶えている。これらの相乗効果の結果として、5年もすれば、日本の足腰はヨタヨタになるだろう。
国づくりは人づくりに始まる。戦後早い時期の日本は、確かにそれほど海外との行き来はなかったかもしれない。しかし、あの時代の日本を作った人々は、戦争とそれ以前の時代に、日本の外の世界を体験していた人々が大勢いた。いろんな意味での「引き揚げ」の経験が、原体験になっていた。気概と好奇心を持った彼らの経験を思い起こして、心を開くことから、始めてほしい。
（筆者は政策研究大学院大学教授（国際政治）。本稿は２０２１年１２月２０日付毎日新聞の政治プレミアムに掲載された記事の要約である。）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟