Japan considers easing Covid border controls amid criticism

Currently, most of Japan is under virus-related restrictions, but infections have shown little signs of slowing

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a quarantine area at the Haneda international airport in Tokyo (Kyodo via AP)

Japan is considering easing its stringent border controls amid growing criticism that the measures are hurting the country’s economy and international profile.

The country’s prime minister Fumio Kishida confirmed he was looking at border arrangements, which have banned most foreign entrants including students and business travellers, although he did not provide a timeline for change or any other details.