The phone rang, a number calling from California, just 13 hours before I was set to embark on a long trip to Malaysia for a college friend’s wedding. I was packing and doing laundry but thought I should answer.
Japan Airlines, the facilitator of the overseas portion of my trip, rang to inform me that I needed a visa (which I did not have) to transit through Japan on an overnight layover. Otherwise, I would not be able to fly.
My heart sank as I grappled with the implications of this news. A quick Google search made it clear that while same-day transit through a Japanese airport is allowed, overnight layovers are currently barred for noncitizens due to COVID-19 protocols.
