Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida rolled back some of the developed world’s most stringent virus border measures as he sought to tread a narrow path on pandemic policy that helped bring down his two predecessors.
Japan will end a ban on new entry by foreigners and ease quarantine rules, Kishida said at a news conference Thursday. The first phase of the easing starts March 1, when new foreign entrants except for tourists will be admitted. The government will also cap the number of daily arrivals at 5,000 compared with the current 3,500 for the time being, he said.
The premier’s attempts to balance the views of a public that wants to maintain strict COVID-19 border controls and business groups that have lobbied for a relaxation of curbs to let in workers highlight the competing pressures he’s facing.
Kishida said the pace of infections was slowing down, while adding caution was still needed and Japan “couldn’t afford to let down its guard,” given that a delayed rise in serious cases might still occur.
“The circumstances have changed greatly not only within our borders, but overseas,” Kishida said. “We have decided to revise border control measures but it’s not realistic to ease them all at once,” the premier added.
The prime minister must avoid alienating voters ahead of a July upper house election. Victory in that poll would help him avoid the revolving door through which a series of leaders including his predecessor Yoshihide Suga have been dispatched.
He also told the news conference price increases for oil and some consumer goods were a serious problem. Kishida said his government will work on a further policy response.
Kishida’s cautious stance on COVID-19 since he took office in October has won him plaudits from the public, with overwhelming approval for his decision to slam borders shut to new entry by foreigners as the omicron variant raged across much of the world in November. He credited the move with allowing time to prepare for what nonetheless turned out to be the country’s worst-yet wave of infections and deaths.
In a bit of good news for Kishida, the economy returned to growth at the end of 2021, fueled by the power of consumer spending. Still, the rebound is threatened by the surge in virus cases to start the year and ensuing restrictions on businesses.
The omicron-fueled wave appears to be tapering off, Kishida said. This has prompted some regions to seek a lifting of states of quasi-emergency that restrict the operations of bars and restaurants.
There are signs voters may still favor a more cautious stance. A poll this week from national public broadcaster NHK found 57% of respondents said the border restrictions should stay in place. A hashtag trending on Twitter Thursday called on Kishida to declare a full state of emergency, as the daily death toll from the virus leaped over 200 for two consecutive days — the highest levels recorded so far.
While far lower than figures seen in the U.S. and much of Europe, the number of deaths may have been exacerbated by the delayed rollout of vaccine boosters, after the government initially insisted on an eight-month gap between second and third doses.
About 11% of the population had received a third dose of the vaccine as of Tuesday, compared with well over 50% in other developed countries such as South Korea and Germany, although the U.S. lags behind at 27.4%, according to Bloomberg data.
While Kishida’s support rate has slipped slightly during the omicron wave, it was at 54% in the NHK poll — well above the 30% level considered a make-or-break point for a premier.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel was quick to praise Kishida’s move on border controls, saying in a statement easing the curbs would benefit students as well as business travelers “who are vital for ensuring that the economic ties between Japan and the United States, as well as other like-minded economic partners, are as strong as they can be.”
