On the First Day of Japan's Entry Restrictions, Only 8 Air Passengers... Abe Calls It a "Political Decision"

It Took Over 30 Minutes for Immigration Procedures

Prime Minister Abe Faces Scrutiny in Parliament Over Entry Restrictions

"Ultimately a Political Decision," He Expresses His View

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On the 9th, the first day Japan implemented entry restrictions on travelers from Korea. Around 8 a.m. at Narita International Airport, a Jeju Air flight from Seoul arrived. There were only eight passengers on this flight. The terminal was sparsely populated, and a quarantine officer wearing a yellow protective suit questioned one passenger for five minutes while reviewing a questionnaire.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that with the entry restrictions on travelers from Korea starting that day, quarantine procedures at Narita International Airport and Kansai International Airport were conducted under strict conditions.

A woman working at a souvenir shop in Narita Airport said, "Since late January, the number of tourists has sharply decreased and sales have plummeted," adding, "While the measures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are unavoidable, I hope the situation is resolved as soon as possible for the sake of running the shop."

At Kansai International Airport on the same day, a flight from Seoul arrived around 8:30 a.m. Three passengers wearing masks headed to the quarantine area. They filled out forms regarding their whereabouts and health status for the next 14 days.

Park Jin-seok (27), an international student from Korea, said, "I didn’t know that incoming travelers from Korea were not allowed to use public transportation, so I hurriedly contacted a friend to pick me up by car," adding, "The two-week quarantine is not a problem since the school has not yet started."

At the House of Councillors Budget Committee on the same day, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s sudden entry restriction measures came under fire.

Prime Minister Abe expressed the view that "it was ultimately a political decision." This was in response to a question from an opposition lawmaker asking, "Was the decision not to submit the Korea-China entry restrictions to the expert panel directed by the Prime Minister?"

Abe continued, "Regarding this decision (Korea-China entry restrictions), it was ultimately a political judgment, but of course it was not my decision alone; it was made after consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others."

When asked whether there was a "scientific basis" for the Korea-China entry restrictions, he said, "Currently, Korea is a place where infections are rapidly increasing. We had already imposed restrictions on some areas centered around Daegu Metropolitan City, but as we expanded those, we took measures covering the entire country as announced."

In response to an additional question about "why Italy was not included," Abe said, "We are currently discussing whether to target Italy," adding, "If necessary, we will make a decision without hesitation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.