During video calls from Tokyo, where Alexandre Valiquette lives with his wife and children, his three-year-old son calls Francine Grift a “dwarf,” while his youngest son, seven months old, just grunts and smiles at the screen. . Hearing this gargling through a speaker is that Mrs. Griffith, who is Mr. Valiket’s mother, has ever come to meet her youngest grandchild. He lives in Saint John and the extended family has not been physically together since before the pandemic. The screen of a telephone now appears to Mr Valiquette as a barrier that cannot be crossed. “There is this constant feeling of knowing that a touch is impossible,” he said. The reason for this long separation, and many more like it, is that Japan is one of the less than a dozen countries that have remained closed to foreign tourists since the beginning of the pandemic. It closed its borders in 2020 and only in the last few weeks has it started accepting foreigners who have permanent residence there, as well as a small number of students and businessmen. Until recently, there were no exceptions for family members of Japanese residents, meaning that Mrs. Grift could not visit. He saw a glimmer of hope when the Japanese government announced a new travel visa in February that would allow the family to fly to the country as early as April. But obtaining a visa requires complex documentation, such as a letter from a guarantor and a full itinerary. Applications can only be submitted in person at the Japanese embassies. As a result, it remains almost impossible for most Canadians to travel to Japan. Mrs. Griffith abandoned her plans to do so after realizing that the embassy closest to her home is in Montreal, more than eight and a half hours by car. Flying there would cost her hundreds of dollars. “I just felt like crying,” he said. Even those who can enter the country are still subject to strict requirements, including mandatory quarantine. Mr. Valiquette, who works for Square Enix, a video game company, has lived in Japan for the past 10 years and has a permanent residence there. But even that, he said, has been weakened by the constraints of the pandemic. Francine Grift poses for a photo with her son, Alexandre Valiquette and his two-year-old son in 2019. If a Japanese citizen is caught violating quarantine or testing requirements, even by mistake, possible penalties include fines and disclosure of their personal information. Foreign nationals with permanent residence, such as Mr Valiquette, can be removed from the immigration regime and even deported. Mr Valiquette said he thought of flying his entire family to Canada last month, but decided not to do so because he feared the Japanese government would tighten entry requirements without warning. If this happened while he was missing, he could not return – separated from his livelihood, his wife and children. “Out of a whim, Japan seems almost ready to cut off any aid to its migrant population,” he said. “Being fired seems to be much more on the table here.” Ms Grift said Mr Valiket and his family would fly to New Brunswick in August if there were no changes to Japan’s travel rules. But he does not have much hope. “They just do not care,” he told the Japanese government. There are approximately 5,410 Canadians living in Japan who have registered with the Canadian Overseas Registration Office, Global Affairs Canada wrote in an email statement. The actual number of Canadians in the country is probably higher because enrollment is voluntary. Many live there with a student visa or a 12-month work holiday visa. Matthew Fukushima, a doctoral student at Toyo University in Tokyo who is in Japan on a student visa, has not seen his family in Windsor, OD, for two years. Mr. Fukushima has a Japanese husband, Daigo. However, gay marriage is not recognized by the Japanese government, which means that there were no special exceptions for Fukushima’s family members despite Daigo’s Japanese citizenship. The Japanese government resumed admitting students to the country on April 1, but Mr Fukushima said he was still concerned because border changes could be sudden. Matthew Fukushima and his wife, Daigo, in Windsor, Ont., In February 2020. Japan initially announced in February that it would begin allowing students to return on March 1. As soon as he heard the news, Mr. Fukushima bought a plane ticket so he can visit the house in December. Within weeks, the Japanese government withdrew its readmission policy as it worked to limit the spread of the Omicron variant. Mr Fukushima said he was relieved that his family could finally come to visit him. in Japan as a result of the new travel visa. “I do not think they will apply to come immediately, but it is good to know that they could come if they hit a stick, something happened to me and they had to be here,” he said. He does not intend to leave the country soon. “I’m worried they will ban us again while I’m abroad,” he said. Meanwhile, Mr. Fukushima is doing his best to start or end each day by talking to his parents. on the phone. But the time difference of 13 hours makes the calls difficult to schedule. Last year, his mother was diagnosed with severe liver disease. She started making her cheesecake recipe whenever she felt nostalgic. His mother has recovered since then, but said it was difficult to miss her during her illness. “I’m relieved to be able to see them now if needed, but I’m still sad that I can not go and see them easily,” he said. “I also feel quite angry with the government that initially banned all foreigners – including permanent residents.” Our Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
