Undergoing COVID-19 Quarantine In Hotel In Japan, Foreign Researcher Feels Imprisoned: I Want To Go Outside Or Buy Food

JAKARTA - A number of foreign researchers who were recently accepted by an institution affiliated with the Japanese Government, had to follow stricter COVID-19 quarantine rules than others, being 'imprisoned' in hotel rooms since arrival in Japan, according to people familiar with the situation, Wednesday.

More than 50 researchers in a program by the Japan Foundation were not allowed to leave their rooms at all for up to 15 days, after their arrival in Japan. Security guards are on guard to avoid violating quarantine regulations.

Quoting Kyodo News November 4, the researchers arrived in Japan on October 28, then stayed at a hotel near Narita Airport, near Tokyo to undergo quarantine.

Their entry was approved as an exception, as Japan maintains travel restrictions due to the pandemic. But the treatment received sparked a backlash from some researchers, comparing it to being held in a 'luxury prison' or describing it as a case of xenophobia.

In response to the spread of the new coronavirus, Japan has imposed strict travel restrictions like other countries have. However, the United States and European countries have relaxed them, to accept foreign researchers amid the improving COVID-19 situation.

The Japan Foundation, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, conducts cultural exchange programs globally and invites Japanese studies scholars from abroad.

A foundation official admitted, it (quarantine) is a "prerequisite" set by the relevant Japanese authorities and must be followed in order for the program to continue.

Japan is known to have established a 14-day quarantine period for those entering Japan, regardless of nationality, and they are being asked to refrain from non-urgent sightseeing.

The researchers were asked to sign a written oath, under which no sightseeing was allowed, including walking or grocery shopping, and they would only stay in designated rooms. It does not ask if they have been vaccinated or not.

Fully vaccinated people can end quarantine if they test negative in a voluntary COVID-19 test on the 10th day in Japan, excluding the day of arrival, under government rules.

But, one of the sources said, the foundation had effectively urged the researchers to stay in the hotel until the 15-day period ended, without such a test on the 10th day, saying if they (researchers) tested positive, they would have to cover the necessary costs afterward.

When asked why researchers needed to follow stricter rules, an official at the government's headquarters on the COVID-19 response said, "We don't know about individual cases."

"I like to get out of my room for a walk or buy food at least once a day," said one of the researchers.

Another researcher said it was one of the worst cases of "racism," adding, "Japan is desecrating itself in its contemporary history."