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Japan border policy keeps thousands of foreigners in limbo

CORRECTS LOCATION TO KYOTO - In this photo provided by Sebastian Bressa, Bressa visits a bamboo grove in Kyoto, during a trip to Japan, on Oct. 2019. More than a year ago Bressa finished his paperwork to become a language teacher in Tokyo and made plans to quit his job in Sydney. His life has been in limbo ever since. Hundreds of thousands of foreigners have been denied entry to study, work or visit families in Japan, which has kept its doors closed to most overseas visitors during the pandemic.(Sebastian Bressa via AP) Laura Vieta, right, and Cinta Bazan take part in protest in front of the Japanese consulate in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. They loved Japanese culture so much that they both made sacrifices to study Japanese language, with long-term plans to relocate to the country and start careers there. The two women were the only protesters that showed up at the gates of the Japanese consulate in Barcelona, each of them carrying a self-printed sign reading "Stop Japan Ban." Their protest responded to online calls for similar action at embassies and consulates in different corners of the world. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) In this photo provided by Sebastian Bressa, Bressa stands at an intersection at Shibuya commercial district during his trip in Tokyo, Oct. 2019. More than a year ago Bressa finished his paperwork to become a language teacher in Tokyo and made plans to quit his job in Sydney. His life has been in limbo ever since. Hundreds of thousands of foreigners have been denied entry to study, work or visit families in Japan, which has kept its doors closed to most overseas visitors during the pandemic.(Sebastian Bressa via AP) In this image made from video, Sebastian Bressa speaks during an online interview with the Associated Press, on Jan. 28, 2022. More than a year ago Bressa finished his paperwork to become a language teacher in Tokyo and made plans to quit his job in Sydney. His life has been in limbo ever since. Hundreds of thousands of foreigners have been denied entry to study, work or visit families in Japan, which has kept its doors closed to most overseas visitors during the pandemic.(AP Photo) In this photo provided by Sebastian Bressa, Bressa visits Meiji shrine during his trip in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 2019. More than a year ago Bressa finished his paperwork to become a language teacher in Tokyo and made plans to quit his job in Sydney. His life has been in limbo ever since. Hundreds of thousands of foreigners have been denied entry to study, work or visit families in Japan, which has kept its doors closed to most overseas visitors during the pandemic.(Sebastian Bressa via AP) FILE - Passengers walk through the ticketing counter floor for international flights at the Narita International Airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, on Dec. 2, 2021. Hundreds of thousands of foreigners have been denied entry to study, work or visit families in Japan, which has kept its doors closed to most overseas visitors during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)