しかし
Japan is Closed for Foreigners
Currently, Japan doesn’t allow foreign nationals or companies to enter the country. This situation of not allowing people to enter the country is called sakoku. The character for "sa" means to close, followed by "koku," which means to close a country.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), Japan enacted a foreign policy that created national isolation. It prohibited people from Christian countries (namely Spain and Portugal) from entering the country. Additionally, it prevented the entry and exit of Japanese people to southeast Asia. In turn, this not only isolated the entire country, but it also helped Japan manage, control, and restrict trade.
In reality, there wasn’t any exchange with foreign countries during this period of national isolation. Japan is an island nation, meaning that even the countries that border it has to trade by way of the sea. This makes it possible for the country to close themselves off from foreign countries. During this time of national seclusion, the only trade that occurred in Japan was through Dejima, which was a trading post in Nagasaki. At the time, it was open to the Dutch and the Chinese, so foreign knowledge and goods were exchanged there.
The current situation in Japan is different than that of the Edo period. Japanese people can still go abroad and return. However, foreigners cannot enter Japan. This policy is very biased. I hope foreign people can enter and depart Japan soon as they could in the past.
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