Who the heck downvotes this and think it's normal for person LIVING in country for years not being allowed to return to their home and family, just because they don't live there long enough to gain citizenship yet? It's extremely xenophobic/racist approach (which should not really come as surprise in Japan).

I’d be one thing if I hadn’t lived here long enough to get citizenship yet, but after 10 years?!

Like, it’s clear whoever wrote that law didn’t deliberately exclude foreign residents, he just didn’t consider them a thing at all. Like ‘Japanese Nationals’ should comprehensively cover everyone in Japan.

At least they let their citizens in, unlike Australia!

There's a popular Japanese streamer who had a whole mental breakdown character arc since she was studying abroad in Australia and couldn't go home for a year or two because they wouldn't let her back in if she did.

And being in Melbourne she couldn't leave the house for some of that either.

I assume you mean that Australia wouldn't let her back in. Japan never closed the borders to citizens.

They did make it annoying to come back, however. Several different friends had to do long quarantines in not-great facilities.

Right, if she wanted to finish school she couldn't leave Australia.

Doing a return quarantaine a little while later convinced me I would not do well in prison.