#visa-policy

3 topics

Jun 23, 2026

China's New “Ethnic Unity” Law and Japan's Visa Crackdown on Chinese Residents

A Chinese law taking effect July 1 explicitly claims extraterritorial reach over individuals and organizations, which Japanese netizens read as criminalizing even overseas criticism of China. Coverage of Chinese residents worried about Japan's stricter visa rules drew an almost uniformly cold response, with safety and national-security arguments dominating.

Japan to Raise Foreign Visa Fees Fivefold, and Netizens Say 'Still Too Cheap'

Politics

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Jun 21, 2026

Japan to Raise Foreign Visa Fees Fivefold, and Netizens Say 'Still Too Cheap'

Japan's cabinet approved an ordinance raising foreign visa-issuance fees fivefold from July 1—single-entry visas from 3,000 to 15,000 yen, multiple-entry from 6,000 to 30,000 yen—the first change since the fees were set in 1978. Netizens broadly welcomed the hike as 'finally in line with the rest of the world,' but many griped that nearly half a century of inaction was 'far too late' and that even fivefold is 'still too cheap.'

Anger Boils Over as Foreign-Resident Crime Cases Pile Up in Japan

Society

Jun 3, 2026

Anger Boils Over as Foreign-Resident Crime Cases Pile Up in Japan

A string of unrelated incidents — a Sri Lankan man's arrest for stealing air conditioners, Vietnamese nationals accused of moving to Japan to resell Pokémon cards, and an unpermitted mosque in Kawagoe — were bundled by 2ch users into a single narrative of foreigner-driven disorder. The reaction mixed pointed criticism of visa policy with raw, often discriminatory anger.