日本は外国籍の人や企業に対して現在入国を許していません。入国をさせない状況を鎖国と呼びます。「鎖」という文字は、閉鎖すると言う意味で、その後に「国」をつけて国を閉じるという意味になっています。
江戸時代、キリスト教国(スペインとポルトガル)の人の来航や日本人の東南アジア方面への出入国を禁止し、貿易を管理・統制・制限した対外政策で、1639年から1854年まで鎖国が行われました。
しかし実際に外国との交流が全くなかったわけではありません。鎖国中でもオランダと中国に関しては、長崎の出島と言う場所だけは開港して、海外からの知識や商品の交流が行われていました。日本は島国なので、他の国との国境はすべて海になっています。ですからこのように国を海外から閉じることができるわけです。
今でも日本人は国外に出て、帰ることができるという意味では、今の鎖国は江戸時代のものとは違います。日本人が海外に行けるのに、外国人は日本に入れない。非常に偏った政策と言えるかも知れません。昔のように、早く外国人が日本に出入りできるようになってもらいたいです。
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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