Two years on from the start of the pandemic and most visitors are still banned from Japan. We take a look at why the world’s third largest economy has one of the strictest border controls in the world. How is it affecting people? And how is it affecting the economy? Tamasin Ford goes on a virtual tour of Tokyo’s foodie hotspots with Yukari Sakamoto, writer, chef and the author of a book called Food Sake Tokyo. Yukari explains how a lack of tourists has impacted her business, and how travel bans have stopped her from seeing family and friends. We also hear from a student stuck in the UK, and from Seijiro Takeshita. Professor of Management and Information at the University of Shizuoka Japan about the concerns from some big business over continued isolation.

(Image: Women cross a street at night, in Tokyo on November 3, 2021. Credit: Charly Triballeaue / AFP/ Getty Images)