Originally Posted by Ghoulish

Japan is the only willfully bad actor here.

On the heels of Japan's Covid policy widely understood by political observers to have ulterior motives finally coming to an end, they should do what immigration control authorities in countries around the world frequently do, exercise discretion, common sense, and dare I say it, as this is Japan, some human compassion.

Instead, they appeared to gleefully use the letter of the law as cover to deal with a foreigner in the most heavy handed way possible. Had imprisoning her been an option not risking what I understand to be their already shaky ground within the visa exemption agreement with the US, I think they might've done that.