The Japanese government announces that South Africans will no longer be granted visas to enter Japan

Due to South Africa’s Apartheid regime in the 1970s and 1980s, many countries were cautious to be seen as allies with the country. Japan was one of these countries. Japan depended heavily on trade and it could not risk receiving negative international attention. On 5 June 1974, the Japanese government announced that South Africans would no longer be granted visas to enter Japan. The announcement meant that they were not to take part in sporting, cultural and educational activities. The ban came into effect on 15 June 1974.