Unguided Tours to Japan – Reopening Phase Rules
Japan is further relaxing its border restrictions, including opening to “unguided tour groups” or “non-escorted visitors on package tours.” In this post, we’ll discuss the details of the latest reopening step, info about new guidelines for self-guided groups, and more. (Updated September 5, 2022.)
In this latest step towards fully reopening, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan will allow the entry of self-guided tour groups and raise the daily arrival cap to 50,000 starting September 7, 2022. On that same date, Japan will also no longer require incoming travelers to show a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test, provided they have been vaccinated three times.
This is the country’s most significant move since reopening to guided tours in June, a step that did not move the needle on visitor numbers in a meaningful way. Whether this decision to allow self-guided tourists who book as part of packages actually helps Japan’s battered tourism sector remains to be seen, and is unlikely in our view given the guidelines released by Japan.
Note that this does not mean Japan is reopening to individual, self-guided tourists. If you’re simply looking for an official answer about when Japan will reopen for individuals and not tour groups, we still don’t have that exact date. If you’d like to be notified as soon as an announcement is made by Japan’s government, subscribe to our free email newsletter.
At the press conference announcing the latest rule relaxation, Kishida explained why Japan was making this change. “In countries worldwide, international exchange is growing. To participate in these exchanges and to make sure the benefits of the weak yen are felt, we will raise the daily arrival cap to 50,000 from September 7, as well as allow non-guided tours from all countries to enter,” Kishida said.
“To make the entry of people in line with other Group of Seven nations, we will further ease our border control measures by taking into account the infection situation at home and abroad, the needs (of travelers) and border measures taken by other nations,” Kishida said.
Notably, Kishida has been repeating the line above–almost verbatim–since early May when he gave a press conference in London. Suffice to say, Japan’s reopening process has involved a lot of “careful consideration” and “evaluating the situation.”
The Japan Tourism Agency (part of the government’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism) released guidelines (in Japanese) setting out what travel agencies will be required to do in order before, during, and after their clients take trips to Japan.
Under these guidelines, travel agencies will be responsible for “arranging” round trip airfare for unguided tour participants when entering and leaving Japan, as well as all accommodations during their stay.
While use of the word “arranging” might have sufficient ambiguity to allow for the rubber-stamping an existing itinerary, the Japan Tourism Agency closes the door on that.
The guidelines further state that tourists booking their own airfare and accommodations with the travel agency acting only as their entry sponsor is not permitted. This means that our supposedly logical speculation below was inaccurate.
There are a range of other requirements in the 21-page document, many of which are specific to guided tours. Other requirements for the unguided tours are that itineraries be determined in advance, and that the plan take into consideration the prevention of infection. Travel agents are expected to check the infection prevention measures at accommodations, restaurants, etc., and use facilities that have thorough measures.
Travel agents are also expected to contact and explain to participants what measures they will be required to take, what to do if they become infected or are a close contact of an infected person, and obtain consent that travelers will adhere to all protocol and mitigation measures. (While not totally clear from the translation, it appears that travel agents will have some degree of contact with travelers while they’re in Japan.)
The straightforward interpretation of these guidelines would appear to doom the hopes of those, like us, who wanted a ‘do it yourself’ style approach with only paying for a sponsor service. Under any reasonable reading of the rules, that is not permitted.
However, there is still at least one service (being discussed in the comments) that purports to be offering exactly that. Personally, I think this is playing with fire. Japan loves its rules, and attempting to circumvent them or exploit loopholes is risky. It’s entirely possible that Japan won’t have any enforcement mechanism for ensuring guideline compliance. I would not want to spend large sums of money on the sponsor service, airfare, and accommodations to test that theory. To each their own, though.
We’ve contacted over a dozen travel agencies in Japan for specifics about what their packages would require. Most did not respond. That’s sadly understandable, as there is still a degree of ambiguity in the guidelines. It makes sense that agencies would err on the side of caution and not pro-actively publish their policies, which the government may, for some reason, not view as fully compliant.
Of those that did respond, all stated that roundtrip airfare and all hotel accommodations must be booked through the agency in order to be eligible for issuance of the ERFS. They also reiterated the consent and contact requirements, as well as the requirement to quarantine in the event of a positive test. Several also required the purchase of international travel insurance.
Pricing varies widely based on airfare, accommodations and destinations, but we’ve found the lowest starting price to be around $4,000 per person for two weeks before the cost of flights. The sky is the limit on upper pricing; you could easily spend $20,000 per person.
Admittedly, these guidelines are frustrating–especially since they are not internally consistent with Japan’s approach thus far to other foreign visitors (e.g. students, businesspeople, and guided tours). None of those expressly require that the sponsor arrange airfare or accommodations.
This is thus an almost illusory step forward–more like shuffling in place. Still, it does not come as a huge surprise and Japan has demonstrated time and time again that attempting to apply logic to its decisions–or indecisiveness–is a fool’s errand. And yet, we continue.
While a seemingly odd half-measure, especially after the guided tours proved to be unpopular, there is some degree of internal logic to moving to unguided tours. Currently, every foreign visitor needs a ‘responsible receiving party’ in Japan that can act as a liaison should that individual become infected and need medical attention. This is true for students, businesspeople, relatives of Japanese nationals, and those participating in guided tours.
In a nutshell, this is due to COVID-19’s legal classification; the infectious disease has a special status that obligates the government to devote certain resources and treatment to infected individuals, among other things. Recently, there has been debate over downgrading coronavirus to the same level as the flu in Japan’s infectious disease categories.
This downgrade is another issue that remains under “consideration,” but will likely happen in some fashion as the seventh wave recedes. There are numerous benefits to downgrading the classification of the coronavirus, but also countless challenges. All of those are beyond the scope of this post.
While not the impetus for the downgrade, one almost ancillary outcome would be eliminating many countermeasures currently being undertaken and putting Japan on the path to properly reopening and economic recovery. In short, this downgrade is almost certainly a necessary prerequisite for the country welcoming individual tourists. The downgrade would likely end the need for a responsible receiving party to monitor travelers and act as a liaison for infected individuals.
In the meantime, we can work backwards from the current requirements for responsible receiving parties for other categories of individuals who are currently allowed into Japan to deduce what is likely meant by “unguided tour groups” or “non-escorted visitors on package tours.”
First, it is safe to say that use of the terms “groups” or “package tours” is a bit of a misnomer. For a meaningful distinction to exist between guided and unguided tours, these necessarily must be self-guided or unaccompanied by a guide. This means that they are neither groups nor tours in the traditional senses of the terms.
Second, if we look to what is required or allowed of businesspeople, students, relatives, and other visitors (outside of the guided tour groups), it’s not a whole lot. The sponsors for those individuals are, essentially, just liaisons. They are not required to book certain hotels, flights, or make other travel arrangements.
There have been conflicting reports in the media about this since the announcement, which is likely due to the use of “groups” and “package tours.” For example, Bloomberg stated that participants in the non-guided package tours “would still need to adhere to itineraries set by travel agencies, and individuals won’t be allowed to go off exploring on their own under the relaxed rules.”
We suspect that this is an assumption on the part of the writer for Bloomberg, since official policies have not yet been set out. However, this interpretation would–at least in some ways–make the unguided tours more stringent than the guided ones. Participants on certain guided tours can arrange private guides and create their own itineraries. Moreover, some tours do offer time to explore on their own.
How many or most guided tours work in practice is a different matter, but there is no government policy against allowing free time or visitor-crafted plans. It would make little sense for the unguided tours to have stricter rules.
My expectation (which is also entirely speculative; like Bloomberg, I do not have insider info) is that participants in unguided tours will be able to create their own itineraries, book their own accommodations and flights, and have the ability to explore on their own in theory. Logically, there is no reason that the policies for self-guided tour groups should be any different than those for others arriving as part of other types of sponsored visits.
However, this will likely be difficult in practice. The primary reason for that is because it’s possible–if not probable–that most Japanese travel agencies will not want to offer an itinerary approval service when they can require participants purchase commissionable airfare, accommodations, etc. The latter is much more lucrative, and what these businesses are accustomed to selling.
While that is not a product that appeals to me, personally, it’s difficult to fault the travel agencies for that. Japan’s tourism sector has been decimated in the last two years. If my business were beaten down for 2 years and I could charge ~$200 for an itinerary approval and traveler liaison service or $3,500 for a self-guided package, I’d certainly choose the latter. (As a consumer, the latter is a non-starter for me, whereas the former is very intriguing.)
With this question in mind, we’ve already reached out to several Japanese travel agencies regarding their policies for unguided tour groups. It’s likely we won’t have any definitive answers until the government reveals its own guidelines for self-guided tourists. (This post will be updated accordingly when we do, so stay tuned!)
One potential argument against my more optimistic interpretation is that, if this were the case, Japan would’ve been better off requiring foreign visitors purchase travel insurance. In that case, the insurer could act as a sponsor, of sorts, and offer a wider range of coverage beyond just infection. As travel insurance is a known and understood product, this likely would’ve made more sense than paying a fee to a travel agency for what essentially amounts to itinerary approval and emergency support.
That’s a fair point. If Japan were to go this route, the country would undoubtedly see a bigger boost in tourist numbers than will arrive even under the most charitable reading of “unguided tour groups” or “non-escorted visitors on package tours.” My guess is that insurers could not be expected to provide itinerary monitoring/approval, or that Japanese bureaucracy never even considered this possibility, instead remaining in the rubric of ‘tour groups’ when determining its next step.
Ultimately, it will be interesting to see what the official definition ends up being for “unguided tour groups” or “non-escorted visitors on package tours.” With this policy taking effect in less than a week, the government will need to release guidelines in the coming days that provide clarity about what is and is not permissible. After that, travel agencies will determine how to implement those policies–or not.
If my admittedly optimistic interpretation is correct, this is huge. While there will still be hurdles, a tedious process, and the costs of itinerary approval, it’ll arguably be worth it. Those who jump through some hoops and pay fees will be rewarded with fewer tourists and lower prices. I’d even hazard a guess that the lower prices–since most people won’t travel during this phase of reopening–will more than offset the costs of itinerary approval.
Ultimately, under the guidelines that Japan has now released for unguided tour groups, this amounts to yet another symbolic step that makes it look like Japan is making strides towards putting itself in line with the Group of Seven, but not much more. While undoubtedly appealing to some, self-guided tours that are materially the same as current packages (minus the guide) are not going to move the needle at all. Japan will continue to languish, seeing <20,000 foreign tourists per month through the end of the year.
What really needs to happen is the restoration of individual tourist entry along with visa waivers for arrivals from countries of origin previously eligible for visa-free entry. Absent that, even with the most favorable interpretation of this new relaxation, Japan is still going to struggle to attract foreign visitors.
In any case, we’ll keep monitoring the situation and providing regular updates in When Will Japan Reopen for Individual Self-Guided Tourists? Here’s hoping for some news about an actual resumption of tourism to Japan in the not-too-distant future. Again, if you’d like to be notified as soon as more details are released or rumored, subscribe to our free email newsletter for ongoing updates and alerts:
If you’re planning a trip to the Japan, check out our other posts about Japan for ideas on other things to do! We also recommend consulting our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto and Ultimate Guide to Tokyo to plan.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the announcement that Japan will welcome “unguided tour groups” or “non-escorted visitors on package tours” starting September 7, 2022? What about the newly-released guidelines? Does this rule relaxation strike you as reasonable or unreasonable? Would you consider visiting Japan this fall or winter as part of an unguided tour group? Or is that a hard pass for you? When do you expect a proper reopening to individual tourists? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? If you’re planning your trip to Japan, what do you think about these itineraries? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
I was in Japan on my own 4 years ago. I will lift all restrictions. What they are offering now is simply ridiculous. In Japan, you need to travel on your own and make decisions yourself where and how to go. Let’s be patient.
this whole “travel ban” is very annoying. I met my boyfriend who lives in Japan thur a mutual friend a year ago, and since we never met or have any pictures together to prove it. now I can’t even apply for a visa. I live in the United state and I was hoping this solo travel news would be beneficial for me since I was planning to stay for 2 months and booking a hotel thru a travel agency doesn’t make sense since I am planning to stay at my boyfriend’s place. looks like the universe is not with me and this makes me very sad. Japan should just open, covid is not going anywhere and we need to work with it
Since travel to Japan this year seems unlikely, anyone else thinking about just buying a bunch of Japanese yen at these exchange rates for future trips?
Part of the reason I wanted to travel this year is the great exchange rate. First time I went to Japan 10 years ago, I only got 72 yen for a dollar. Now it’s 142. I doubt it remains this good (I could be wrong, of course, if Japan keeps making policy mistakes).
As an alternative to just ordering some yen from my local bank, I noticed these multi-currency accounts such as Wise. Seems like a better option. Anyone have any feedback on this site or others similar to it?
Thanks.
I started this year to charge suica cards using Apple Pay with no foreign exchange fee credit cards, since suica can be used at convenience stores. Recently transactions are rejected, even foreigners in Japan can not use us issued credit cards. Looks like they are not happy with weak yen being taken advantage.
I’ve actually been doing that over the summer. Either I’ll spend it. Or wait till the rates get better and flip it.
@Www can you kindly explain a bit more on your point regarding rejected transactions? Is it happening often or special circumstances?
@jas Now one no longer can buy suica using Apple Pay or us issued credit card. The transaction would not complete. Both Apple wallet or suica app do not work. I also tried pasmo which is less popular, still not successful. I am not alone other people also complain. I suspect that weak yen has something to do with the change.
@Www Thanks for the heads up on this! I just tried mine and it seem my VISA card inside Wallet failed payment while AMEX was successful in topup. Not sure why but I may try Mastercard later to top up a small amount to test.
it depends on your bank. BofA charged no fee because of the amount I purchased only the Bid and Asked each way.
The FAQ for the new guidelines has been updated
https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/001510889.pdf
Thanks for sharing that–I hadn’t seen it.
I haven’t gotten all the way through, but a couple of the questions and answers make it even clearer that self-guided travelers are not permitted to book their own airfare and accommodations. Definitely no ambiguity in “arrange” now. (Not that there was even once the guidelines were released.)
Still will be interesting to see how/if this is enforced, and whether travel agencies change their offerings as a result.
Question 5 on page 9 makes it very, very clear that ticket plus all accommodation have to arranged by the travel agency. Tour participants arranging for that themselves with the travel agency just taking over the arrangements from the participants are explicitly not permitted.
＜添乗員の同行を伴わないパッケージツアー＞
旅行業者又は旅行サービス手配業者が、ツアー参加者の入出国時の往復航空券及び滞在期間中の全ての宿泊施設の手配を行うものが認められます。ツアー参加者の自己手配で、旅行業者又は旅行サービス手配業者が受入責任者のみを引き受けることは認められません。
This is soo dissapointing. it is basically same as “guided tour” with little bit more freedom but cost about same.
This is just a covert way of showing progress while actually changing nothing. Japan is ruining itself economically and they seem to be totally fine with it. I had already booked flights and hotels. The latter one I can cancel, the other one will give me a voucher. As much as we wanted to go to Japan and spent our hard earned cash over there instead of pocketing an overpriced travel agent, we are going to let the Japanese dream slide and visit another location, as much as it hurts.
I’m particular interested in how Japan will enforce that both accommodations and flights are booked through travel agencies. Are they going to check when issuing ERFS or when entering Japan or when checking in at the hotel?
I still think not everyone will play by the rule
When issuing the visa, probably.
If you make it through the visa you are done for.
Hotels in Japan won’t be able to distinguish you from a business visitor. At airports too they will just check your visa.
I can’t see how anything can go wrong after your visa is issued.
That’s why in some places the delay is being massive, and, afaik, no one succeded yet with JGA scheme (yes I know many people already are just waiting but that’s it)
Also, as many have noticed, a lot of those agencies just do not have any support to buying air tickets through them.
It’s not even trying to cheat the system, it’s just something they are just not prepared to do, something most of the agencies never did.
So the government not only kept the high hurdles, but made the burden on agencies even harder by asking from them something they simply can’t deliver.
True, a lot of the travel agencies that I’ve talked to said it’s OK to book your flights as long as the accommodations are arranged by them. I guess this is a middle ground between what JGA offers and what the guideline mandates. Maybe worth a try.
Is there any information about self guided tourists being allowed to take train from airport to city ?
Yes, question 7 on page 9 of the guidelines referenced above explicitly state that public transportation can be used over the duration of the tour.
It’s ‘sayonara Japan” for me. I usually spend about 1100US$ a week in Japan which includes lodging, meals, admissions etc. I’ll take it elsewhere. So Japan keep infecting each other at eye-popping rates, enjoy your Yen taking a nose dive at levels not seen for decades, and keep scaring your citizens about the “Covid carrying gaijin’. Enjoy your isolation again.
Seems like the prefer people who spend 1100US$ every DAY (as well as agree to be in a tour group).
For example
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/destinations/asia/land/japan-tour/
I just read this from Inside Kyoto:
“The pre-departure covid test requirement has been dropped for triple-vaxxed (ie, boosted) travelers. It remains for all others, including children.”
Does anyone know if this is correct? – about kids under 12 still needing to get a pre-flight PCR test when they are not even approved to get a 3rd COVID dose, as far as I understand, at least in Australia.
This is from the Embassy of Japan in Australia website:
Accompanying Children
Children under 18 accompanying their parents are exempted from vaccine requirements as long as they are travelling with fully vaccinated parents. Please note that this exemption does not apply to children under 18 travelling by themselves; they will need to obtain a negative PCR test as below.
I received this from a travel agency yesterday which is confusing because no one else has mentioned any new changes but it does say flight and accommodation bookings are optional and you have to book a partial tour whatever that is
Dear Josephine-san,
Sorry that policy for government has been changed again.
Please find below:
According to the new tourist visa policy will be released on 7th Sep, we will be able to provide below service for you.
JTA(Japan Tourism Agency): https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/page03_000076.html
■Partial Guided Tour (Includes ERFS Certificate)
1. In order to clear the new visa condition, guest need to participate a full or partial tour through travel agent so we can issue ERFS certificate for you.
2. If you prefer partial tour service, you need to book your first and last day airport transfer & a partial tour through us.
3. Our tour service contains private vehiche charter & tour guide so you will need to book this part from us.
4. For others such as flight, accommodation, meal, tickets will be all optional service that you are allowed to purchase on your own.
5. Please provide total tour participants number, your arrival & departure DATE & AIRPORT in Japan so we can send you estimate quote.
6. If you decide to book from us we will start with issue ERFS certificate for you so you can start to apply your visa at Japanese Embassy.
The link you/they provided doesn’t indicate at all that the policy has changed. It clearly indicates that the policy/guidelines that will go into effect on 7th September regarding unguided tours requires flight tickets and accommodation to be organised by the tour operator (of course it could be that the travel agency just chooses a “liberal” interpretation of the guidelines):
令和４年９月７日からは、全ての国・地域からの添乗員の同行を伴わないパッケージツアー※3についても受入れを開始します。
※3 旅行業者等が、ツアー参加者の入出国時の往復航空券及び滞在期間中の全ての宿泊施設の手配を行うもの
Their reply seems to imply that they pick you up and drop you off at the airport. Thus ensuring arrival and departure dates? Any idea of cost?
Hi,
Would you mind sharing, which travel agency this is?
The agency was Japan Land Service
Can you share what the pricing was for this service by Japan Land Service?
This was the reply . It is far too much for us as we are 2 people so I haven’t made any further enquiries
Dear Josephine-san,
Thank you for your reply.
The minimum charge for our company tour service per group (under 8 guests) is around 218,000JPY tour fee
+ 50000JPY ERFS Certificate Fee (not refundable once issued)
If budget is fine for you I will send you further instruction with details.
Looking forward your reply.
So very disappointing. Have just cancelled all our October accommodation in private airbnbs and ryokans. Was really looking forward to our drive from Tokyo to Kagoshima and Nagasaki. Now our tourist dollars are heading to Singapore and Vietnam. Even though my partner’s family is in Osaka, it’s all too hard now so Japan will have to wait another year I guess
Booking an airfare from Japan is bound to be expensive. Japan travel agents can’t avail of the local deals at the other end.
I feel sorry for the small inns and ryokans the Japanese govt has forgotten about. Who of us independent types want to stay in some big ugly hotel chain brand?
Surely the govt can keep the same eye on us if we just submit our itinerary to them and promise not to deviate from it on pain of being deported?
Their love of rules and restrictions, and their fear of breaking out is going to break their economy during this time when they could really benefit from the great number of us who would return, triple boosted in a fingersnap, spend money, and behave well. We are not the uncivilised hordes they think we are. Their Covid numbers are higher than ours, so who is misbehaving? We are more likely to catch it there than spread it.
But I’d still go back now!
Has anyone read Japan expert, Alex Kerr’s great opinion piece on the current impasse? It’s brilliant from someone who really knows the psyche. It is in Nikkei Asia, September 4.
My issue is the following: I live and work in Japan. I haven’t seen my family in 3 years. While I am able to sponsor some family members, my step-mother (who is my father’s common-law spouse, instead of his married wife) is, per the current regulations with the tour groups, not allowed in – and I desperately want to see her again.
However, if I am acting as her sponsor as of September 7th, do I count as a “point of contact” or whatever the point of these travel agencies appears to be? I’m unclear about that and I’m not getting a straight answer from anyone in Japan, so I’m wondering what this sort of case looks like on the other side?
(The reason my step-mother isn’t allowed in is that she isn’t listed on my birth certificate, and she has no marriage license to my father – they do have common-law papers, but those aren’t recognized by the Japanese government… unsurprisingly.)
This November I am traveling to Japan with a group tour from the Netherlands.
I booked the vacation back in April for September but due to uncertainty of the regulations at that time and it not being possible to execute the vacation as advertised (as much free time and free schedule as possible) it had to be cancelled.
It was meant to be a vacation with only hotels and transportation from city to city booked and lots of free time in between, now it has changed with a to day schedules with the entire group, the Dutch guide and a Japanese guide because public transportation and taxis cannot be used at will and we must travel as a group to al the sightseeing spots. (There we can walk around unguided)
Not the way I wanted my vacation but hopefully the group is fun during this vacation, and I trust that we will visit the main tourist spots anyways, hopefully the restrictions will lessen before my vacation so that I am not stuck with a guide my entire vacation (I like to be impulsive and do my own thing on vacations😉)
Where in the adivice does it refer to a “Japanese” tourist agency? I understood it to include a tour agency from ones own country who would nevertheless be responsible for arranging, bookings and a point of contact.
Please advise.
Must be a Japan based one.
All this shenanigans is because, due to the current covid classification which the government refuses to lower no matter what, everyone entering Japan must have someone responsible for letting that foreigner in.
And ofc foreign agencies are out of the scope.
It is implied in the requirement to complete the ERFS, which can only be done by a receiving organisation located in Japan.
It’s not simply “located in Japan”. The sponsor must have a registered travel agency license.
And to clarify before its asked, they must have a registered JAPANESE travel agency license.
@AndyO I was quoting the general requirements for the ERFS. I doubt that for example a company inviting somebody for business purposes needs to be a registered travel agency. 😉
I read ‘approved travel agency’, but even so, look at excerpt from Tom’s post; “Currently, every foreign visitor needs a ‘responsible receiving party’ in Japan that can act as a liaison should that individual become infected and need medical attention” ..won’t happen with a foreign travel agent.
hey guys quick question – i am thinking about going to Jpan on 09/17/2022 and planning to stay for 90 days at my friend’s place. I am wondering if i can do only booking of my flight through travel agency and not the hotel. can i even do that?
I’m wondering the same thing, especially given the fact that a lot of travel agencies do not book flights for you.
Even if you can get an open-slate ERFS from a tour agency, I’ve heard that the tourist visas being given out are only for 30 days.
@TOM
Question: is there any checkpoints during your trip to test covid? otherwise unless you have severe symptoms, you wouldn’t even know if you got covid.
$4,000 dollar per person for two weeks, is that just for hotel bookings? Not including transportation or other services? Because in this case, a couple sharing one room will cost $570 per night on average. That is insane. We can all easily book a four-star hotel for around $200 on Booking.com and other sites..
I am actually waiting on a quote from HIS tailored to my hotel requests. Their flight quote was actually pretty much market price similar to what you can get yourself. So I was hopeful their hotel charges will be reasonable..
It is really disappointing that Japan is implementing what is a useless “relaxation” of the guided tour group requirement, especially since business visitors, students etc aren’t restricted and can go where they wish. I certainly do not want to book my flights through a travel agent, ( I get staff flights through Qantas)or be restricted by locking in an itinerary that doesn’t allow me to do my own thing and book hotels as I wish. I will probably choose another destination for my November holiday and go to Japan another time
We are heading to Japan on 09/09.
We had booked our flights and accommodation months ago by ourselves before the current restrictions. We have a 4 day stopover in Tokyo and the whole trip was looking impossible.
A month ago we booked a personally guided tour, only about 25,000 yen/day. we applied for a were granted visas without any issues.
The personal tour looks fantastic and we are happy to continue with it even though it may be possible to scrap it.
So it is possible to organise your own flights and accommodation and the guided tours can be organised over the web easily.
Hey Darron – please let us know how it went. Just reading that you are 4 days away from visiting Japan makes me very excited and anxious at the same time. I hope everything goes well and you have the best time in Japan.
Darron, curious on how you went about applying for your tourist visas yourself.
Lucky you…not so much for most of us.
Hi
These new travel rules for a “do a tour on your own” but use a travel agent are useless…no thanks. Airfare booking on line is my only option as things change in your life and require action by you immediately…
I’m grateful for your travel caffeine
Peter
I’m aching to visit Japan once again, but the unguided tour group thing is unacceptable (and way too expensive). I would gladly take a pre-flight covid test, especially knowing everyone around me on the plane took one too. That always seemed to be the best way to protect Japan from infected tourists anyway and i don’t understand why the government did away with that requirement before the other restrictions.
Those getting up in arms about the visas should probably be prepared for those to be around a long time, probably permanently. That’s the way the world is going – the US has implemented ESTA, Europe is implementing ETIAS. Given that, once Japan has their own system fully in place, why would they ever stop? The best we can probably hope for there is that they make it easier to obtain one once we’re past all of this.
Neither ESTA nor ETIAS issue visas but they are rather an automated authorization system for visitors from visa-exempt countries. This is quite different from what Japan currently has in place. I bet 90%+ of the people that you are referring to as “getting up in arms” would have zero problems with an ESTA/ETIAS system that enables them to get into Japan WITHOUT a visa compared to what’s in place right now.