Is Japan Open to Tourists?
Is Japan open for international individual travelers? Are borders open as normal in 2024? What are testing, face mask, and vaccine requirements for visitors? These are questions among those planning trips to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and this covers the answers.
The good news is that we now have an answer to questions we’ve been asking for nearly two years! First, after reopening to guided tour groups, Japan reopened to individual tourists on October 11, 2022. In the year-plus since, additional changes have occurred to the extent that it’s basically business as usual for visiting Japan in 2024.
We’ve already returned to Japan, spending about a month in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and elsewhere. In various updates here, we’ve been sharing our experiences and what it’s like as a foreign visitor, what has changed, crowd conditions, expenses of visiting Japan with the weaker yen, and much more. The big one for most of you is likely going to be Japan Face Mask Rules v. Reality in 2024.
Those two posts cover essentially everything you need to know about visiting Japan as of 2024. The short version is that it is possible to enter, regardless of whether you’re vaccinated or unvaccinated, albeit with a testing requirement for the latter. There are no quarantine requirements, and travel is visa-free for the vast majority of people reading this.
Please subscribe to our FREE email newsletter and stay tuned if you are curious about how things are on-the-ground for tourists in Japan post-reopening.
In terms of the latest news, the current vaccine and testing policies ended on May 8, 2023. This is because Japan has formally decided to downgrade the legal status of the novel coronavirus on May 8, 2023 to the same category as common infectious diseases, such as seasonal influenza, thereby easing COVID-19 prevention rules.
This is a major policy shift and will relax–if not eliminate entirely–Japan’s intensive COVID-19 countermeasures, including limiting the movements of infected people and their close contacts. Japan’s reclassification of COVID-19 to Class 5 came after a panel of experts under the health ministry agreed on the plan earlier in the day.
The downgrade would pave the way for a normalization of social and economic activities in Japan, and should mean that non-residents are able to enter the country without PCR tests or additional paperwork. Essentially, there will be no (legal) basis for the current border protocol effective May 8, 2023. Of course, things could change between now and then, but it’s likely the border will revert to late 2019 status as of that date.
We typically spend a couple of months in Japan each year, and are ecstatic to be returning after nearly 3 years away. We are eager to revisit our favorite places, see friends in Japan for the first time in over two years, and continue creating this site’s wealth of free planning resources. We’re excited about this great (but overdue) news, but also go in knowing that things will be different, in ways both good and bad.
For these two-plus years, we’ve been closely monitoring the situation in Japan, watching several hours of NHK each day and reading multiple Japanese news sources. All of this in the hope for some clarity as to when the country will fully reopen and Japan will begin allowing international tourists to enter once again.
What follows is based on that research and fixation with the on-the-ground situation in Japan. We’re preserving this for posterity, but everything that follows is now (thankfully!) obsolete information.
Japan is now allowing foreign nationals to enter Japan for purposes other than tourism so long as they have a sponsor in the country. This includes business travelers on short stays, students in study abroad programs, participants in technical internships, both guided & unguided tour groups, spouses or children (and other relatives) of a Japanese national/permanent resident, others with special exceptional circumstances, and those who would provide a “public benefit” to Japan.
With that in mind, let’s cover how we got here, why Japan maintains the strictest among the Group of Seven developed nations, and what could cause that to change…
Again and again, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said that Japan “will continue to consider how the measures should be by taking into account the infection situations at home and abroad, border control measures taken by other nations, and progress in the rollout of vaccine boosters.”
Kishida has also acknowledged that Japan’s border control measures are the strictest among Group of Seven nations, and expressed a desire/need to bring Japan in line with its counterparts. “This is the first step in our gradual easing of the [border] restrictions,” Kishida has said.
As for why Japan’s border is still closed over a year after most democracies reopened, that can largely be explained by the country’s apprehensiveness of outsiders.
For better or worse, Japan is an insular and culturally conservative country–a characteristic that is often valued by visitors. Not so much in the last couple of years, as this has been reflected in policy-making. Japan has vilified and scapegoated foreigners and had an overly aggressive approach to its borders.
Due to this and other policies, Japan has lagged behind economically, seeing slower recovery than the United States and other counterparts that have more aggressively reopened. Economic benefits of international tourists is one big reason why Japan is expected to reopen its border.
Boosting tourism was core to the late former Prime Minister Abe’s economic revitalization, and both subsequent prime ministers have indicated their intentions to maintain continuity with those plans. However, the number of foreign visitors to Japan dropped to 245,900 last year, the lowest since 1964, as the country enforced tighter border controls. Compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019, it dropped 99.2 percent. That’s the sharpest fall on record according to the Japan Tourism Agency.
Economists fear a “double dip” recession in Japan due to the prolonged closures and restrictions. Decreased tourism plus falling exports, an increased consumption tax, reduced consumer spending, weak yen, and growing national debt. Japan’s economy has serious issues and inbound tourism was previously a bright spot.
In other words, reopening to international visitors will be important to the health of Japan’s consumption-driven economy at some point in the not too distant future. This becomes increasingly true as the yen weakens due to the Bank of Japan continuing to pursue its loose monetary policy while the United States Federal Reserve, European, and other central banks raise interest rates. Quite simply, Japan is inflicting pain on itself by remaining closed.
There are also signs that stringent travel measures, including the border closure, are having a greater impact on Japan’s economy than previously believed. This is despite Japan’s “Go to Travel” campaign that subsidized domestic travel, which was offered at various times during the last two years.
According to data from the Japan Tourism Agency, stays at hotels and other accommodation facilities hit another record low in Japan last year–breaking the previous record set in 2020. The total of guests at hotels and inns was 315.75 million, down 4.8% from 2020 and 47% from 2019. (This number includes hotels used as government quarantine facilities, not just leisure stays.)
The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party recognizes these problems and realizes it needs to rebuild Japan’s economy. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that his top priority was formulating new economic measures and implementing these goals. The government will also take measures to stimulate and jump-start the economy.
Despite the aforementioned numbers, Japan is maintaining its goal of attracting 60 million foreign visitors by 2030. Additionally, the Japan National Tourism Organization has set 2024 as its goal for recovering to 2019 international travel levels. Both of these statements are reassuring given the current border closures, and indicate that Japan will unwind its travel ban in months, not years.
Against that economic backdrop, let’s take a look at the latest changes to Japan’s reopening plans…
We have more good news! Multiple media outlets, including NHK, Kyodo, Nikkei, and Fuji TV are all reporting that Japan’s government is planning to further relax restrictions and border measures with an eye to implementing the revisions by the start of October.
The specifics are not consistent among outlets, so let’s start with where they’re in agreeance.
First, there is consensus that the daily arrival cap, which is currently set at 50,000, will be eliminated entirely.
This is a necessary prerequisite for further reopening and the resumption of more inbound international flights, but this alone was not an obstacle dissuading most international visitors. While the daily number of arrivals was higher pre-closure, we assumed that 50,000 is the level at which this cap becomes immaterial with China still sidelined. Regardless, it’s good to have this removed as it eliminates an element of uncertainty and could have been an issue during peak travel times for the Japanese.
Another possibility is that Japan will allow individual foreign tourists to enter the country and exempt them from visas if they have been vaccinated three times or submit a pre-arrival test result.
This is where there is disagreement among the major outlets. Kyodo, Nikkei, and NHK are reporting that this is to be determined, with government officials still deciding whether to proceed with this plan or start with lifting the daily arrival cap. By contrast, Fuji TV is treating this as a done deal, using less ambiguous language.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly plans to make a decision as early as the end of this week, according to the news outlets’ sources.
These “leaks” came after Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara spoke on Fuji TV over the weekend and stated that Japan will consider easing all three restrictions–the daily arrival cap, ban on individual tourists, and visa requirements. “We will review all three restrictions together. We have to carry it out in the not-so-distant future,” he said.
“Japan has seasonal attractions in fall and winter. We know there are a lot of people overseas who want to come to Japan,” Kihara added. “Amid the weakening yen, inbound travelers will have greatest economic effect…There are many foreign visitors who want to come visit Japan.” Kihara added that eliminating the arrival cap alone was not enough.
Kihara isn’t the only one who has been vocal about fully reopening to tourists recently. During the Bloomberg New Voices panel, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said she would open the country’s doors “tomorrow” if it were her decision. “Tourism is a big industry in Tokyo, as well as in all Japan, so this is the time to greet more foreign tourists by using this advantage of the depreciation of the yen,” she said.
Koike said that Japan’s borders would fully reopen soon. “The national border is under the management of central government,” Koike said. “As governor of Tokyo, that would be tomorrow.”
The yen has fallen to a 24-year low of ¥144 to the dollar, likely contributing to the sense of urgency in the aforementioned interviews.
Japan eased its border restrictions last week, raising the daily arrival cap from 20,000 to 50,000 and dropping the requirement for pre-arrival PCR testing for vaccinated travelers.
Japan also began allowing unguided tours, meaning ones not accompanied by tour conductors. This is specifically for “unguided tour groups” or “non-escorted visitors on package tours” and not individual tourists.
In Unguided Tours in Japan – Reopening Phase Rules, we cover what this entails and the recently-released guidelines and FAQ for these tours. Prior to those guidelines being released, we speculated on how this would work given basic logic and past precedent with prior groups who had been allowed to enter Japan. We were wrong–the unguided tours offered two steps forward but one step backwards.
We mention this in part to own past mistakes, but also as a cautionary tale. While it certainly sounds like the end is near for the Japan travel ban, it’s premature to have a high degree of confidence.
Kishida’s government has been trying to take advantage of the weak yen and accelerate growth by attracting more foreign visitors. It thus stands to reason that opening to individual tourists necessarily needs to occur–that raising the entry cap will do nothing in furtherance of their stated goal. However, as we have seen time and time again, the patently obvious conclusion often is not the outcome reached by Japan.
Moreover, how this played out with Japan’s last announcement is also instructive.
On August 23, specifics of the September relaxation measures were leaked to the same media outlets. At that time, it was unclear whether unguided tourists would be allowed to enter. On August 31, Kishida made an official announcement encompassing all of the rumored changes, including unguided tourists. (It took a few more days for the guidelines to be released, and the clarifying FAQ is still being updated.)
While presenting the above as a cautionary tale against optimism or over reliance on logic when assessing Japan’s decisions, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. (I’m sorry, I can’t help myself. Like a moth to a flame.)
First, there’s already the realization that unguided tours–like guided tours before them–will not move the needle on inbound tourism in any meaningful way. It’s another symbolic measure, and coming at a time when an increasing number of international visitors have already moved on to other destinations and pent-up demand has begun fizzling out. The number of people anxiously awaiting Japan’s reopening is shrinking, not growing.
Second, there’s awareness within the Kishida administration that the window of opportunity to reopen the border is closing. This is something we’ve pointed out in our best and worst case scenarios in prior updates, but there’s only a limited amount of time between waves.
Over two years into this, the seasonality of COVID transmission is well-established. Cases are currently in freefall and will continue decreasing next month before bottoming out sometime between late October and early November. There will be a winter resurgence. It could start as soon as late November, but is more likely in December.
Reopening to individual tourists in October presents minimal (political) risk and maximum (economic) upside. Public opinion polls show that most voters have already moved on from COVID to assorted scandals; the minority who still care will see no immediate increase in cases correlating with the border reopening.
Frankly, the miscalculation here by the Kishida administration is thinking that this will have an immediate impact on inbound travel. Those reading regular updates on Japan’s reopening are not representative of international travelers at large. Most people need months of time between booking and traveling; very few plan and take last-minute trips–especially international ones.
Obviously, the easing has to occur at some point and this lag will always play out, but the notion that this moves the needle for fall is misguided. Autumn is already a lost cause. At best, this helps with winter. More likely, the impact won’t be fully felt until next year’s cherry blossom season.
One wildcard is the downgrade of COVID’s legal status. Several recent updates have centered around Japan’s internal debate over whether to strip COVID-19 of its special status and downgrade it to the same level as the flu in Japan’s infectious disease categories.
It’s been our perspective that this was a necessary prerequisite to welcoming individual tourists as there would no longer be a need for a responsible receiving party to monitor travelers and act as a liaison for infected individuals. Given that none of the recent reports have even mentioned COVID’s status in regard to reopening, it’s possible our perspective was wrong. Or, that this barrier does still exist and Japan will have to create a “solution” for it (travel insurance?) for individual tourists. Either way, that’s something to continue keeping in mind.
Also as previously mentioned, recent poll data also shows the public is now far less concerned with COVID than the economy, Unification Church scandal, Abe’s state funeral, and other issues. It’s entirely possible that Kishida sees this polling and his sagging approval numbers and realizes that it’s time to move forward. That there’s more upside than downside risk in reopening and encouraging more economic activity.
As we’ve stressed repeatedly, Japan’s populace has been among the most cautious in the world with regard to COVID-19. Human behavior and sentiment don’t change overnight, even if it’s economically advantageous and objectively safer to do so. Statements by politicians and medical advisors, gradual border relaxation measures, and other changes could be interpreted as Japan laying the groundwork for a resumption of normalcy and the country’s eventual reopening. It now appears that the time is here–or coming very soon.
With all of this said, I’ll present my revised best, worst, and base-case scenarios for Japan’s reopening to individual tourists…
Let’s start with the best-case scenario. This assumes that Japan downgrades COVID-19 from its special status to Category 5 literally any day now or that this is not a necessary prerequisite to an individual tourist reopening. (With the possible workaround of travel insurance or some other awkward “fix.”)
Critically, this would eliminate the legal requirement of a responsible receiving party for visitors to Japan. In such a scenario, the borders could almost immediately return to their normal pre-closure status in early October. With this, the visa exemption would be reinstated, making that a non-issue. The arrivals cap would also be eliminated in this scenario.
Then there’s the middle ground or base case. This is now the same as the best-case scenario. In short, the early October reopening is not just our most optimistic view–it’s now what we expect to happen.
To differentiate the two, I’ll also allow for a middle ground possibility of a bifurcated decision with the individual tourist reopening a few weeks after the entry cap elimination. Let’s say that happens in early November.
This is would allow a bit of wiggle room for Japan’s slow and belabored decision-making process that involves a lot of “careful consideration” and “evaluating the situation.” If anything has been well-established during the last two-plus years, it’s that inaction is Japan’s baseline, and anything that does happen occurs gradually and in stages.
Finally, the worst-case scenario is that Japan instead opts to revive its “Go to Travel” campaign just in time for fall colors season, and uses that to buoy the tourism sector through December. It’s possible the country views this as sufficient for tourism businesses to stave off bankruptcy or other financial hardship for another few months.
If/when there’s another winter resurgence in cases, the reopening can would effectively be kicked down the road for a few more months. That would mean individual tourists would not be welcomed back to Japan until sometime in the first half of 2023. I’m inclined to say Spring 2023, but it’s easy to envision a worst-case that isn’t until summer.
Our view is that the worst-case scenario is now highly unlikely. Japan relaxed its border measures earlier in September while still being #1 in the world for new cases. This indicates that Japan is finally ready to move forward and sets the precedent for future changes during waves. Who knows–it still may take until early 2023 to fully downgrade the legal status of COVID. But whatever winter wave occurs (and one will happen), that’s unlikely to be an obstacle to reopening progress, as was the case last year.
With all of that in mind, we remain cautiously optimistic that individual tourists will be allowed to enter Japan sooner rather than later. The political and economic appetite for fully relaxation now clearly exists, and there’s a vocal chorus of politicians in Japan–including those who were previously in favor of closed borders–championing reopening. It’s now the popular position being advanced publicly by politicians, not just being advocated by Keidanren or Japan’s business lobby.
Japan fully reopening in full is all but inevitable at this point. It will happen soon. The end is near.
It’s thus our view that Japan reopening in some capacity to individual tourists in October is a very realistic scenario. As improbable as it might’ve seemed even a week ago, Japan welcoming back international visitors who are not part of tours (guided or unguided) sometime before November is likely. It’s pretty clear the government is focused on moving forward. As frustrating as this whole process has been, Japan is not still (completely) stuck in March 2020.
As always, Japan is cautious and conservative, with a slow and belabored decision-making process that often embodies “analysis paralysis” and usually defies logic. That’s a wild card that could further extend any timeline. However, Japan is now joining the rest of the world as people are ready to move on with life.
We’ll keep watching the news and keep you posted if/when there are further developments about Japan reopening and allowing entry to travelers from the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond. 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 visit to Japan, our recommendation at this point is to target sometime in November at the earliest. In our view, koyo (autumn leaves) season is a good bet, and that takes place from mid-November through December. That’s simply a good time to visit Japan and, hopefully, the country will be open to individual tourists by then.
Speaking of which, check out our Japan Fall Colors Forecast & Autumn Foliage Viewing Guide to get started on planning your trip to visit Japan’s popular fall foliage cities, including Kyoto, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Himeji, and Nara. That also offers tips for avoiding crowds and strategy for visiting the best temples, shrines, and evening illuminations.
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
Would you consider visiting Japan later this year, or is international travel out of the question for you anytime soon? How do you view the news about guided tours? Think those will stick around for several months, or are simply theater to shift public opinion? Think the need to adapt and live with the endemic virus will outweigh fear when it comes to Japan’s reopening plans? 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!
Omi has came out and said they should make covid the same classification as the flu, or at least entertain and plan for the idea. Hopeful signs this might happen after this wave is over. Once/if this happens, foreign tourists won’t be far behind.
https://t.co/PSTeu9kDr3
I’ve read that. It makes me feel that what happened yesterday was just a smokescreen to avoid saying they were wrong.
I think they may have been planning on doing it after the election, but feel they can’t during a large wave of cases. The timing implies it, at least.
I honestly doubt that. Right after the elections, before the media got hysterical again, Matsuno said that lowering the virus to class 5 was “unrealistic”.
The media were amping up the fear from the end of June, a couple of weeks before the elections.
Too late, my application for visiting a fiance visa was denied. I can reapply again 6 months from now. This is just disastrous for me and my wife to be. Another relationship ruined by the Japanese Authorities who are paralyzed by their “too much exlertise”. Japanese are too naive! Are they not reading news from other countries, of what is happening outside of their country. They are STUPIDLY-SMART!
Wow, I’ve not heard of anyone being denied a fiancé visa. I’ve seen a few people via twitter successfully apply. I’m really sorry to hear you’re going through such a tough time.
Sorry to hear that. I did contact the embassy about this and the hurdles for the fiancé visa seemed ridiculously difficult to overcome.
I’d rather let their experts ruin their own country, than recover from their own hypocrisy. These people don’t know reciprocity. I am just too fucking disappointed right now, so you can just ignore this reply.
Correct me if wrong but if they make covid same as flu, everything falls apart right?
Not only the borders, but all kinds of inside restrictions they still have like keeping silent during concerts, social distance, indoor masking… all would not make sense anymore lol
Btw weren’t they suppose to reveal the new start date of the national tourism campaign this friday?
The contrast between Matsuno and Omi speeches was really weird…
I had some sushi today. Made me think of Japan.
From the NHK, which is reporting the “experts” panel for the government (the final report is expected tomorrow):
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220714_16/
“The panel adds that if an end to the seventh wave comes into view, they need to start considering the coronavirus as just another disease that should be given normal medical treatment.”
If that’s the case why postpone the campaign? Can they make up their minds?
Missed this. Interesting. I feel like if Japan makes it through this wave without the need to bring back any restrictions then things might move a bit quicker (by Japan’s standards…).
Unfortunately, the majority of UKs stats into case numbers are worthless now (especially ones like ZOE), but hospitalisations are showing like they may have peaked already. The UK obviously has a lot more natural immunity than Japan, but other variants of Omicron tracked similarly. Perhaps Japan might peak by the end of the month?
Tokyo today raised its “alert” level to its highest (4 out of 4) even though there is lots of space in the hospitals.
And the entry daily cap, which is currently at 20,000, was suppose to be raised in this month (some claimed it may even be scrapped altogether) but it has been decided to remain at the same level for the time being.
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/coronavirus/20220714-44685/
In light of this, along with the delay to the domestic tourism campaign (this campaign would probably need to be completed before allowing in unrestricted foreign tourists), I am no longer in the view that September has any chance for re-opening, even if the current wave isn’t too bad. October is almost nil too.
I have a friend who’s company here sponsored a foreign businessman to come in, and this person tested positive for Covid a few days ago. I heard the ordeal that the person is going through and it is logistically untenable to do such a response at any scale under the same guidelines (special transport to a special quarantine hotel thats fully equip with blood pressure machine, oxygen monitor and even a “I’m dying and can’t communicate” panic button, with twice a day monitoring calls, doctor consultations, health administration contacts, and all of this daily interaction done though interpreters since nobody in any of those fields who need to communicate with this person can even speak English apparently, let alone any of the other languages spoken on earth… and this person isn’t even symptomatic).
Until ALL of those protocols are scrapped and Covid is relegated as being equivalent to the flu or a common cold, then I can not imagine it is at all possible to replicate such support en masse for unrestricted tourism.
Not to be unrealistically pessimistic, but I’d now give a less than likely chance that tourism restarts in an unrestricted way anytime in 2022, maybe even up to March 2023.
You could well be right, Andy. I think what it will come down to is how long this wave lasts and what the Government feels like they need to do in response to it. Government response seems markedly different so far, at least.
Zazza’s post about the Government panel essentially recommending that covid is treated the same as other illnesses after this wave could be the start of what you’re talking about. This could still bring us into 2023, given how slowly this administration works, even by Japanese standards, but 2022 is not a complete write off yet, but the chances are getting smaller, as you say.
First of all, the wave will last around 45 days (that’s what happened in the rest of the world).
Second, the experts panel…it’s just a way to save face. I’d say it’s clear that nothing the government has done had any effect, so they’re using this wave to phase out (or start phasing out) everything to avoid saying they were wrong.
JTB today correctly fired a shot at the government saying that they keep saying they’re monitoring overseas, but EU and US “stopped caring”.
Also bear in mind, that beyond the length of the current wave, the discount travel program had been fully funded long ago and is highly expected to commence at some point.
An enormous amount of money has already been allocated to it… so much so that during the initial run of this program, way back in autumn 2020, less than 20% of the funds were used during the 3 months it existed. Since then a big chunk of the remaining funds have been dished out for local prefectural travel campaigns, but still about 20% (or a bit more I think) still remains within the national fund to be used in this now (once again) delayed campaign.
If it took 3 months (and lots of disorganized graft) to spend the same amount a couple years ago, it’d be pretty reasonable to say that it’d take 3 months this time around to spend what’s left (especially since the maximum benefit amount has now been reduced from before).
And as mentioned, it is very unlikely that unrestricted foreign tourism will be allowed during this campaign. Just do the math with the dates… 2022 ain’t looking too good.
Given the current outlook, even with all that money, it won’t be enough, unless BoJ changes its stance.
So no, I think right now any option is open.
Can’t believe someone inside FINALLY criticized their longest robotic speech of “hur dur looking at the situation of infection and border measures taken by other countries”
Good sign.
While I don’t think they will initially be ran together, I don’t think it’s completely impossible for both the domestic discount travel campaign and international tourism to return at the same time, after a month or two of the campaign running, provided Japan actually does start to treat Covid similar to other illnesses after this wave, like the Government panel spoke about today.
Yes zazza, while any option is always potentially “open” (because sure, lightning can even strike a black swan I suppose), I think it’s pretty certain that the suggestion of reopening in July for unrestricted foreign tourism is a complete and utter impossibility. And the same holds true for reopening anytime in August as well (which is something people have been saying here for months).
But you realize that this article we are commenting on, in its most recent update just 7 days ago, not only suggests to people reading it that re-opening in July is somehow still in some way a possibility, but that August was a “distinct possibility”?
While I attest that pessimism may not always be realistic, it can at least lead to a happy surprise when things go better than expected. However optimism that isn’t realistic usually just gives false hope, which then leads to people feeling burned and jaded, just like with all anger from those who have repeatedly commented here for months and months about having to scrap travel plans and/or re-book things for the umpteenth time.
Andy, in fairness, you also said that September was a possibility somewhat recently, so I wouldn’t have said August was some sort extreme opinion even just a month or two ago.
Not a dig, I’ve always agreed late summer, I.e to 22nd September here in the UK was the most likely starting date, and now I may end up being wrong.
Yes, I said September starting back in March, but aside from not suggesting it at all in the past 2 months, whenever I (along with you “.”) did so, it was at the derision of many if not most people here who often lambasted the thought, and despite several article updates in between, we could still see the writing on the wall way back then. But to be even more fair, in suggesting September last spring, I always said “at the earliest”.
Do you guys want to really know what’s going on and why certain countries like Japan and China are so strict? It has nothing to do with science or “safety” and has everything to do with political motives.
The first “variant” of this virus was called “delta” and the second was “omicron”. Guys.. It’s an anagram. Delta/Omicron literally spells “media control.” We’re all being played and the media thinks we are stupid. The same goes with the word “corona”. It’s 6 letters long and each letter in the word corresponding with the letter in the alphabet equals to 66. So that’s 666. I guess it just must be another one of those “coincidences” though. Just do some research and you’ll find the truth.
The SK foreign minister will be in Japan on Monday (news reported by Kyodo).
I assume discussions on visa waiver will start.
Here’s some food for thought for those wondering why it’s taking so long to open. The first 2 variants of this virus came out were called “Delta” and “Omicron” right? You realize it’s an anagram, right? Those two words spells “Media control”. I guess it just must be another one of those coincidences, just like the word “Corona” is 6 letters long and each letter in the alphabet in that word equals to 66, meaning 666. Just must be another one of those coincidences.
Alpha and Beta came before both of them lmao
There are 2 main points that still make me believe in a September reopening, as unlikely as that looks:
– JATA’s Tourism Expo that starts 22nd September. At the schedule proposed by JATA themselves, a reopening for individual tourists would start in September, just in time for said event. So far there’s no info about a postponement or any changes to its schedule.
It’s a tourism event with guests from all around the world and where public is also invited. Holding it behind closed borders would be embarrassing to say the least.
– Pre-Omicron schedule coincidence. Before Omicron appeared, monitor tours would’ve started in December, and according to travel agencies, lead to a full reopening in March or April.
Giving the same interval, they should last until August, with a reopening in September or October. As “.” often says here, they seem to be deeply following what was supposed to be the schedule pre-omicron.
Of course there’s also that visa problem with Germany and Poland but looking how close August is, I don’t think Japan government is bothering with that, or at least its not like it would result in a instant ban in visa reciprocity (there would be some political-extended-agreement, idk, since Japan manages to get a pass in absolutely everything)
I guess the tourism expo will mainly be other countries advertising themselves to Japanese tourists and not the other way round.
I think it’s been announced they will postpone the domestic tourism campaign expansion until sometime in September so in my opinion I couldn’t see them making any serious changes to international travel until the domestic campaign has been fully up and running for a while.
Also I really don’t think the Germany and Poland thing is anything to read into. I don’t think Japan would mind too much if the visa waiver program was suspended with these nations and I highly doubt it will be, Japan will just pledge to work towards eventually restoring their program eventually.
Also you say the same interval which could be the case but I’m sure this 7th wave is going to widen that gap.
They haven’t announced anything precise about the postponement. They will decide it this week.
As frustrating as it might be, let’s tone down the hyperbole for now.
Just to clarify, the postponement has no date as of now (I’ve read the news, and “september” has not been mentioned anywhere).
However they won’t be able to chicken out for long, as the pressure (internal one) is growing.
Yes, they said today that they would implement the domestic campaign as soon as infections die down.
https://t.co/Bbu82rW8ZW
I am scheduled for early September 2022. I have family there and have rescheduled this trip 5 times. Praying that something happens quickly, but not holding much hope. :*(
If your family residing in Japan is an immediate relative, they can sponsor you to get a visitors visa. With September looking increasingly unlikely for full reopening, you should consider starting the application process for such a visa now via your local Japanese embassy or consulate (it can take 4-8 weeks to process).
Japan has been ruined for me. I truly believed it was the blueprint for the future. My first ticket was bought September 2019, to fly March 2020. Six cancelations, and well over two years, and yet I see nothing, but Xenophobia disguised as Fear. I felt astonished: what could be going on? This was madness! I started studying the matter and after years of reading, watching state media, and listening to regular citizens, I finally understood. This a country ruled by a handful of fearful, cynic, old men, who share power among their powerful families and control the society through media. I have lost all will to visit. I morn for the poor citizens who must live there. And for the time and money I spent on a fools dream.
Japan is and will keep on living in its superiority complex. They are not afraid of foreigners, they are disgusted with the impure and dirty foreigners.
To be honest pre covid Japanese were actually pretty welcoming of foreigners, spent a fair bit of time out there and never had anything bad to say about the people, always really welcoming and wanting to interact with you. I think it is a case of the government has instilled such unnecessary fear into the population that it seems their outlook on foreigners has changed completely. Of course that doesn’t count for everyone, there are still many Japanese who loved interacting with foreigners pre covid that will be disappointed that foreigners still cant visit normally.
I cant really explain it but my psychic thinks I’ll be able to head to Japan very soon. I am booking non refundable tickets for first week of September. Kampai!
Really bad troll attempt.
https://ibarakinews.jp/news/newsdetail.php?f_jun=16576254180278
Paid article, so I can only read a fraction of it, but apparently Ibaraki’s governor has asked for easing of border controls.
First time I hear a prefecture explicitly asking it (there’s also the Shimane governor criticizing the easing done up to now, but he’s a known Zero Covider)
Decision on the domestic travel will apparently be made this week.
https://youtu.be/Nu576zWUwqQ
Doubt any decisions will be made regarding international travel but will be interesting to see which direction they go in with cases rising currently.
Domestic travel with the current situation won’t be enough (especially for Kyoto), but i expect them to go ahead regardless
Definitely won’t be enough, but unfortunately, it’s been a planned precursor to international tourism since 2020. I don’t think it’s planned to last long (unless I’m misremembering), so hopefully it is a good sign if they go ahead.
Do you guys think September is out of the window now or is there still hope? lol considering they reopen after the domestic travel
I plan to go there late October/November… it looked safe but I’m starting to get worried.
I won’t pretend to know. I booked my flights for November last year, thinking it would be a safe bet. No idea if I’ll be able to go at this point. I suspect my flight will get cancelled soonish if we don’t get any clearer indication of a proper reopening. I’d be more confident if there wasn’t another wave currently. I think the reaction to this wave over the coming weeks will be telling.
I agree with Zazza.
In my opinion, August is definitely out the window. But, if the domestic subsidy program goes forward *and* cases start falling by the end of July, I think there’s a chance for some kind of positive announcement in August.
Even then, I think the chances of an opening in September are low, maybe <10%. If all goes well, I think October is more possible, but still <30% chance maybe.
Anyways, you never know! The chances are definitely low, but anyone writing it off completely is running blind — nobody really knows what's going to happen. It's never quite a 0% chance, unless the author is actually Kishida's burner account.
If you have the means, time, and flexibility, it's okay to book things. You'll get a heck of a deal if they open! BUT don't get anything that can't be refunded. Even if they do open up the doors a crack, we've learned the hard way that they can close back up even more quickly.
Meant to agree with “.”, but I do agree with Zazza too haha
More info via Yahoo Jp (Google translation)
The government has decided to postpone the implementation of the tourism support measure “National Travel Support,” which was aimed to start in the first half of July. We will not wait until the infection status of the new coronavirus improves. It will be announced within the week. The “Prefectural Discount” scheduled to end on the 14th will extend the period until the end of August.
[Explanatory drawing] What are the characteristics of the BA.5 strain of Omicron strain? Will it spread?
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had planned to implement it from the first half of July on condition that the infection situation would improve during June, but the number of infected people turned to an increasing trend, and the number of newly confirmed infected people was confirmed on the 12th. Over 70,000 people. It seems that it was judged difficult to carry out while the infection was spreading.
Tetsuo Saito, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, said at a press conference on the 12th, “Based on the results of the expert meeting of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (held on the 13th), we will comprehensively assess the infection situation and make an appropriate decision during the first half of July. I want to. ”
Chairman Shigeru Omi of the government’s new corona countermeasures subcommittee showed on the 11th that he was in the “7th wave” due to the spread of infection, and the infection is unlikely to settle for the time being. Implementation during July is strict, and there is a possibility that it will be delayed after September.
Not looking to good for us foreigners
I wouldn’t look too much into it, at least for now.
Also, the prefectures governors made a documents with “recommendations”. Mostly it’s stupid stuff, but there’s a paragraph of recommendations to adopt expecting full borders reopening.
The message is muddled (and I think it’s intentional).
AFAIK, the only governor that criticized the “reopening” so far was the Shimane one, but I think he’s a zero-covider.
The comment section of that video is overwhelmingly opposed to restarting travel. I know it’s a small sample size, but if it’s even remotely representative of the population, then it does not bode well.
When governments focus on case numbers and not deaths, it is the ultimate indicator that they are just clowning around.
It’s not representative of the population as a whole (like social media, the most vocal groups are represented, regardless of their size).
The most Japanese citizens are Xenophobic and ultra-nationalists as hell!. Are the open minded ones even allowed to read and reply in this article?
The comments in the video were in response to the idea of the domestic travel campaign. Rather than xenophobia or whatever, it seems more like a pathological opposition to returning to normal in general.
Opposition to returning to normal entails Yes, Xenophobia in full mask.
Actually, most of the comments oppose the Travel Go program because of economic reasons, not COVID. Most point out that (in their opinion) there’s no reason to only protect airlines or tourism when all industries are suffering from the economic crisis and yen’s depreciation. So they accuse the government of having some personal interest on those industries.
Doesn’t seem like they’re opposed to people travelling (within Japan) but to the government spending so much money in travelling discounts programs and such instead of doing something about everyday taxes.
If they’re starting to worry more about economy than COVID spread then it might actually be a good sign for international travel.
There was a poll posted today or yesterday that most news outlets used to show Kishida’s popularity has risen, but there was a “super small snippet” that said that the ~52% said economic measures were more important than preventing the spread.
The landscape is clearly changing but I think it’s stil not enough to force a complete relaxation from the government.
P.s. today the NHK seemed unhappy the government said there were no restrictions planned.
NHK (Jp) has an article where various people in the Tottori prefecture express “disappointment” (i.e. criticize) the possible postponement.
Despite what they may do this can really blow up in the government face if they keeps this going.
Ugh, I need to vent a small bit. I’ve never travelled solo before, so back in December I bought a ticket to Japan for €940 and planned for 3 weeks. I 100% thought Japan would be open by August, whether that was me being naive/excited, it doesn’t really matter now.
During the last 24 hours I’ve come to realize that I more than likely won’t be able to go. Japan first came to mind because I really wanted to climb Mt Fuji, and then after planning everything else it was looking like I was going to really enjoy the 3 weeks. Funny thing is, I haven’t really been able to get excited about it due to the borders.
I don’t want to put the trip off till next year as travelling solo has been something I’d set out for myself to do. I’m now looking to change my destination to somewhere else for next month, though it’s not ideal as I now have to pay the fare difference for the flights which in some cases for SEA is like an extra 300-600.
I’m looking at Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand & Cuba right now. Seoul flights would cost me an extra 500-600 and I just can’t afford that as well as the trip and rebooking hotels(haven’t paid for any of them).
Slightly stressful if I do say >.<
Terribly sorry to hear that you got burnt on Japan and its asinine border policies.
In terms of alternate destinations, I can personally vouch for Thailand. Beautiful, safe, delicious food — and best of all, it’s dirt-cheap, airfare costs notwithstanding. Since you’re indeed going to need to eat the fare difference, I think that the money you save travelling in Thailand (compared to equivalent costs in Japan, even with the weakened yen) could help to offset it. They’ve recently made getting into the country a lot more convenient, too.
Full disclosure, though: I’m going on a “Still Waiting for Japan” trip to Thailand myself next month myself, so I’d be lying to say that I don’t have a bias in suggesting this. ROFL
I normally lurk in the comments section of this article, but your situation was a little too on-the-nose for me not to say something…I hope you have a wonderful trip, wherever it is in the world!
This is a pretty good read about Kishida’s mandate. Touches on border measure and the daily cap. But does also mention they are focused on the domestic tourism campaign rather than international tourism at the moment.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/07/10/national/fumio-kishida-fresh-mandate/
I read that, but it’s mostly guesswork and it’s biased towards “cases” regarding Corona.
Japan Times is a sister company of the New York Times. If anyone has followed their coverage of the pandemic then you’ll know the issues with their reporting… I’ll say no more.
Oh, i know, i was trying to be diplomatic…my real opinion cannot be written here…
A question for you all:
What exactly keeps holding them back so much at reducing COVID to Class 5?
Why are they so afraid of doing that, even tho now even the likes of Omi are saying returning restrictions aren’t necessary anymore, and that hospitalizations remain low?
BTW do you think Abe’s recent assassination will have a significant effect on reopening? Your last update was perfectly timed to miss that.
Unlike virtually everyone on social media, I won’t pretend to have an expert understanding of Japan’s political landscape. Instead, I’ll regurgitate what I’ve heard from experts on NHK: that Abe’s death has given a slight boost to the influence of his faction of the LDP, which could lead to an increase in popularity of his economic and national security positions. The former could move the needle slightly on reopening, but that seems like a big jump to me. In short, I doubt Abe’s death will be a determinative factor. (Thankfully, the shooter was not foreign.)
I’ve long been personally fascinated by Abenomics; there’s a decent chance many of us wouldn’t be so eager to revisit Japan but for Shinzo Abe’s economic and other priorities.
It’s been blackly humorous to watch your tone and view of Japan in these articles dim over the last few years. Quite the cynic now, Tom?
Honestly, my personal views have not changed that much. We’ve spent enough time in Japan–including outside of the major cities–and have read enough to not be particularly naive about the country or view it solely through rose-colored glasses, as is the case with many Japanophiles. Between the insular culture and belabored decision-making process, I’m not totally shocked. I definitely didn’t expect the reopening process to be this drawn out especially given the statements/plan back in late 2020, though.
The biggest difference is that my personal views are now starting to seep into the commentary.
I believe the world hysteria over Omicron gave an excuse to stop the process.
However right now they simply can’t afford it due to the economical situation.
Given Omi’s comments, and even Kishida’s, they *may* believe the virus is the offspring of Ebola, but the government (like in EU for example) simply cannot afford more spending and quarantine. I noticed the debate over what to do arrived even in Japan, lagging behind of about 2 months.
It does point to me that they’re trying to convince the population…veeeeery sloooowly.
I expect it would be hard for anyone who has loved Japan for a long time views on the country not to have soured a little after the way we have been treated over the past few years. I’m sure many posters on here are beginning to struggle to find the positives in all of this. But when Japan does re open and we all get to visit once again I’m sure all will be forgiven and forgotten.
My love of Japan was sky high that I was learning Japanese, but all this has left a sour taste including the Japan pavillion at the World Expo in Dubai where they only let in 1000 a day and could never get reservations and that they always closed earlier than the rest. Japan, hey. ;(
My family is currently struggling with whether or not to schedule our (likely) once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan for April 2023 spring break or put it off until there is more certainty….however long that might be. I’ve seen some flight deals come and go already but haven’t been able to make any decisions yet. These updates are very appreciated.
Tonight Kishida said something on the NHK when they interviewed him. It was not reported in the actual article (Japanese and English), but I did find a summary on twitter (for example https://twitter.com/kitaroupapa427/status/1546122398499344385)
He said that, although the number of infected people has increased, the number of seriously ill and dead has not, that the medical system is sufficiently secure, and that he is not considering any new restrictions on activities, but will focus on the economy as a transition period to normal times.
A tiny bit of hope, I’d say. Well, at least it’s better than “I will take that into consideration”.
Thanks for sharing that–those lines also were not included during the broadcast segment on NHK World. (Or if they were, I somehow missed it.)
If you look at that Twitter thread, there were other people who said they heard it.
Someone actually complained that NHK didn’t report it in their bullet points…
And here’s an article about it (need a VPN to see outside EU/USA):
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/01f2cb3d6c6b232875ba675fa1cebd00ec3a8592
Relevant quote:
“いまの医療提供体制を維持しながら社会経済活動を動かす”
As you can see there’s no mention of other restrictions.
Even Omi is saying the same now. I hope if Japan get through this wave quickly, and without bring back any restrictions, things could move quickly
https://t.co/tx4dlkASAX
it seems Kishida consulted with Omi before he said that, so I guess this rules out any possibility of prefectures to ask semi-emergency.
I think Japan is missing an opportunity to market itself as a destination where COVID safety is still taken seriously. There’s a not insignificant subset of the population in many Western countries who are distinctly uncomfortable with the whole “head in the sand” approach to COVID that the US and Europe are taking and would jump at the chance to visit a place that feels like it’s still taking things seriously.
I would hazard a guess that the subset of the population you’ve described that is comfortable with the idea of taking an 8 to 12 hour flight is insignificant.
I have a gut feeling of optimism, as the end of the election will likely more or less coincide with the BA.5 peak. That means borders can be reopened and seen to coincide with a fall in cases. Politicians have to take the negative “hit” of reopening at some point, and the period of greatest decline is probably the most advantageous moment.
No chance. Not for years.
Ehm, why you here to sprout the same stuff every time? You’re way behind
Border isn’t getting re opened in the near future mate.
Unfortunately, I concur. Japan will be more akin to China than South Korea. I would expect the border to not reopen this year.
I would also expect a very hostile (or passive-agressive) reception when foreigners finally are let in. Don’t even think of going to a local bar or onsen.