The basics. Thats simply a good time to visit Japan and, hopefully, the country will be open to individual tourists by then. I will be in Japan from the second week of Nov. No doubt I will walk past some of you on here at the customs or one of the many beautiful places in Japan . We know there are a lot of people overseas who want to come to Japan, Kihara added. From June 10th 2022, Japan opened to escorted tours. Kyoto in cherry blossom season: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com. First, theres already the realization that unguided tourslike guided tours before themwill not move the needle on inbound tourism in any meaningful way. November 2 - International travelers to Japan exceeded 200,000 in September. More likely, the impact wont be fully felt until next years cherry blossom season. tomthanks for ALL the help.I was told I need the MYSOS app to enter now, but there is mixed information on JapanWeb. This is would allow a bit of wiggle room for Japans 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, its that inaction is Japans baseline, and anything that does happen occurs gradually and in stages. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; Thu 26 May 2022 23.20 EDT Japan has announced it will end a two-year pandemic closure and reopen to tourists from 98 countries and regions next month, but travellers will only be allowed in as. Japan eases foreign tourism ban and allows guided package tours. We recommend consulting the, The Long-term Expat: How Covid Changed My Life in Tokyo, Traveling Through Japan in the Age of Covid-19: A Personal Encounter, Why Im Glad I Got Stuck in Japan During Covid-19, Lessons in Isolation: How a 10-Day Silent Retreat in Japans Countryside Helped Me Cope With the Covid New Reality, official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Conquering a Fear of the Unknown: The Psychology Behind Covid-19 Anxiety and How to Cope With It, What the Covid-19 Pandemic can Teach Japan about Climate Change. Additionally, the Japan National Tourism Organization has set 2024 as its goal for recovering to 2019 international travel levels. These leaks came after Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara spoke on Fuji TV over the weekend and stated thatJapan will consider easing all three restrictionsthe daily arrival cap, ban on individual tourists, and visa requirements. Some 68% of Singaporeans aged 16 to 24 years old indicated they are considering Japan for their "next vacation," compared to 37% of those aged 55 and older, according to research published in. Beloved for its unique mix of vibrant urban culture and natural beauty, the country is lifting its tight regulations on foreign tourists, according to a tweet Thursday from Taro Kono, Japan's. 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. Im very glad its dead but am also appreciative of what existed while it did. Table of contents. Weve already returned to Japan, spending about a month in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and elsewhere. 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. The Japanese governmentis now looking to capitalise on huge demand from travellers to visit without booking through an agency, especially as the weak yen means that travel to Japan is currently cheaper than it has been for many years. At the summit, the Japanese company Hotel Management International Company Limited (HMI Group) decided to open hotels in 30 cities including Agra, Ayodhya, and Varanasi.". Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. With the ever-changing rules, it's hard to keep up with which countries are open for study, work, and tourism. The country will allow visa-free entry for. mean getting rid of the mask. From October 11th 2022, Japan removed visa requirements and arrival caps, returning to pre-pandemic travel arrangements. TOKYO -- Japan on Monday provided details of its full-scale tourism reopening, following Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's announcement last week. That theres more upside than downside risk in reopening and encouraging more economic activity. 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. Among fellow G7 countries, Japan has had some of the strictest rules it comes to border restrictions. I wish you all the best with your upcoming tripsthanks again for everything. We also recommend consulting ourUltimate Guide to KyotoandUltimate Guide to Tokyoto plan. Japan has some of the biggest, boldest and most exciting cities in the world, frozen-in-time samurai towns, remote alpine villages, tiny islands brimming with contemporary art, and mountaintop temple communities unchanged for centuries. One wildcard is the downgrade of COVIDs legal status. Moreover, how this played out with Japans last announcement is also instructive. ), While presenting the above as a cautionary tale against optimism or over reliance on logic when assessing Japans decisions, thats exactly what Im going to do. Was less crowded than when I was there before, especially at the airport. Japan eased its border restrictionslast week, raising the daily arrival cap from 20,000 to 50,000 and dropping the requirement for pre-arrival PCR testing for vaccinated travelers. For my own peace of mind, could you please confirm that MYSOS form completion will no longer be a necessary requirement for entry into Japan from October 11th when the travel restrictions are lifted? The Japanese government has been working on a borders reopening schedule since April 27 to help revive the economy. Ghibli Park (November 1st, 2022) 2. May its borders remain open forevermore. Dont get us wrong, we love Japan (enough to dedicate 22 years of our lives to the place), and part of loving Japan is marveling at how delightfully confusing it can be at times. Most read in 2022 Japan's reopening, war in Ukraine -- our 12 most read stories of 2022. While it certainly sounds likethe end is nearfor the Japan travel ban, its premature to have a high degree of confidence. Validity of visas issued under "Business Track" / "Residence Track" or "New border measures (4)" is suspended for the time being. Thanks for your commitment, communication and consultation over the last 2 years. Basically, travelling with a guide either as part of a group or a private guide just for you and your travel companion(s). Japan has been largely closed to foreign visitors since 2020, as it implemented some of the world's toughest Covid-19 restrictions. According to data from the Japan Tourism Agency, stays athotels and other accommodation facilities hit another record low in Japan last yearbreaking the previous record set in 2020. Its entirely possible that Kishida sees this polling and his sagging approval numbers and realizes that its time to move forward. Who knowsit still may take until early 2023 to fully downgrade the legal status of COVID. TOKYO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Japan's government is planning to waive tourist visa requirements from some countries as part of a further easing of border controls enacted to stop the spread of COVID . Dining out doesnt mean getting rid of the mask. Against that economic backdrop, lets take a look at the latest changes to Japans reopening plans. In addition to masks, divider screens can still be seen in many establishments. The political and economic appetite for fully relaxation now clearly exists, and theres a vocal chorus of politicians in Japanincluding those who were previously in favor of closed borderschampioning reopening. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; Im happy that I soon wont be needing to lurk this site on a daily basis as I have for the last countless months, but will always look back on this unexpected place of community fondly. Im so excited and happy for everyone! However, after more than two and a half years of waiting the country is fully reopening for tourism. Most people need months of time between booking and traveling; very few plan and take last-minute tripsespecially international ones. However and wherever you choose to travel, well take exceptional care of you from the first call to arriving back home. Naturally, if you want to make the most out of your trip and have a truly unforgettable experience you can book an amazing independent itinerary or small group tour through us, with the added benefit of our decades of expertise, 24/7 support and tried-and-tested safety protocols in the unlikely event of Covid-related travel disruptions during your trip. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; Here at InsideJapan, we pride ourselves on creating (hands-down) the best cultural adventures to Japan (and we measure that by our average customer rating of 4.9/5). Let's have a proper look at what has changed for those planning to travel to Japan in 2022 and what to expect when you finally do get here. Starting November 1, 2022, travelers to Japan may pre-register for airport Immigration, Customs, and Vaccination review, and use "Fast Track" at major airports across Japan using Visit Japan Web. Its thus our view that Japan reopening in some capacity to individual tourists in October is a very realistic scenario. In Japan, customers are expected to sanitize their hands when entering shops and restaurants. Koike said that Japans borders would fully reopen soon. However, after more than two and a half years of waiting, the country fully reopened to tourism. As weve stressed repeatedly, Japans populace has been among the most cautious in the world with regard to COVID-19. The new experiment is a way of testing how tourism providers deal with outbreaks of Covid-19. Japan tops global tourism index for 1st time, despite tight borders. If youre planning a trip to Japan, there are some things you should do now. Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs has offered new guidance that were covering inJapan Reopening to Individual Tourists: FAQ, Rules & Guidelines. From Sept. 22nd, In a Reuters report published on The Japan Times, the government may allow hotels to refuse entry to guests who do not wear masks and follow other anti-virus measures.This new measure is still in its infancy. (February 2023 Update). At the time of writing, Japan has been experiencing around 36,000 new cases a day new cases a day. You dont have to be vaccinated to travel to Japan, but whether you need a PCR test does depend on your vaccination status: Sort of, hence the confusion! Which brings us to a threshold issue:when will Japan reopen?This week, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is in New York to deliver an address at the U.N. General [], Your email address will not be published. our decades of expertise, 24/7 support and tried-and-tested safety protocols in the unlikely event of Covid-related travel disruptions during your trip. So, youll be able to have the place mostly to yourself and everything will seem positively cheap! Thanks again for all the work you put into this. Hi Tom and THANK YOU for everything this platform had AND still has to offer! Thank you, for this wonderful site with its very helpful regular updates! Those reading regular updates on Japans reopening are not representative of international travelers at large. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TRAVEL, TRIPS & OFFERS TO JAPAN: The perfect itinerary for first-time visitors to Japan: cities, countryside, hot springs, great food, history and culture. On June 10 package tours from overseas will start to bring tourists back to the country. What are testing, face mask, and vaccine requirements for visitors? We then take care of all the arrangements, create you a totally bespoke Info Pack detailing every aspect of your trip and offer guidance and support throughout. If you are unvaccinated, you have to take a pre-departure test. Thanks for the updates Tom and thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and opinions over the past 2 years. Ive started to see on JP twitter people asking for No mask in Japan too, so the sentiment is shifting even there. If you're not sure how to activate it, please refer to this site. From 11. If youve received three vaccine doses, you dont need to take a pre-travel Covid test. Did the Visit Japan Web App before arrival and was simple getting through everything at Narita, just had to show them the QR codes, two people traveling, one with the triple vaccination and one just using pre travel PCR test. You will be free to make your own choices where masks are not advised we wouldnt recommend choosing not to wear one where they are advised. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly plans to make a decision as early as the end of this week, according to the news outlets sources. You all made the (repeated) cancellations and premature excitement a bit more bearable. Several recent updates have centered around Japans internal debate over whether tostrip COVID-19 of its special status and downgrade it to the same level as the flu in Japans infectious disease categories. Single-use cutlery is rife, including disposable chopsticks and plastic forks. Reopening to individual tourists in October presents minimal (political) risk and maximum (economic) upside. Your updates were by far the best I could find on the internet and helped lots of us getting through this (dare I say; emotional) rollercoaster the past several years. Was great being here. And indeed, there was nothing today, either, or even this year so far because at last the Japan we loved, the Japan that rejected us against sense, science and reason, has finally provided a sensible, responsible option for people like us to enter the country, which was all we ever asked for in the first place. Its pretty clear the government is focused on moving forward. To learn more see our FAQ, Rust belt province got old before it got rich, as much of China will. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Can you write one last update about the boarder being opened. This is the end weve all be anxiously awaiting for ~2 years! Kiyomizu-dera Temple with cherries in full bloom: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com, Last Update: February 28, 2023 (this page will be updated as needed). Guidelines for tourist attractions are straightforward. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. Critically, this would eliminate the legal requirement of a responsible receiving party for visitors to Japan. All travel companies are different. Constitutionally, the Japanese government cant mandate something like mask wearing. If there are no screens, you may be expected to practice social distancing by sitting a table or two away from other customers. 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. If you are triple-vaxxed (ie, boosted), you do NOT need proof of a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of boarding your flight to Japan. Yes! This form lists the Covid tests accepted by the Japanese government. Yet despite the wealth of praises I have for Tom, this article and its two-year community, I am so, so glad, perhaps gladder than ever now, that compulsively opening this link in my browser is no longer part of my daily routine. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. Thank you so much for this free and respectful space for everyones opinions that has helped us get through these difficult years. 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