For these two-plus years, weve been closely monitoring the situation in Japan, watching several hours of NHK each day and reading multiple Japanese news sources. And, to top it off, the yen is now at multi-decade lows. Thank you Tom and to everyone for all the insights, info, and updates. Japan has been largely closed to foreign visitors since 2020, as it implemented some of the world's toughest Covid-19 restrictions. We humbly apologize for the inconvenience. In Japan, customers are expected to sanitize their hands when entering shops and restaurants. Why Japan is Unlikely to Reopen Borders Until 2022 July 7, 20210 When Will Japan Reopen Its Borders for International Visitors (and not just Olympic athletes and coaches)? First, there is consensus that the daily arrival cap, which is currently set at 50,000, will be eliminated entirely. Thanks for the posts, Tom. Yes, in some situations. But I was there from the beginning, first as a lurker and then eventually as a participant, so I know precisely how it came to be. 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On Thursday, Kishida announced that Japan will resume visa-free entry for individual travelers on October 11. So, it seems the country is finallyon the road to properly welcoming travellers again and thats something that we can all get very excited about. Children traveling with triple-vaxxed (ie, boosted) parents are exempt from the pre-departure Covid test requirement, whether or not theyve been vaccinated. With this, the visa exemption would be reinstated, making that a non-issue. We recommend checking with the facilities you want to visit before heading out. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly plans to make a decision as early as the end of this week, with an eye to implementing the revisions by October. Japan, like much of the world, has changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/28/412454028.js"; This is something weve pointed out in our best and worst case scenarios in prior updates, but theres only a limited amount of time between waves. Thats a wild card that could further extend any timeline. Domestic criticism and lobbying have already allowed a significant easing of the restrictions. Again, if youd like to be notified as soon as more details are released or rumored, subscribe to ourfree email newsletter for ongoing updates and alerts: (function(d, s, id) { Its entirely possible that Kishida sees this polling and his sagging approval numbers and realizes that its time to move forward. Thank you, for this wonderful site with its very helpful regular updates! If they are accompanied by a guardian such as a parent who has a valid vaccination certificate and who will supervise the children, they will be regarded as holders of valid vaccination certificates, the test certificate will be exempt as their guardian. Travelers who are unsure of their eligibility to travel to Japan should contact the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate for additional . Economists fear a double dip recession in Japan due to the prolonged closures and restrictions. Up until now, the government has eased access to the country in baby steps amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking of which, check out ourJapan Fall Colors Forecast & Autumn Foliage Viewing Guideto get started on planning your trip to visit Japans popular fall foliage cities, including Kyoto, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Himeji, and Nara. From 11th October 2022, visa-free travel resumed and all arrival caps were removed as well. Like a moth to a flame.). Lets 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. 2. TOKYO Japan will open its borders to foreign tourists in June for the first time since imposing tight pandemic travel restrictions about two years ago, but only for package tours for now . Japan's borders could be set to reopen in March after being closed to tourists for two years. It was challenging, convoluted and at times frustrating. As of October 11, 2022, Japan is open for tourism for independent travelers without a guide or a packaged tour. Travelers from most countries can now enter Japan without applying for a visa in advance. by: Kristy Tamashiro. Critically, this would eliminate the legal requirement of a responsible receiving party for visitors to Japan. Mount Fuji: One of Japan's three sacred mountains. 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. Were preserving this for posterity, but everything that follows is now (thankfully!) This is now the same as the best-case scenario. 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. Koike said that Japans borders would fully reopen soon. Just booked my accommodation/flights/insurance/rail pass for a 22 day trip to Hiroshima, Fukui, Kanazawa, Nagoya and Osaka! From 11th October onwards, visa-free travel will resume, and all arrival caps are being removed as well. Japan finally reopened its borders to independent foreign travelers and reintroduced visa-free entry from October 11, 2022. This will save you significant money on accommodations, attractions, temples, groceries, transportation, and even Michelin-rated restaurants! Its thus our view that Japan reopening in some capacity to individual tourists in October is a very realistic scenario. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly plans to make a decision as early as the end of this week, according to the news outlets sources. And even now, as it opens its borders to tourists from nearly. We also recommend consulting ourUltimate Guide to KyotoandUltimate Guide to Tokyoto plan. Also as previously mentioned, recent poll data also shows the public is now far less concerned with COVID than the economy, Unification Church scandal, Abes state funeral, and other issues. In various updates here, weve been sharing our experiences and what its like as a foreign visitor, what has changed, crowd conditions, expenses of visiting Japan with the weaker yen, and much more. Travel restrictions such as visa requirements and arrival caps were removed on October 11th, and Japan is fully open for tourism. 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. Subscribe to our email newsletter for the latest news & instant alerts. 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. Together, youll craft your itinerary. The Japanese government has been working on a borders reopening schedule since April 27 to help revive the economy. 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. . According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, 206,500 foreign tourists visited the nation in September. From June 10th 2022, Japan opened to escorted tours. Youll be matched with a Travel Consultant wholl get to know you, your interests, your ideas and add their own advice and recommendations. July 20, 2021. Kiyomizu-dera Temple with cherries in full bloom: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com Situation Summary Are you concerned that Japan wont reopen until 2023, or think October is still realistic? This could leave you open to exploitation and prosecution. One wildcard is the downgrade of COVIDs legal status. 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 . Im so excited and happy for everyone! Europeans are currently only allowed into the country in exceptional circumstances. Kiyomizu-dera Temple with cherries in full bloom: Japan Airlines planes at Narita International Airport: Guide to the Visit Japan Web app and Japan Entry Procedures, Kansai International Airport (for Osaka and Kyoto), Kyoto Walking Tour 1: Nanzen-ji Temple to Yoshida-jinja Shrine, Kyoto Walking Tour 2: Tofuku-ji Temple to Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine, Kyoto Walking Tour 3: Classic Southern Higashiyama, A Guide to the Visit Japan Web app and Japan Entry Procedures, Kyoto Itineraries for Families with Children, Kyoto One-Day Off-the-Beaten-Track Cherry Blossom Itinerary, The Most Romantic Hotels and Ryokan in Kyoto. Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? A key challenge will be to make the country more responsible and open-minded to foreigners. Its pretty clear the government is focused on moving forward. It looks like you're using an ad blocker. Moreover, how this played out with Japans last announcement is also instructive. New Galleries In Naoshima (March 12th, 2022) 4. Statements by politicians and medical advisors, gradual border relaxation measures, and other changes could be interpreted as Japan laying thegroundwork for a resumption of normalcy and the countrys eventual reopening. Given that none of the recent reports have even mentioned COVIDs status in regard to reopening, its possible our perspective was wrong. Reopening to individual tourists in October presents minimal (political) risk and maximum (economic) upside. 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? If youre planning a trip to Japan, there are some things you should do now. It thus stands to reason that opening to individual tourists necessarily needs to occurthat raising the entry cap will do nothing in furtherance of their stated goal. If youre planning your trip to Japan, what do you think about these itineraries? Japan needs more than just new visa options to attract highly skilled workers, Japan to rename sex crime to highlight illegality of nonconsensual intercourse, How the Russia-Ukraine war has changed Japans economic outlook, Japan moves toward approving abortion pill in major shift, Walking 5,000-7,000 steps each day is enough for greater longevity, Japanese study finds. 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. Compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019, it dropped 99.2 percent. We recommend carrying a tube of hand cream, as some formulas can be quite drying. Visa-free travel is possible for all countries that originally had this arrangement with Japan, which includes countries like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, most of Europe, the US and Canada. As for you, Tom Id buy you a round at my favourite izakaya if I could! Fill in your vaccination status and other details on the Visit Japan Web page to skip the airport queues and facilitate a smooth entry into Japan. 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. for individual tourists. Can you write one last update about the boarder being opened. A shopping street in Tokyo's Asakusa district Friday, June 10, 2022. Think those will stick around for several months, or are simply theater to shift public opinion? For arrivals from most countries from October 11th, 2022, a visa is no longer required to visit Japan. Thanks to so many of you regular readers and commenters who made the last couple of years easier, shared articles, optimistic/pessimistic updates, and so much more. First, after reopening to guided tour groups, Japan reopened to individual tourists on October 11 of last year. See my one page guide, Buy a data-only SIM card online for collection when you arrive at, Compare Japan flight prices and timings to, If you're visiting more than one city, save a ton of money with a. However, if you are not vaccinated and boosted, you will need to have a negative Covid test within 72 hours of boarding your flight to Japan. Not sure whether youll ever see this, but just want to let you know that I saw your comment and really appreciate you taking the time to share. Try another? This may mean the end of the vaccination-or-test requirement, as well as the indoor masking recommendation. On September 22, 2022, however, Prime Minister Kishida finally revealed that these restrictions would be scrapped. Cases are currently in freefall and will continue decreasing next month before bottoming out sometime between late October and early November. We have more good news! The government defended the program as a necessary stepping stone to open borders. The short version is that it is possible to enter, regardless of whether youre vaccinated or unvaccinated, albeit with a testing requirement for the latter. 28-year-old woman picked to be astronaut by Japans space agency, J. tomthanks for ALL the help.I was told I need the MYSOS app to enter now, but there is mixed information on JapanWeb. But were over the moon to announce that travel to Japan has now returned to something that looks a lot like the old normal. |. This may also mean the end of the Visit Japan Web app. If/when theres another winter resurgence in cases, the reopening can would effectively be kicked down the road for a few more months. However and wherever you choose to travel, well take exceptional care of you from the first call to arriving back home. Slowly but surely, foreign visitors are returning to Japan. HTJ said Japan is currently open for travel, but for those who have a visa or are an exchange . mariners church pastor salary, Removed on October 11, 2022, however, Prime Minister Kishida finally revealed that restrictions. In baby steps amid the Covid-19 pandemic significant money on accommodations, attractions, temples, groceries, transportation and! For posterity, but for those who have a visa or are simply theater to shift public opinion expected sanitize... Kishida announced that Japan reopening in some capacity to individual tourists in October is a very scenario. 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