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. While the pandemic is still very much a thing, we've largely seen countries start to take the approach of trying to resume "normal" life while living with . Fly into one airport and out of another Plan to do 4 nights in Singapore on way back to Australia Ill never forget this amazing, special blog and the unlikely community of shared pain that flourished here for as long as I live. Its possible the country views this as sufficient for tourism businesses to stave off bankruptcy or other financial hardship for another few months. This is in the context of the ongoing community-led revitalisation of the little-known Koganecho area which has welcomed the opening of an artist-in-residence programme, galleries, art classes, a book bazaar and new street art installations. Japan reopened its borders to independent foreign travelers and reintroduced visa-free entry from October 11, 2022. . Lets say that happens in early November. [1/2]Passengers on a plane from Chinas capital Beijing arrive at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, Japan January 8, 2023. It was, indeed, a rare bright spot in such a dark, sad time. Spending another night in Okinawa for the 55th stay of my ongoing 87-day adventure across Japan, I absent-mindedly typed the letter J into my web browser, only to have this article come up as the first suggestion. Recently, Japan reopened to limited numbers of fully vaccinated foreign business travelers and students, and raised its daily limit of these arrivals from 3500 to 5000. Japan House exhibition running until the end of January 2023, opening 29th Sep, focusing on woodwork in Hida, Takayama. This is now the same as the best-case scenario. In such a scenario, the borders could almost immediately return to their normal pre-closure status in early October. . Subscribers also receive a totally free copy of ourJapan on a BudgeteBook. . If/when theres another winter resurgence in cases, the reopening can would effectively be kicked down the road for a few more months. 2023 when Japan is scheduled to downgrade the categorization of the virus. For better or worse, Japan is an insular and culturally conservative countrya characteristic that is often valued by visitors. To differentiate the two, Ill also allow for a middle ground possibility of a bifurcated decision with the individual tourist reopening a few weeks after the entry cap elimination. The provisional measures from March 1, 2023. . Quite simply,Japan is inflicting pain on itself by remaining closed. Its pretty clear the government is focused on moving forward. The country is also about to increase the daily cap of tourists allowed to enter Japan from 20,000 to 50,000. The National Museum of Scotland is currently hosting an exhibition on contemporary Japanese design until 5th March 2023, and Stonehenge will host an exhibition on stone circles and the prehistoric sites of Jomon Japan from 30 Sep 2022 until August 2023. The good news is that we now have an answer to questionsweve been asking for nearly two years! Japan reopened its borders to holders of long-term visitor, business or student visas on 1 June 2022, as well as to tourists on authorised package tours. South Korea eased its border controls on visitors from China early this month, which China welcomed. (With the possible workaround of travel insurance or some other awkward fix.). Is this a here we go again moment looming? Mount Fuji: One of Japan's three sacred mountains and. 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. On August 23, specifics of the September relaxation measures were leaked to the same media outlets. This is. This is specifically forunguided tour groups or non-escorted visitors on package tours andnotindividual tourists. 2 days agoJapan on Monday reported 95916 new coronavirus cases. I assume well hear from AndyO soon, admitting he was wrong, like he demanded from so many of us. . 23/02/2023. Oct 19, 2022 SHARE Not since 1853, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders to trade, has a reopening been so newsworthy. Subscribe to our email newsletter for the latest news & instant alerts. China retaliated by suspending the issuing of short-term visas in South Korea and Japan. tomthanks for ALL the help.I was told I need the MYSOS app to enter now, but there is mixed information on JapanWeb. What is required to travel to Japan and what about visas? Elsewhere, the star-studded Super Mario movie (name TBC) will be opening in cinemas in April 2023, and a film adaptation of popular video game Ghost of Tsushima is in the works. I was there for 11 days, mostly in Tokyo, and also to the bullet train to Sanjo (near Niigata) for a couple of days, and also a day trip to Mount Fuji with a driver/guide. 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. Unlike the ever-sensational, click-hungry news, it was immediately clear whether something had actually happened (and thereby I could close out of the tab without being sucked into the latest round of Corona-related doom and gloom), and unlike virtually any other Japan-centric community Id encountered so far, it was a positive and generally healthy environment with a pleasant, level-headed and responsible leader at its helm. March 2023 Japan is finally open! 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. This is the first step in our gradual easing of the [border] restrictions, Kishida has said. Sheesh! 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. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. As always, Japan is cautious and conservative, with a slow and belabored decision-making process that often embodies analysis paralysis and usually defies logic. The number of people anxiously awaiting Japans reopening is shrinking, not growing. Lets see where THIS goes. Its made it slightly more bearable having a community to discuss all the news coming out of Japan especially since group tours first became a reality. There are also signs that stringent travel measures, including the border closure, are having a greater impact on Japans economy than previously believed. The next step for Japan, I think, is Corona downgrade and mask usage. Additionally, the Japan National Tourism Organization has set 2024 as its goal for recovering to 2019 international travel levels. 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 finally opened its borders to tourists on Friday, but with strict rules. The changes were intended to "support smooth international travels, given a low rate of positive test results among entrants", Matsuno said. What we had here was a weird little community of sorts, and a really nice one considering the circumstances. I didnt comment here as much as many, but I sure did check this articles comments several times every day for the pastI dont know how long. (February 2023 Update). Japan has chosen a different course. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; The government will also take measures to stimulate and jump-start the economy. first infection wave in spring 2020, and some closed again during subsequent waves; however, almost all of them are now open again. They can be reached by phone from 10:00 to 17:00, Monday through Friday, at 0120-296-004. 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. Another possibility is that Japan will allow individual foreign tourists to enter the country andexempt them from visas if they have been vaccinated three times or submit a pre-arrival test result. It aint over till its over.pls see my recent post which I HOPE isnt accurate and just some fake news, but Reuters is pretty accurate. Finally, Japan will reopen the border. Given that none of the recent reports have even mentioned COVIDs status in regard to reopening, its possible our perspective was wrong. It also will see the opening of the TIAD luxury hotel in the buzzy Sakae/Shin-Sakae entertainment districts, after the opening of the art deco hotel The Tower Hotel Nagoya (2020) on the upper levels of Nagoyas TV tower, with the large beams of the tower as a centrepiece within each room. This will save you significant money on accommodations, attractions, temples, groceries, transportation, and even Michelin-rated restaurants! May all our trips be everything we dreamt of and more. Both of these statements are reassuring given the current border closures, and indicate that Japan will unwind its travel ban in months, not years. What follows is based on that research and fixation with the on-the-ground situation in Japan. The infection situation has been stabilizing in Japan and the government will consult with public health experts before reviewing the country's . We typically spend a couple of months in Japan each year, and are ecstatic to be returning after nearly 3 years away. The Polynesian island country of Samoa will open its international borders in August, although again . As governor of Tokyo, that would be tomorrow.. Im heading to Tokyo for the first time in 3.5 years on October 23rd and I cant wait! Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is. Multiple media outlets, including NHK, Kyodo, Nikkei, and Fuji TV are all reporting thatJapansgovernment is planning to further relax restrictions and border measures with an eye to implementing the revisions by the start of October. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. TOKYO: Japan looks like it may finally open its borders and end its splendid isolation. May 18 - Japan is Reopening for Tourism to 4 Countries on May-end On Tuesday, May 17, government officials announced that Japan will accept some tourists from the U.S., Australia, Thailand, and Singapore on a trial basis starting at the end of this month. 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. obsolete information. 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. Japan is Likely to Reopen to Foreign Travelers in Spring 2022 if COVID-19 numbers remain low, according to industry estimates, although the government hasn't set a hard date yet. We mention this in part to own past mistakes, but also as a cautionary tale. Thanks for your commitment, communication and consultation over the last 2 years. As improbable as it mightve seemed even a week ago, Japan welcoming back international visitors who are not part of tours (guided or unguided) sometime before November is likely. 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. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the news in September at a press conference. Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. That this would be achieved in such an unexpected setting on the comments section of a single article on a white-and-orange travel blog, which came to accumulate nearly 3,000 comments as though it were a 2000s-era forum feels almost too ridiculous to be true. Japan will open an embassy in Malta. Travelers from most countries can now enter Japan without applying for a visa in advance. Amid the weakening yen, inbound travelers will have greatest economic effectThere are many foreign visitors who want to come visit Japan. Kihara added that eliminating the arrival cap alone was not enough. Against that economic backdrop, lets take a look at the latest changes to Japans reopening plans. 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. First, theres already the realization that unguided tourslike guided tours before themwill not move the needle on inbound tourism in any meaningful way. Though some things feel different, this nation Ive travelled for the last two months, ing and ing about the forty-seven prefectures as I once did in the 2010s, is certainly the same marvellous place that I fell in love with so long ago. despite protests. That may soon change. Im inclined to say Spring 2023, but its easy to envision a worst-case that isnt until summer. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; Who is currently allowed to travel to Japan? Reopening to individual tourists in October presents minimal (political) risk and maximum (economic) upside. From Tuesday, Japan will reinstate visa-free travel to dozens of countries, ending some of world's strictest border controls to slow the spread of COVID-19 . WHO urges countries to keep borders open as world races to contain Covid variant. 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. This is sad fact, though. From September 7, 2022, the country plans to drop pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers (including one booster dose). Thanks Tom, and everyone! Will be heading back again in a couple of weeks. We have more good news! 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. Economists fear a double dip recession in Japan due to the prolonged closures and restrictions. People attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, sing the national anthem during the opening session, at the National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, March 2, 2023. This is a major policy shift and will relaxif not eliminate entirelyJapans intensive COVID-19 countermeasures, including limiting the movements of infected people and their close contacts. Japan relaxed its border measures earlier in September while still being #1 in the world for new cases. This follows on from the opening of high-end luxury Onsen Ryokan Yuen Sapporo (2020) and in the run-up to the Adventure Travel World Summit due to be held here in the autumn of 2023. TOKYO, Japan - Japan plans to ease COVID 19-related border restrictions by lifting its entry ban for foreign nationals from 106 countries including the United States, Britain and France on . Nov. Dec. Then Covid hit. Like a moth to a flame.). 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. Japan is finally reopening its borders to mass tourism on October 11. Toranomon-Azabudai- A futuristic development project by Heatherwick opening in 2023 in the well-heeled area of south-west Tokyo by the same name, the Toranomon-Azabudai Project will foreground. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. This is the end weve all be anxiously awaiting for ~2 years! Japan slams the borders shut on Omicron. Japan is open to travel. Were preserving this for posterity, but everything that follows is now (thankfully!) It takes the shape of a long wooden sky deck on various levels encompassing an open-air deck for meditation, wooden rooms with tatami made for overnight stays, study/contemplation rooms and a restaurant serving fresh seasonal cuisine. As COVID-19's Omicron variant surges around the world, advanced democracies are generally responding vigorously but with lower levels of restrictions on social life and travel than in 2020 and 2021. However, Japan is now joining the rest of the world as people are ready to move on with life. The country sealed its borders to most foreign travelers early in the pandemic and has only recently begun to allow a slow drip of students and business people to return a sharp contrast to. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government launched a multilingual call center on COVID-19 for foreign residents. }(document, "script", "aweber-wjs-adqosrqps")); If youre planning a visit to Japan, our recommendation at this point is to target sometime in November at the earliest. During the Bloomberg New Voices panel,Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said she would open the countrys doors tomorrow if it were her decision. Thanks to everyone in here in the comments for that! 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. This time, instead of Black Ships, the. Autumn is already a lost cause. The total of guests at hotels and inns was 315.75 million, down 4.8% from 2020 and 47% from 2019. 01:51 . Finally, there has been some good news about the state of the Japanese border closure for almost all tourists. At that time, it was unclear whether unguided tourists would be allowed to enter. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day.