News Reopening Japan to international tourism

[thomas]

Today, PM Kishida announced that on 7 September, the daily cap of foreign visitors would increase from 20,000 to 50,000. Fewer than 8,000 international tourists visited the country in July.

Entry cap to rise to 50,000 on Sept. 7; Omicron shots moved up | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[thomas]

What I forgot to add is that - according to the PM - individual tourists will no longer be required to bring pre-arrival PCR tests as well as hire tour guides: non-escorted individual travel will be possible as of 7 September, limited only by the cap of 50,000 daily entries (and perhaps other local restrictions).

Japan to ease tourism restrictions and raise daily arrival cap to 50,000

Starting Sept. 7, entry will be allowed for nonescorted visitors on package tours and the daily arrival cap will be raised to 50,000.

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[Petaris]

What I forgot to add is that - according to the PM - individual tourists will no longer be required to bring pre-arrival PCR tests as well as hire tour guides: non-escorted individual travel will be possible as of 7 September, limited only by the cap of 50,000 daily entries (and perhaps other local restrictions).

Japan to ease tourism restrictions and raise daily arrival cap to 50,000

Starting Sept. 7, entry will be allowed for nonescorted visitors on package tours and the daily arrival cap will be raised to 50,000.

www.japantimes.co.jp

If there is a cap then you will still need to get a visa, so that is unfortunate as its another prerequisite to travel. I hope the former visa-waiver system is resumed prior to our next trip. Its busy enough without adding more to the to-do list before travel.

 

[thomas]

Yesterday, 7 September, Japan relaxed its border measures by raising the daily cap on arrivals from 20,000 to 50,000 and dropping a pre-arrival test requirement. However, according to the travel industry, these measures will not translate into a surge of tourists unless they are given greater freedom to travel in the country. Individual ("non-escorted") tourists may now embark on "self-guided tours" that need to be booked by registered travel agencies.

Before Wednesday, guided tourists from nations designated as having a low risk of COVID-19 – referred to as "blue" countries, were able to enter. But now, Japan will allow tourists from higher-risk "yellow" and "red" countries as well. With the eased restrictions, the only tourists who won't be allowed will be those who want to stay in accommodations not offered by travel agencies in their package tour bookings, such as private rentals and smaller inns, as well as backpackers or others who don't want to book hotels in advance.

However, many travel agencies remain reluctant, as they could lose money if travellers get infected with the coronavirus and need assistance during their tours.

"It'll cost money to have someone on call around the clock in case something happens," said a travel agency official who asked to remain anonymous. "We'll need to look for interpreters, alternative accommodation and whatnot, and the cost would not cover the margins that we get from just arranging flights and hotels." In unguided tours, travel agencies are required to contact travelers to make sure they understand the protocols. If they develop symptoms of the coronavirus during the trip, they will be required to contact the travel agencies so they can be connected with necessary hospitals and public health centers, or accomodation where they can self-isolate. All Japan Tours, based in California, is offering a little bit of both — guided tours on some days and free time without a guide on the rest — to make sure visitors get sufficient support if they get sick.

Japan opens borders to foreign travelers on ‘self-guided tours’

The country also raised the daily arrival cap to 50,000 and dropped a requirement that visitors test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departing for Japan.

www.japantimes.co.jp

Japan continues to suspend its visa exemptions, in contrast to neighbor South Korea which recently extended its visa waiver for Japanese citizens until the end of October. Travelers to Japan must apply for a visa, which takes five days to be issued in principle, and the fees for a single-entry visa are about 3,000 yen ($21). Additionally, packaged tours remain -- a particular turnoff.

Japan eases COVID-19 border controls but tourist surge doubtful - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's relaxed border measures from Wednesday, including raising a daily cap on arrivals from 20,000 to 50,000, will not translate i

mainichi.jp

 

[thomas]

Good news for individual tourists: according to Nikkei, Japan is planning to remove the entry cap in October.

The removal of the 50,000 people-per-day cap alone won't return Japan's border to its pre-Covid openness, as non-resident foreigners are also currently required to obtain visas for short-term stays, and may enter for tourism only as part of approved package tours. According to the Nikkei, government officials are divided on when to remove these restraints. One proposal is to lift all three barriers at the same time, while others call for ditching the entry cap first and observing the results before allowing the return of individual tourism and visa waivers, the paper said.

Japan Plans to Scrap Daily Arrival Cap by October, Nikkei Says

 

[Majestic]

Very good news. I'm very optimistic about the possibility of visa-free travel to Japan soon. Within the year if numbers continue to drop.
That is a big "if" given this very troubling virus, but any bit of good news is welcome.

 

[musicisgood]

So, currently Americans need a visa to enter Japan? If they have family here, how long can they stay?

 

[mdchachi]

So, currently Americans need a visa to enter Japan? If they have family here, how long can they stay?

Yes but probably it will go back to normal soon. I don't think the restrictions on length of time were changed. (Max 90 days).

 

[musicisgood]

Yes but probably it will go back to normal soon. I don't think the restrictions on length of time were changed. (Max 90 days).

OK, thanks.

 

[Petaris]

So, currently Americans need a visa to enter Japan? If they have family here, how long can they stay?

My visa was for 30 days I believe, much shorter than the 90 days you have with the visa waiver.

 

[mdchachi]

My visa was for 30 days I believe, much shorter than the 90 days you have with the visa waiver.

It may be dependent on your plan and visa application though. If you had planned to go for over a month maybe it would have been granted. I dunno.

 

[Petaris]

It may be dependent on your plan and visa application though. If you had planned to go for over a month maybe it would have been granted. I dunno.

That could be, maybe they just built in some leeway incase of cancelled flights or something. My application listed the arrival and departure dates.

 

[thomas]

The media are now stalking foreign tourists, asking them about their impressions of "post-Covid" Japan and how much they spent on what. When a Singaporean couple stated they'd spent over one million JPY in a week, the "eeeeeehs" and "sugeeeeeees" wouldn't stop.

[Video removed]


Meanwhile, the government is considering allowing hotels to refuse entry to guests who do not wear masks and follow other measures to control infection during an outbreak.

The government will submit a bill at an extraordinary session of parliament next month that would revise the law governing hotels and inns, allowing them more power to enforce infection measures, the network said. The move would come at a time when Japan is expected to further ease its COVID-19 border controls, waiving visa requirements for certain tourists and removing a limit on daily arrivals.

Japan weighs plan for ban on hotel guests without masks

The government will submit a bill at an extraordinary session of parliament next month that would revise the law governing hotels and inns, a report said.

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[Majestic]

Visa free travel from October 11th.

Japan to remove daily 50,000 entry cap on Oct. 11: PM Kishida

Japan will remove its cap on daily arrivals on Oct. 11 as part of its easing of COVID-19 border controls, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says.

english.kyodonews.net

 

[thomas]

Ah, @Majestic beat me to it.

Japan to allow visa-free individual tourists from Oct. 11

Kishida announces full reopening as weak yen gives visitors extra incentive

asia.nikkei.com

 

[Majestic]

Great news! Hopefully it will add some support to the sagging yen as well.

 

[thomas]

Yesterday, the Japanese government provided more details on the tourism reopening:

• Visitors from 68 countries and regions (including South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, the U.S. and the U.K.) will be allowed to enter visa-free, just like before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Visitors will need to show proof of having received three doses of coronavirus vaccines. Alternatively, they can provide a negative test result.
• On 11 October, Japan will scrap the last of its on-arrival COVID-19 testing and self-quarantine protocols.
• The public is still urged to take basic infection control measures. Many establishments and attractions continue to require face masks.

Japan details October's full tourism reopening: 6 things to know

All 68 visa exemptions restored; vaccines on WHO emergency list will be accepted

asia.nikkei.com

 

[Yama Imo]

That is great news!

 

[thomas]

Japan will tighten its restrictions on Chinese travellers, requiring them to be tested upon arrival from Friday. A seven-day quarantine will be needed at a designated facility if a person tests positive. The government will also impose mandatory testing on travellers who have been in China in the last seven days.

Currently, if a traveler to Japan has proof of having received three doses of coronavirus vaccines or a negative test within 72 hours prior to departure, no mandatory testing upon entry is needed. All positive test results will be subjected to genome analysis to determine if any new variants have been detected. The government will not allow airlines to increase the number of flights from and to China. [...] Meanwhile, China's National Health Commission announced late on Monday that inbound passengers will only be required to present a negative test result obtained within 48 hours of boarding. The NHC also said citizens will be allowed to go abroad "in an orderly manner." With the Chinese New Year coming up in late January, the number of travelers to Japan is expected to increase.

Paywall alert:

Japan to require all travelers from China to take COVID test

Move follows China's decision to loosen its zero-COVID policy

asia.nikkei.com

 

[thomas]

Last Friday, Japan started testing all passengers coming from China for Covid-19. Japan also sees increasing infections (over 200,000 daily) and record deaths (over 400 daily, especially among those over 70).

The numbers are higher than the daily deaths at the peak of an earlier wave in August when they exceeded 300. Experts say the latest increase is unclear but could be linked to worsening chronic illnesses among older patients. Japan on Friday put into effect tightened border measures it announced earlier in the week: The antigen test that was already conducted on entrants suspected of having COVID-19 is now mandatory for all people arriving from mainland China. Those who test positive will be quarantined for up to seven days at designated facilities, and their samples will be used for genome analysis. The measures began ahead of the New Year's holidays, marked by travel and parties. Government officials said direct flights between China and Japan would be limited to four major Japanese airports.

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www.usnews.com

 

[mdchachi]

Last Friday, Japan started testing all passengers coming from China for Covid-19. Japan also sees increasing infections (over 200,000 daily) and record deaths (over 400 daily, especially among those over 70).

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www.usnews.com

XBB is very quickly becoming the dominant variant in the U.S.

 

[thomas]

China stopped issuing visas for visitors from South Korea and Japan on Tuesday in a retaliatory move against neighbours that have stiffened entry restrictions on Chinese travellers due to a surge of COVID infections in the country. The visa suspension was notified to travel agencies in Japan, as the Chinese Embassy in South Korea announced earlier that similar measures for South Korean visitors would be effective "until discriminatory entry restrictions against China are lifted." After Beijing reopened its borders and abandoned quarantine measures on Sunday, Japan further tightened its border controls for travellers from mainland China and Macau, requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test before departure amid a surge of cases in the neighbouring country.

"We firmly oppose discriminatory entry restrictions against China by a few countries, and we will take reciprocal measures," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters on Tuesday in a briefing. The Chinese Embassy in South Korea earlier in the day said it has stopped issuing short-term visas for family visits, business, tourism, medical and other matters. Japanese travel agencies, meanwhile, told Nikkei that they can no longer apply for business visas or other visas for China for non-humanitarian purposes.

Paywall alert:

China suspends visa issuance for South Koreans and Japanese

Beijing retaliates against Seoul and Tokyo's entry curbs for Chinese travelers

asia.nikkei.com

 

[Petaris]

How is requiring a negative covid-19 test result the same as not issuing VISAs at all?

Also, this isn't exactly a new thing, most countries were doing this until recently anyway and some still are for certain countries with high infection rates.

 

[thomas]

Given that foreign travellers to China need to produce a negative Covid-19 test on entry, I don't understand how requiring a negative test for ALL travellers from China is discriminatory.

 

[Engiepo]

China stopped issuing visas for visitors from South Korea and Japan on Tuesday in a retaliatory move against neighbours that have stiffened entry restrictions on Chinese travellers due to a surge of COVID infections in the country. The visa suspension was notified to travel agencies in Japan, as the Chinese Embassy in South Korea announced earlier that similar measures for South Korean visitors would be effective "until discriminatory entry restrictions against China are lifted." After Beijing reopened its borders and abandoned quarantine measures on Sunday, Japan further tightened its border controls for travellers from mainland China and Macau, requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test before departure amid a surge of cases in the neighbouring country.




Paywall alert:

China suspends visa issuance for South Koreans and Japanese

Beijing retaliates against Seoul and Tokyo's entry curbs for Chinese travelers

asia.nikkei.com

I consider it normal practice to require a test from tourists, since the situation in China is not very good.