Previously, travel requirements included booking your trip through a government-approved tour operator and also obtain a visa and ERFS certificate, but both these requirements are no longer necessary. Japan's borders finally reopened to independent travelers in October 2022, and visiting Japan now is virtually as easy as it was before the pandemic. 1. In such a scenario, the borders could almost immediately return to their normal pre-closure status in early October. Here are cities with direct flights to Japan and the airlines that operate them. Japan has seasonal attractions in fall and winter. 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. All travel companies are different. On August 23, specifics of the September relaxation measures were leaked to the same media outlets. Here are all the details on visa-free travel, vaccination and Covid test requirements. However, if youve received any fewerjabs than three, youll need to show a negative test taken within 72 hours of departure for Japan. Just booked my accommodation/flights/insurance/rail pass for a 22 day trip to Hiroshima, Fukui, Kanazawa, Nagoya and Osaka! Together, youll craft your itinerary. Japan has vilified and scapegoated foreigners and had an overly aggressive approach to its borders. Previously, travel requirements included booking your trip through a government-approved tour operator and also obtain a visa and ERFS certificate, but both these requirements are no longer necessary. Sep 12, 2022 SHARE The government is planning to allow independent tourists to come to Japan and exempt them from visas if they have been vaccinated three times or submit a pre-arrival test. 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. If you cant respect another countrys Covid policies you shouldnt visit and be an entitled tourist. Visa-free, independent travel is now possible for most nationalities. 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. Japan Tourism: The decision means Japan will allow in a limited number of foreign . Japan relaxed its border measures earlier in September while still being #1 in the world for new cases. The U.S. Embassy strongly urges any U.S. citizens considering travel to Japan to carefully review the information available from the Government of Japan. This is despite Japans Go to Travel campaign that subsidized domestic travel, which was offered at various times during the last two years. Japan is finally open to independent travellers and has now lifted even more border restrictions. Even just seeing the site suggestion come up, I could feel my heart reflexively sink into my chest in dread, as though it were already anticipating nothing today, either. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. Any questions? Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly plans to make a decision as early as the end of this week, according to the news outlets sources. However, Japan remains one of the few major economies with significant restrictions on travel still in place, including a cap on visitor numbers. This indicates that Japan is finally ready to move forward and sets the precedent for future changes during waves. To enjoy our content, please include The Japan Times on your ad-blocker's list of approved sites. 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.". 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. This is specifically forunguided tour groups or non-escorted visitors on package tours andnotindividual tourists. While the stares have eased, and it is okay to take off the mask at the table, make sure to wear it if you need to use the toilet or even to speak to a waiter. Japan tops global tourism index for 1st time, despite tight borders. Youll be matched with a Travel Consultant wholl get to know you, your interests, your ideas and add their own advice and recommendations. 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. Japans decision last month to drop pre-departure testing, a full list of all the countries and regions eligible for visa-free travel to Japan, huge demand from travellers to visit without booking through an agency, youll soon be able to spend six weeks in Thailand, visa-free. It looks like you're using an ad blocker. Asia Welcomes Travelers, but Japan Says, Not Yet Countries across region are reopening borders to tourists, but Japan continues to turn them away. Lets say that happens in early November. Borders were reopening, but visitor numbers were capped at 50,000 per day, movement was severely restricted, and travelers required a visa and health insurance to visit. From the early days of Covid-19, our team of Japan travel experts has been closely monitoring developments and in constant contact with our network throughout the country. 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. If there are no screens, you may be expected to practice social distancing by sitting a table or two away from other customers. In addition to masks, divider screens can still be seen in many establishments. 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. All others must show such proof. 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. 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. HTJ said Japan is currently open for travel, but for those who have a visa or are an exchange . Before the pandemic, Japan's tourism industry was booming. But whatever winter wave occurs (and onewillhappen), thats unlikely to be an obstacle to reopening progress, as was the case last year. This assumes thatJapan downgrades COVID-19 from its special status to Category 5 literally any day now orthat this is not a necessary prerequisite to an individual tourist reopening. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Japan finally reopened its borders to independent foreign travelers and reintroduced visa-free entry from October 11, 2022. Finally booked my flights, enjoy your trips everyone! Kishida has also acknowledged that Japans border control measures are the strictest among Group of Seven nations, and expressed a desire/need to bring Japan in line with its counterparts. The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party recognizes these problems and realizes it needs to rebuild Japans economy. 11 helpful votes. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; It was finally announced that from October 11, 2022, the borders would be reopening to visa-free tourists. This may mean the end of the vaccination-or-test requirement, as well as the indoor masking recommendation. The new experiment is a way of testing how tourism providers deal with outbreaks of Covid-19. The number of people anxiously awaiting Japans reopening is shrinking, not growing. 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. November 2 - International travelers to Japan exceeded 200,000 in September. Best wishes to everyone on your travels!! 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Ready for the trip of a lifetime? To learn more see our FAQ, Rust belt province got old before it got rich, as much of China will. 1) Register for "Visit Japan Web". 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 . Why Expecting Japan's Reopening to Tourism Before Summer 2022 at Best is Unrealistic. If there are no screens, you may be expected to practice social distancing by sitting a table or two away from other customers. We have more good news! 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. 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. We had a nice little community here, and that was greatly appreciated. We recommend checking with the facilities you want to visit before heading out. Was great being here. Fully independent, visa-free travel to Japan is now possible from October 11th onwards. 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. 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. What are testing, face mask, and vaccine requirements for visitors? A key challenge will be to make the country more responsible and open-minded to foreigners. Read on to find out about the current atmosphere in the country. Japan welcomed about 32 million foreign visitors in 2019 and had been on track to achieve its goal of 40 million in 2022, said Ejaz Ahmed, a research analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit,. Naoko Kutty. Istanbul is one of the most important tourism spots not only in Turkey but also in the world. To say it one last time cheers, Tom. Here are all the details on visa-free travel, vaccination and Covid test requirements. If you are unvaccinated or not boosted, you need a negative 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. Save. From June 10th 2022, Japan opened to escorted tours. Basically, travelling with a guide either as part of a group or a private guide just for you and your travel companion(s). This is now the same as the best-case scenario. }(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. Decreased tourism plus falling exports, an increased consumption tax, reduced consumer spending, weak yen, and growing national debt. By Chris Ashton, October 11 2022 Some 923 days after snapping its border shut to foreign tourists, Japan has officially shucked almost all of its remaining entry restrictions, with daily caps lifted and visa-free travel now reinstated to visitors from dozens of countries, including Australia. Tourists from all countries or regions can visit Japan on a package tour (including non-guided package tour). Following Japans decision last month to drop pre-departure testing,the Japanese governmentis nowallowing travellers to visit Japan without booking a guided tour or using a travel agency. Aug 31, 2022. Ahead of the highly anticipated move that would boost the country's struggling tourism industry, the government may accept a limited number 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. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed. Dj vu! Its says a lot about Japan is a socially conscious society that so many individuals choose to wear masks even without mandates in place! Additionally, the Japan National Tourism Organization has set 2024 as its goal for recovering to 2019 international travel levels. As always, Japan is cautious and conservative, with a slow and belabored decision-making process that often embodies analysis paralysis and usually defies logic. for individual tourists. 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