Who knowsit still may take until early 2023 to fully downgrade the legal status of COVID. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, 206,500 foreign tourists visited the nation in September. Japan is always magical, but if you like to have the magic all to yourself, 2022 could be a once in a lifetime opportunity! If you want to travel to Japan for work: check the true nature of the work offered; get the correct visa before arriving in Japan; get legal advice before signing any contract We had a nice little community here, and that was greatly appreciated. Up until now, the government has eased access to the country in baby steps amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has also dropped its daily cap of 50,000 arrivals and its list of permitted countries, with visitors from all countries and regions now being accepted. Well keep watching the news and keep you posted if/when there are further developments about Japan reopening and allowing entry to travelers from the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond. 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). Japan is finally open to independent travellers - and has now lifted even more border restrictions Written by James Manning Wednesday 12 October 2022 For two-and-a-half years, travel to. . Get planning with our guide to Japans 15 best hotels. Compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019, it dropped 99.2 percent. InUnguided Tours in Japan Reopening Phase Rules, we cover what this entails and the recently-released guidelines and FAQ for these tours. 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. 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. It is finally over. We have all the answers you need about Japans full border opening on 11. Contact, Vancouver: Air Canada, ANA, Japan Airlines, American Airlines, Seattle: ANA, Japan Airlines, Delta, American, United, San Francisco: United, American, ANA, Japan Airlines, Los Angeles: Zipair, United, American, ANA, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Chicago: United, American, ANA, Japan Airlines, Dallas/Fort Worth: American, Japan Airlines, New York: United, American, ANA, Japan Airlines, London: British Airways, ANA, Japan Airlines, Frankfurt: Lufthansa, ANA, Japan Airlines, Finnair, British Airways, Helsinki: Finnair, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Bangkok: Thai, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia X, ZIPAIR, ANA, Japan Airlines, HCMC: Viet Jet Air, Vietname, VietJet Air, ANA, Japan Airlines, Hong Kong: Cathay, Hong Kong Express, ANA, Japan Airlines, Taipei: China Airlines, EVA, Scoot, Starlux, ANA, Japan Airlines, Singapore: Singapore Airlines, ZIPAIR, ANA, Japan Airlines, Seoul: Korean Air, Asiana, Ethiopian, ANA, Japan Airlines, For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my, Check Kyoto accommodation availability on, Need tips on where to stay? To enter Japan, travelers will only need to provide proof of a third vaccination (which must be a Japan-approved vaccine), or a negative Covid test result. 2023 Yosemite Firefall Viewing Guide: Best Dates, Reservations Info & Face Masks in Japan: Rules v. Reality (2023), Please subscribe to our FREE email newsletter, Japan Fall Colors Forecast & Autumn Foliage Viewing Guide, Tokyo Disneyland 40th Anniversary 'Dream-Go-Round' Details, New Parade & Japan Reopening Disney Tourist Blog The KKK News. Well, I visited only recently but it was one of the (very few) level-headed sites that discussed this topic. Critically, this would eliminate the legal requirement of a responsible receiving party for visitors to Japan. Ive started to see on JP twitter people asking for No mask in Japan too, so the sentiment is shifting even there. Japan opens up to foreign tourists after two years 27 May 2022 Coronavirus pandemic Getty Images By Nadeem Shad BBC News After being closed to tourists for two years, Japan is opening its. Japan fully reopening in full is all but inevitable at this point. Previously, travellers were required to join a tour group to enter Japan for leisure. Hospitalizations and mortality remain relatively low. 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) { 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. Kiyomizu-dera Temple with cherries in full bloom: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com Situation Summary Copyright - Sarah & Tom Bricker, Travel Caffeine. SHARE. Best wishes to everyone on your travels!! Even before the pandemic, many locals preferred to travel within the country, with domestic tourism totaling $21.9 trillion yen ($167 billion) in 2019, according to government-backed Japan Tourism . Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly plans to make a decision as early as the end of this week, according to the news outlets sources. Ready for the trip of a lifetime? Decreased tourism plus falling exports, an increased consumption tax, reduced consumer spending, weak yen, and growing national debt. Updated overall advisory level after periodic review. The good news is that we now have an answer to questionsweve been asking for nearly two years! Some independent shops namely those with a more international customer base have notices saying that it is okay to not wear masks, but these places are rare. See our, If you are boosted with a Covid vaccine, you do not need a negative Covid test before flying to Japan. And the country is not rushing to change. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites. For better or worse, Japan is an insular and culturally conservative countrya characteristic that is often valued by visitors. What we had here was a weird little community of sorts, and a really nice one considering the circumstances. With all of this said, Ill present my revised best, worst, and base-case scenarios for Japans reopening to individual tourists, Lets start with the best-case scenario. Read on to find out about the current atmosphere in the country. To enjoy our content, please include The Japan Times on your ad-blocker's list of approved sites. Lets say that happens in early November. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; That may soon change. This Article is From May 30, 2022. Its says a lot about Japan is a socially conscious society that so many individuals choose to wear masks even without mandates in place! Was less crowded than when I was there before, especially at the airport. In this case, his/her screen will be Yellow, but he/she can use Fast Track.. It was finally announced that from October 11, 2022, the borders would be reopening to visa-free tourists. "We will lift the ceiling of the . Now that borders are open you can visit a new UNESCO site in northern Japan, open since May 2021. If youre planning a trip to the Japan, check outour other posts about Japanfor ideas on other things to do! Those reading regular updates on Japans reopening are not representative of international travelers at large. It kind of fell like a little community in here, like I know from Discord groups. See below for more details. The rules for. New Galleries In Naoshima (March 12th, 2022) 4. Here are 7 of the new tourist attractions that are opening in Japan in 2022! These are all our latest exclusive holiday, vacation and tour offers brought to you from InsideJapan Tours. Japans economy has serious issues and inbound tourism was previously a bright spot. Travelers from most countries can now enter Japan without applying for a visa in advance. Ill be sticking around for the future updates and travel guides. Travelers from most countries can now enter Japan without applying for a visa in advance. Hi Tom, Think those will stick around for several months, or are simply theater to shift public opinion? 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. Fully independent, visa-free travel to Japan is now possible from October 11th onwards. Except for everyone wearing masks, things seemed mostly back to normal. As frustrating as this whole process has been, Japan is not still (completely) stuck in March 2020. Updated On September 26, 2022. In such a scenario, the borders could almost immediately return to their normal pre-closure status in early October. What to Expect? Kiyomizu-dera Temple with cherries in full bloom: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com, Last Update: February 28, 2023 (this page will be updated as needed). By Lilit Marcus, CNN Published 9:20 PM EDT, Sun July 31, 2022 Link Copied! Are you concerned that Japan wont reopen until 2023, or think October is still realistic? 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. }(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. I assume well hear from AndyO soon, admitting he was wrong, like he demanded from so many of us. As always, Japan is cautious and conservative, with a slow and belabored decision-making process that often embodies analysis paralysis and usually defies logic. Human behavior and sentiment dont change overnight, even if its economically advantageous and objectively safer to do so. But were over the moon to announce that travel to Japan has now returned to something that looks a lot like the old normal. |. 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. All rights reserved. Ghibli Park (November 1st, 2022) 2. Travel restrictions such as visa requirements and arrival caps were removed on October 11th, and Japan is fully open for tourism. We already have this email. February 2023 Japan is finally open! Your email address will not be published. Japan is finally open to independent travellers and has now lifted even more border restrictions. Children traveling with triple-vaxxed (ie, boosted) parents are exempt from the pre-departure Covid test requirement, whether or not theyve been vaccinated. You all made the (repeated) cancellations and premature excitement a bit more bearable. Kyoto in cherry blossom season: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com. japan, . Kihara isnt the only one who has been vocal about fully reopening to tourists recently. Thanks to everyone in here in the comments for that! First, after reopening to guided tour groups, Japan reopened to individual tourists on October 11 of last year. Tour groups from 98 countries, including Australia, can now visit the country - but only if they wear masks, have . Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. 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. Lets have a look at the measures that are still in place, despite the reopening of borders. Domestic hurdles: the possible come back of GoTo Travel and July's election. 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,. Cheers . 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. 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.". This was a great place to keep up to date on the happenings. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); 1. The new experiment is a way of testing how tourism providers deal with outbreaks of Covid-19. Heres what you need to know. Kyodo, Nikkei, and NHK are reporting that this is to be determined, with government officials still deciding whether to proceed with this plan or start with lifting the daily arrival cap. Thanks again for all the work you put into this. The rest of 2022 offers a rare chance to experience Japan before the crowds return in 2023. Now is the time to start planning a trip to Japan. Thanks Tom, and everyone! We have all the answers you need about Japans full border opening on 11th October. Most read in 2022 Japan's reopening, war in Ukraine -- our 12 most read stories of 2022. a prior mandate in late May, many people are still wearing masks outdoors. Things To Do In Kyoto Overview Start Here! According to the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan welcomed 31.9 million . This is specifically forunguided tour groups or non-escorted visitors on package tours andnotindividual tourists. Travel agencies eye discounts for those vaccinated for COVID-19. We recommend checking with the facilities you want to visit before heading out. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. 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. mean getting rid of the mask. P.S. Or, that this barrier does still exist and Japan will have to create a solution for it (travel insurance?) Mount Fuji: One of Japan's three sacred mountains. Was great being here. This form lists the Covid tests accepted by the Japanese government. Since October 11th, 2022, people who travel from countries with a former visa-waiver agreement with Japan have been able to travel to Japan freely again! Visa-free travel has also been reinstated for travellers from dozens of countries (see which ones here), though there are still several border measures in place. 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's borders finally reopened to independent travelers in October 2022, and visiting Japan now is virtually as easy as it was before the pandemic. Authorities have arrested Australians for working in the entertainment industry while in Japan on tourist visas. We will update this page as information changes. oh wow!! If you want a copy of thistotally freeeBook and Japan reopening updates, all you need to do issubscribe to our newsletter! 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? Contents. Travelers who are unsure of their eligibility to travel to Japan should contact the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate for additional . Its akin to the experience we had when we started InsideJapan in the year 2000, back when the idea of Kyoto being over-touristed seemed impossible. Fully independent, visa-free travel to Japan is now possible from October 11, Sort of, hence the confusion! 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. Some places expect more self-service, such as helping yourself to water, though this can change from one establishment to another. Its been our perspective that this was a necessary prerequisite towelcoming individual tourists as there would no longer be a need for a responsible receiving party to monitor travelers and act as a liaison for infected individuals. Our trips to Japan come in two travel styles: Check out our Small Group Tours departures calendar, Check out our Best of Japan itinerary its perfect as inspiration for a first-time trip. Here are cities with direct flights to Japan and the airlines that operate them. There are no quarantine requirements, and travel is visa-free for the vast majority of people reading this. Here is the lowdown on Japan's relaxed travel rules. This is now the same as the best-case scenario. Do you or anyone here know if we need this after Oct. 11? 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. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter. Visa-free, independent travel is now possible for most nationalities. What follows is based on that research and fixation with the on-the-ground situation in Japan. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; If there are no screens, you may be expected to practice social distancing by sitting a table or two away from other customers. On September 22, 2022, however, Prime Minister Kishida finally revealed that these restrictions would be scrapped. October. 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. Thanks for all the updates and helpful info during this stressful and hard time, Tom!! (February 2023 Update). even if theyre off for a jog or on a bicycle. 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. 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)? From 11. 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. Here is a useful link for the latest coronavirus numbers on Japan: Disclosure: InsideKyoto.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. 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. As for you, Tom Id buy you a round at my favourite izakaya if I could! Essentially, there will be no (legal) basis for the current border protocol effective May 8, 2023. 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! Japan will resume accepting some foreign tourists in June at the earliest, a government source said Friday, likely reversing a ban on their entry introduced during the coronavirus pandemic. We offer (genuinely small) Small Group Tours with the worlds best Japan guides, passionate Japanophiles who live in the country, speak the language and will bring the culture to life for you. We recommend consulting the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 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