A key challenge will be to make the country more responsible and open-minded to foreigners. Hi Tom, With all of that in mind, we remain cautiously optimistic that individual tourists will be allowed to enter Japan sooner rather than later. If there are no screens, you may be expected to practice social distancing by sitting a table or two away from other customers. Japan's struggling tourism sector sees a light at the end of the tunnel as "self-guided" tours make way for full travel. We have all the answers you need about Japan's full border opening on 11th October 2022. Published Feb. 18, 2022 Updated Feb. 28, 2022. 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. The number has never exceeded 200,000 since the pandemic began. New Galleries In Naoshima (March 12th, 2022) 4. Try another? Thanks for the updates Tom and thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and opinions over the past 2 years. If you are unvaccinated, you have to take a pre-departure test. TOKYO -- Japan on Monday provided details of its full-scale tourism reopening, following Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's announcement last week. even if theyre off for a jog or on a bicycle. UPDATE: The Japanese government announced on May 26, 2022, that Japan will reopen for tourists visiting on packaged tours starting June 10, 2022. Kiyomizu-dera Temple with cherries in full bloom: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com Situation Summary There will be a winter resurgence. 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. It now appears that the time is hereor coming very soon. 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. Economic benefits of international tourists is one big reason why Japan is expected to reopen its border. Plus:youll soon be able to spend six weeks in Thailand, visa-free. If/when theres another winter resurgence in cases, the reopening can would effectively be kicked down the road for a few more months. You will receive a link to download the eBook and periodic emails when there's news to share. What follows is based on that research and fixation with the on-the-ground situation in Japan. 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, in September 2022, Fumio Kishida, the Japanese Prime Minister announced that the country will begin to reopen independent, free travel from October 11. Ive missed it so much. Here is the lowdown on Japan's relaxed travel rules. By Lilit Marcus, CNN Published 9:20 PM EDT, Sun July 31, 2022 Link Copied! Fully independent, visa-free travel to Japan is now possible from October 11th onwards. The total of guests at hotels and inns was 315.75 million, down 4.8% from 2020 and 47% from 2019. 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. Think the need to adapt and live with the endemic virus will outweigh fear when it comes to Japans reopening plans? Yes, Japan will be fully open for tourists and lift its travel restrictions (to pre-COVID status) on October 11th, 2022. 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 Most read in 2022 Japan's reopening, war in Ukraine -- our 12 most read stories of 2022. Japan's public transport system is among the best in the world, its jewel the high-tech, high . 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. This includes business travelers on short stays, students in study abroad programs, participants in technical internships, both guided & unguided tour groups, spouses or children (and other relatives) of a Japanese national/permanent resident, others with special exceptional circumstances, and those who would provide a public benefit to Japan. However, after more than two and a half years of waiting, the country fully reopened to tourism. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. 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). js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/28/412454028.js"; As the Japan experts, weve sought all the requirement information directly from Japanese government sources and broken them down into easy-to-understand sections. SHARE. The government had a goal of 40 million in 2020 timed with the Summer Olympics. What were those, you ask? However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name The government defended the program as a necessary stepping stone to open borders. 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. This indicates that Japan is finally ready to move forward and sets the precedent for future changes during waves. We already have this email. Heres what you need to know. This is the first step in our gradual easing of the [border] restrictions, Kishida has said. 2022. 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. Tourists with U.S. passports can stay in Japan visa-free for up to three months. Most people need months of time between booking and traveling; very few plan and take last-minute tripsespecially international ones. by: Kristy Tamashiro. More likely, the impact wont be fully felt until next years cherry blossom season. Mon 10 Oct 2022 23.22 EDT Last modified on Tue 11 Oct 2022 07.34 EDT Japan has fully opened its doors to visitors after more than two years of pandemic isolation. "We will lift the ceiling of the number of entrants into Japan, lift the ban on. Japan has maintained fairly strict border control since the pandemic began however as of October 11th, 2022, all COVID restrictions and border controls have been lifted. mean getting rid of the mask. On Thursday, Kishida announced that Japan will resume visa-free entry for individual travelers on October 11. If you decide to travel to Japan: Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. Thanks for the posts, Tom. Now that borders are open you can visit a new UNESCO site in northern Japan, open since May 2021. First, after reopening to guided tour groups, Japan reopened to individual tourists on October 11 of last year. The reopening to tourism was very slow and gradual, but there are not any constraint anymore and anyone can travel freely to Japan. If the plan goes ahead, it would mark a major shift in Japans border restrictions, which have been conservative compared with those of fellow Group of Seven members. Lets see where THIS goes. 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. First, after reopening to guided tour groups, Japan reopened to individual tourists on October 11 of last year. This form lists the Covid tests accepted by the Japanese government. (With the possible workaround of travel insurance or some other awkward fix.). Decreased tourism plus falling exports, an increased consumption tax, reduced consumer spending, weak yen, and growing national debt. If you are unvaccinated or not boosted, you need a negative Covid test. Here are all the details on visa-free travel, vaccination and Covid test requirements. The Japanese governmentis now looking to capitalise on huge demand from travellers to visit without booking through an agency, especially as the weak yen means that travel to Japan is currently cheaper than it has been for many years. 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. 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. What we had here was a weird little community of sorts, and a really nice one considering the circumstances. The big one for most of you is likely going to beJapan Face Mask Rules v. Reality in 2023. It is finally over. Few countries around the world have been so cautious about reopening their borders to tourism after the cataclysmic shutdowns of 2020. Was less crowded than when I was there before, especially at the airport. Travelers from most countries can now enter Japan without applying for a visa in advance. 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. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter. In addition to masks, divider screens can still be seen in many establishments. It could start as soon as late November, but is more likely in December. Against that economic backdrop, lets take a look at the latest changes to Japans reopening plans. Travel restrictions such as visa requirements and arrival caps were removed on October 11th, and Japan is fully open for tourism. 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. =w=)b. We were wrongthe unguided tours offered two steps forward but one step backwards. We typically spend a couple of months in Japan each year, and are ecstatic to be returning after nearly 3 years away. 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. Table of contents. Thanks for your commitment, communication and consultation over the last 2 years. At best, this helps with winter. Do you or anyone here know if we need this after Oct. 11? Why Expecting Japan's Reopening to Tourism Before Summer 2022 at Best is Unrealistic. I came to your page because this comments section and its provisional community provided something both unique and welcome in a dark time for travellers of Japan. Are you concerned that Japan wont reopen until 2023, or think October is still realistic? That may soon change. Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. 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