As we are seeing a surge, nobody is talking about relaxing the entry restrictions now. This may also mean the end of the Visit Japan Web app. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed. July 20, 2021. Before heading to Japan to travel, make sure to check the most up-to-date information. Entering Japan In our view, koyo (autumn leaves) season is a good bet, and that takes place from mid-November through December. There are no quarantine requirements, and travel is visa-free for the vast majority of people reading this. As the Japan experts, weve sought all the requirement information directly from Japanese government sources and broken them down into easy-to-understand sections. Subscribers also receive a totally free copy of ourJapan on a BudgeteBook. The national border is under the management of central government, Koike said. As for you, Tom Id buy you a round at my favourite izakaya if I could! I have been to Japan many times pre-covid, and I am now going again this year late October. Ready for the trip of a lifetime? Fill in your vaccination status and other details on the Visit Japan Web page to skip the airport queues and facilitate a smooth entry into Japan. As always, Japan is cautious and conservative, with a slow and belabored decision-making process that often embodies analysis paralysis and usually defies logic. 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. 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. Its says a lot about Japan is a socially conscious society that so many individuals choose to wear masks even without mandates in place! (Im sorry, I cant help myself. Thank you Tom and to everyone for all the insights, info, and updates. 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. Hardly a week goes by when we don't get this question from a TravelSort Client. You may still need a negative Covid test within 72 hours of flying to Japan (see details below). So why aren't tourists coming back? 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. 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. 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. We have more good news! With this, the visa exemption would be reinstated, making that a non-issue. Read on to find out about the current atmosphere in the country. Thanks to so many of you regular readers and commenters who made the last couple of years easier, shared articles, optimistic/pessimistic updates, and so much more. js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/28/412454028.js"; Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs has offered new guidance that were covering inJapan Reopening to Individual Tourists: FAQ, Rules & Guidelines. 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. Cases are currently in freefall and will continue decreasing next month before bottoming out sometime between late October and early November. SHARE. Its pretty clear the government is focused on moving forward. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. We then take care of all the arrangements, create you a totally bespoke Info Pack detailing every aspect of your trip and offer guidance and support throughout. Europeans are currently only allowed into the country in exceptional circumstances. It kind of fell like a little community in here, like I know from Discord groups. If youre planning a trip to Japan, there are some things you should do now. However, Japan is now joining the rest of the world as people are ready to move on with life. Aug 31, 2022. (This number includes hotels used as government quarantine facilities, not just leisure stays.). What were those, you ask? This is the end weve all be anxiously awaiting for ~2 years! Hi Tom and THANK YOU for everything this platform had AND still has to offer! fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); Im so excited and happy for everyone! 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. Still current at: 28 February 2023 Updated: 9 February 2023 Latest update: Updated information on travellers entering Japan from China - excluding Hong Kong and Macao ('Entry requirements' page). 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. One wildcard is the downgrade of COVIDs legal status. Those two posts cover essentially everything you need to know about visiting Japan as of 2023. Lets say that happens in early November. However, for a child below the age of 18 who is traveling with their parents, this is the policy (this is direct from a Japanese consulate email): For children under the age of 18 who do not hold a valid vaccination certificate three times. The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party recognizes these problems and realizes it needs to rebuild Japans economy. =w=)b. 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. If you cant respect another countrys Covid policies you shouldnt visit and be an entitled tourist. Hi Tom, Thank you Tom for providing us a platform to discuss thing amidst all the confusing developments and giving us updates. While I hope to see you around here on future updates, I know that probably wont be the case. Authorities have arrested Australians for working in the entertainment industry while in Japan on tourist visas. As frustrating as this whole process has been, Japan is not still (completely) stuck in March 2020. in the Profile section of your subscriber account page. If you want help planning a trip to Japan, visit my consulting page to book a Zoom consultation. 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. Not so much in the last couple of years, as this has been reflected in policy-making. Japan Tourism: The decision means Japan will allow in a limited number of foreign . Learn about the current situation, checklist for tourists, entry restrictions and safety measures before you travel. 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. Visit Japan Web App also let me pre fill out for immigration and customs, and just use the QR codes for those as well. That also offers tips for avoiding crowds and strategy for visiting the best temples, shrines, and evening illuminations. Any questions? From June 10th 2022, Japan opened to escorted tours. 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. Copyright - Sarah & Tom Bricker, Travel Caffeine. 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. It also intends to abolish the daily arrival cap, which is currently set at 50,000, the report added. Coronavirus . Life in the country is normal, everything is open, but there are only a tiny proportion of international visitors, especially without tourists from neighbouring China. Updated On September 26, 2022. However, Japan remains one of the few major economies with significant restrictions on travel still in place, including a cap on visitor numbers. However, if youve received any fewerjabs than three, youll need to show a negative test taken within 72 hours of departure for Japan. Kyoto in cherry blossom season: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com. 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). Ahead of the highly anticipated move that would boost the country's struggling tourism industry, the government may accept a limited number "We will lift the ceiling of the number of entrants into Japan, lift the ban on. so its confirmed Thanks so much Tom. 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. Japan has vilified and scapegoated foreigners and had an overly aggressive approach to its borders. Slowly but surely, foreign visitors are returning to Japan. Travelers from most countries can now enter Japan without applying for a visa in advance. Your email address will not be published. So, youll be able to have the place mostly to yourself and everything will seem positively cheap! There are thousands of hotels and other tourist-oriented industries in the city. 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 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. Japan has some of the biggest, boldest and most exciting cities in the world, frozen-in-time samurai towns, remote alpine villages, tiny islands brimming with contemporary art, and mountaintop temple communities unchanged for centuries. Tourists with U.S. passports can stay in Japan visa-free for up to three months. Like a moth to a flame.). Japans economy has serious issues and inbound tourism was previously a bright spot. On Tuesday, the country. In Japan, customers are expected to sanitize their hands when entering shops and restaurants. Cheers . For more than two years, Japan's borders remained closed to tourists. This indicates that Japan is finally ready to move forward and sets the precedent for future changes during waves. You all made the (repeated) cancellations and premature excitement a bit more bearable. 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. I already moved on to read your other Japan travel posts to get tips which are also so helpful! Short answer: as incredible as ever but with far fewer tourists! I wish you all the best with your upcoming tripsthanks again for everything. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. We mention this in part to own past mistakes, but also as a cautionary tale. Thats simply a good time to visit Japan and, hopefully, the country will be open to individual tourists by then. "The Group's Director, Public Relations, Takamoto Yokoyama also said that after the development of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor in Varanasi, the number of . However and wherever you choose to travel, well take exceptional care of you from the first call to arriving back home. Thank you so much for this free and respectful space for everyones opinions that has helped us get through these difficult years. We were wrongthe unguided tours offered two steps forward but one step backwards. We also recommend consulting ourUltimate Guide to KyotoandUltimate Guide to Tokyoto plan. The rest of 2022 offers a rare chance to experience Japan before the crowds return in 2023. Think those will stick around for several months, or are simply theater to shift public opinion? The downgrade would pave the way for a normalization of social and economic activities in Japan, and should mean that non-residents are able to enter the country without PCR tests or additional paperwork. Naoko Kutty. You will receive a link to download the eBook and periodic emails when there's news to share. Use the Visit Japan Web app to upload your Covid vaccination status or Covid test results. Frankly, the miscalculation here by the Kishida administration is thinking that this will have an immediate impact on inbound travel. Well, I visited only recently but it was one of the (very few) level-headed sites that discussed this topic. From June 10th 2022, Japan opened to escorted tours. of course the opposition (not all of it, from what I read) is against this. The definitive guide to Japans tourist reopening in 2022, However, after more than two and a half years of waiting, the country fully reopened to tourism. Putting aside how I obviously need to be clearing my web history more often, it all feels so surreal now that is, how religiously I checked this comments section for news on Japan not even half a year prior, a somewhat embarrassing fact that Firefox is keen to remind me of. Published Feb. 18, 2022 Updated Feb. 28, 2022. Posted: Mar 31, 2022 / 10:45 PM HST. It now appears that the time is hereor coming very soon. TOKYO . We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. Thanks Tom, and everyone! It is finally over. 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. 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