Thanks for the posts, Tom. While the pandemic is still very much a thing, we've largely seen countries start to take the approach of trying to resume "normal" life while living with . Yuen Bettei Daita ryokan traditional accommodation, illi Shimokitazawa studio apartment rentals and Mustard Hotel affordable (even by the hour) room rates, have made staying in Shimokitazawa more feasible alongside new boutique and food facilities like Bonus Track, Reload, tefu Lounge and Mikan Shimokita. Instead of blanket testing of travellers from mainland China, Japan will only test selected samples, although travellers will still need to show a negative test before boarding their flights to Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Monday. This is sad fact, though. We typically spend a couple of months in Japan each year, and are ecstatic to be returning after nearly 3 years away. [1/2] Passengers on a plane from China's capital Beijing arrive at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, Japan January 8, 2023.REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Ive missed it so much. Thanks for all the updates and helpful info during this stressful and hard time, Tom!! oh wow!! 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. Japan has seasonal attractions in fall and winter. With all borders open and international racing officially back on, Asia-Pacific's premier off-road triathlon series is ready to return with some of the best trails on the circuit as local and international age group athletes can finally go head-to-head once again in a season-long race for the title of XTERRA Asia-Pacific Champion. Ive been following since the very beginning and only started actually posting at the very end, but I want you to know how grateful I am that your blog existed as truly the gold standard for Japan-related travel blogs throughout the pandemic. Do I need to do a pre-departure Covid test? Do I need to be vaccinated to go to Japan? Those reading regular updates on Japans reopening are not representative of international travelers at large. You no longer need a visa to travel to Japan for up to 90 days. 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. That also offers tips for avoiding crowds and strategy for visiting the best temples, shrines, and evening illuminations. Toranomon-Azabudai A futuristic development project by Heatherwick opening in 2023 in the well-heeled area of south-west Tokyo by the same name, the Toranomon-Azabudai Project will foreground green spaces, a new temple, retail spaces designed by Sou Fujimoto, Japans tallest high-rise building, two Aman properties and the new permanent location for teamLab exhibitions in Tokyo from 2023. [1/2]Passengers on a plane from Chinas capital Beijing arrive at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, Japan January 8, 2023. tomthanks for ALL the help.I was told I need the MYSOS app to enter now, but there is mixed information on JapanWeb. Think those will stick around for several months, or are simply theater to shift public opinion? Regardless, its good to have this removed as it eliminates an element of uncertainty and could have been an issue during peak travel times for the Japanese. On the same topic. Of course, things could change between now and then, but its likely the border will revert to late 2019 status as of that date. Updated 7 June 2022. 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. Nevertheless, despite loosening restrictions in September, travelers will still need to . -. Updated August 23 2022 Japan has eased border control measures several times in. Does that mean it will be as easy to visit now as it was pre-pandemic? If you want a copy of thistotally freeeBook and Japan reopening updates, all you need to do issubscribe to our newsletter! The recent lockdowns in Shanghai and Guangdong are unmistakable signs that China will not be backing down from its zero-Covid policy, at least for the rest of 2022. The arrivals cap would also be eliminated in this scenario. obsolete information. TEL: 0120-248-668 (Japanese only) . Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Two years after their Euro 2008 triumph, Spain went to South Africa determined to make history-but they would have to overcome defensive tactics, lunging tackles and intense media scrutiny. All of this in the hope for some clarity as to when the country will fully reopen and Japan will begin allowing international tourists to enter once again. It has been well over two years since coronavirus initially shut down global travel. 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. 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. Airlines will also be allowed to operate direct flights from China to more Japanese airports, Matsuno said. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Autumn is already a lost cause. In light of the border reopening, Qantas will at last fire up its much-delayed Sydney-Tokyo Haneda service from October 27, with flights from Brisbane also resuming on December 1 and Melbourne primed to join the duo from March 2023.. Qantas International CEO Andrew David says "forward bookings are tracking well, in particular for the upcoming Australian holiday period", which shows how . 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. With all of that in mind, we remain cautiously optimistic that individual tourists will be allowed to enter Japan sooner rather than later. Thanks for the updates Tom and thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and opinions over the past 2 years. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that his top priority was formulating new economic measures and implementing these goals. We were wrongthe unguided tours offered two steps forward but one step backwards. 2.Realistic time needed to get a feel for Japan. |. Okushibu The nickname given to Deep Shibuya, this secluded strip around Yoyogi and parallel to the new rooftop Miyashita Park, has seen an explosion in late night caf culture, unique eateries and flower shops. Currently, citizens of 68 countries and regions will be allowed to . The Polynesian island country of Samoa will open its international borders in August, although again . =w=)b. Boosting tourism was core to the late former Prime Minister Abes economic revitalization, and both subsequent prime ministers have indicated their intentions to maintain continuity with those plans. As COVID-19's Omicron variant surges around the world, advanced democracies are generally responding vigorously but with lower levels of restrictions on social life and travel than in 2020 and 2021. With that in mind, lets cover how we got here, why Japan maintains the strictest among the Group of Seven developed nations, and what could cause that to change, Again and again, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said that Japan will continue to consider how the measures should be by taking into account the infection situations at home and abroad, border control measures taken by other nations, and progress in the rollout of vaccine boosters.. If youre planning your trip to Japan, what do you think about these itineraries? Visit in Spring or Autumn. The national border is under the management of central government, Koike said. This is because Japan has formally decided to downgrade the legal status of the novel coronavirus on May 8, 2023 to the same category as common infectious diseases, such as seasonal influenza, thereby easing COVID-19 prevention rules. and executives subscribed to our daily newsletter. Japan reopened its borders to independent foreign travelers and reintroduced visa-free entry from October 11, 2022. . As countries across Asia reopen to international travelers, Japan one of the continent's most popular destinations remains firmly closed. There are also signs that stringent travel measures, including the border closure, are having a greater impact on Japans economy than previously believed. It takes the shape of a long wooden sky deck on various levels encompassing an open-air deck for meditation, wooden rooms with tatami made for overnight stays, study/contemplation rooms and a restaurant serving fresh seasonal cuisine. 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. PP PRITESH C PATEL 10 months ago How about Sept, Oct? As weve stressed repeatedly, Japans populace has been among the most cautious in the world with regard to COVID-19. Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox. Fly into one airport and out of another Plan to do 4 nights in Singapore on way back to Australia But whatever winter wave occurs (and onewillhappen), thats unlikely to be an obstacle to reopening progress, as was the case last year. As for you, Tom Id buy you a round at my favourite izakaya if I could! 32 last-minute Valentine's Day 2023 gifts . In terms of the latest news, the current vaccine and testing policies are likely to end on May 8, 2023. More information can be found here . Unlike the ever-sensational, click-hungry news, it was immediately clear whether something had actually happened (and thereby I could close out of the tab without being sucked into the latest round of Corona-related doom and gloom), and unlike virtually any other Japan-centric community Id encountered so far, it was a positive and generally healthy environment with a pleasant, level-headed and responsible leader at its helm. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; 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. 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. 23/02/2023. (With the possible workaround of travel insurance or some other awkward fix.). 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. Who knowsit still may take until early 2023 to fully downgrade the legal status of COVID. This is the end weve all be anxiously awaiting for ~2 years! The country is also bringing back visa-free entry for visitors from more than 60 countries. P.s. . We are eager to revisit our favorite places, see friends in Japan for the first time in over two years, and continue creating this sites wealth of free planning resources. Are you concerned that Japan wont reopen until 2023, or think October is still realistic? This was a great place to keep up to date on the happenings. On August 31, Kishida made an official announcement encompassing all of the rumored changes, including unguided tourists. On Tuesday, the country. For general inquiries about border measures for entry into Japan, please contact the following numbers Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Call Center Open 9 AM to 9 PM, everyday including weekend and holidays. 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? 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. The country eased border controls . Mount Fuji: One of Japan's three sacred mountains and. Up to 20 per cent of these arrivals will also be required to take a COVID-19 test on arrival at the airport. Thank you, for this wonderful site with its very helpful regular updates! New Zealand is finally open for business. Even if China begins opening sooner, we forecast China will not fully reopen until at . Kiyomizu-dera Temple with cherries in full bloom: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com Situation Summary 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) { As frustrating as this whole process has been, Japan is not still (completely) stuck in March 2020. Speaking of which, check out ourJapan Fall Colors Forecast & Autumn Foliage Viewing Guideto get started on planning your trip to visit Japans popular fall foliage cities, including Kyoto, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Himeji, and Nara. The number of people anxiously awaiting Japans reopening is shrinking, not growing. Japan has announced it will lift tough Covid restrictions on foreign tourists, reopening the borders after two and a half years. However, as we have seen time and time again, the patently obvious conclusion often is not the outcome reached by Japan. At best, this helps with winter. It was finally announced that from October 11, 2022, the borders would be reopening to visa-free tourists. 2023 - Travel Daily. Independent tourists are not yet granted entry, although they can be expected to be allowed back by Autumn 2022. Koike said that Japans borders would fully reopen soon. World News Reuters Updated: May 30, 2022 2:06 pm IST I have been to Japan many times pre-covid, and I am now going again this year late October. We have to carry it out in the not-so-distant future, he said. 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. Lets say that happens in early November. Updated on Oct 29, 2021 01:32 PM IST While other Asian countries are inching toward reopening, Japan's borders will likely remain shut for some time to come. Hi Tom and THANK YOU for everything this platform had AND still has to offer! Ill never forget this amazing, special blog and the unlikely community of shared pain that flourished here for as long as I live. I will be in Japan from the second week of Nov. No doubt I will walk past some of you on here at the customs or one of the many beautiful places in Japan . The ban on tourists due to the outbreak of COVID-19 has been in effect since April 2020, and for a long time, there has been no clear timeline on when the borders of Japan would be reopening again for tourism. The good news is that we now have an answer to questionsweve been asking for nearly two years! First, after reopening to guided tour groups, Japan reopened to individual tourists on October 11 of last year. 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. 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. What follows is based on that research and fixation with the on-the-ground situation in Japan. Just open the borders already. It could start as soon as late November, but is more likely in December. First, there is consensus that the daily arrival cap, which is currently set at 50,000, will be eliminated entirely. The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said on Thursday that the. The Government of Japan announced a policy of resuming entry by individual travellers for tourism purposes beginning on October 11. Japan, one of the world's last major holdouts during the pandemic, is dissolving its COVID-19 restrictions and opening the door back up to mass tourism. Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) looks forward to welcoming individual inbound travellers back to Japan with the long-awaited lifting of entry restrictions. Human behavior and sentiment dont change overnight, even if its economically advantageous and objectively safer to do so. By contrast,Fuji TV is treating this as a done deal, using less ambiguous language. STAY UPDATED WITH THE LATEST Yes, Japan's borders are now open to all international tourist travel.. Japan has completely removed the entry cap on daily foreign arrivals.. Additionally, all visa exemptions have now been reinstated.This means that citizens of around 70 countries, including the United States and all European Union nations, can once again visit Japan for 90 days without a visa . The country is also about to increase the daily cap of tourists allowed to enter Japan from 20,000 to 50,000. Japan will close its borders to all foreigners from Tuesday, . (This number includes hotels used as government quarantine facilities, not just leisure stays.). Quite simply,Japan is inflicting pain on itself by remaining closed. Hi Tom, The Tokyo Metropolitan Government launched a multilingual call center on COVID-19 for foreign residents. In short, the early October reopening is not just our most optimistic viewits now what we expect to happen. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. The short version is that it is possible to enter, regardless of whether youre vaccinated or unvaccinated, albeit with a testing requirement for the latter. (Im sorry, I cant help myself. Thank you Tom and to everyone for all the insights, info, and updates. How do you view the news about guided tours? This is in the context of the ongoing community-led revitalisation of the little-known Koganecho area which has welcomed the opening of an artist-in-residence programme, galleries, art classes, a book bazaar and new street art installations. That's a hardship for the many. In today's Face-to-Face interview, Professor Wolfgang Arlt, founder and CEO of the China Outbound . They can be reached by phone from 10:00 to 17:00, Monday through Friday, at 0120-296-004. I already moved on to read your other Japan travel posts to get tips which are also so helpful! Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs has offered new guidance that were covering inJapan Reopening to Individual Tourists: FAQ, Rules & Guidelines. Ive started to see on JP twitter people asking for No mask in Japan too, so the sentiment is shifting even there. Statements by politicians and medical advisors, gradual border relaxation measures, and other changes could be interpreted as Japan laying thegroundwork for a resumption of normalcy and the countrys eventual reopening. Then theres the middle ground or base case. May 18 - Japan is Reopening for Tourism to 4 Countries on May-end On Tuesday, May 17, government officials announced that Japan will accept some tourists from the U.S., Australia, Thailand, and Singapore on a trial basis starting at the end of this month. The National Museum of Scotland is currently hosting an exhibition on contemporary Japanese design until 5th March 2023, and Stonehenge will host an exhibition on stone circles and the prehistoric sites of Jomon Japan from 30 Sep 2022 until August 2023. Tourism is a big industry in Tokyo, as well as in all Japan, so this is the time to greet more foreign tourists by using this advantage of the depreciation of the yen, she said. 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. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reacted with powerful . Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has confirmed "no schedule has been decided" for fully reopening the borders, though members of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party have discussed a potential. Economic benefits of international tourists is one big reason why Japan is expected to reopen its border. At that time, it was unclear whether unguided tourists would be allowed to enter. Economic migrants are sending more teenagers and children into the United States via a much-traveled loophole in President Joe Biden's much-touted border curbs. 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. This is where there is disagreement among the major outlets. As always, Japan is cautious and conservative, with a slow and belabored decision-making process that often embodies analysis paralysis and usually defies logic. Japan has vilified and scapegoated foreigners and had an overly aggressive approach to its borders. Japan finally opened its borders to tourists on Friday, but with strict rules. TOKYO: Japan looks like it may finally open its borders and end its splendid isolation. The Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) loophole has long been used by foreign teenagers who hope to work in the nation's fast-growing child workforce, jobs . Will Japan open borders in 2023? See countries around the world ring in 2023 with a bang. Passengers from Hong Kong and Macau will be exempt from any on-arrival testing or pre-boarding negative test requirements, broadcaster TBS reported earlier on Monday, citing government sources. Morgan Stanley Research analysts expect China to broadly reopen in the second half of 2022 and move away from the Zero-COVID policy by the end of this year. I am incredibly pleased to finally welcome back individual travellers after coping with the pandemic during a wait of two-and-a-half years. Are borders open as normal in 2023? js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/28/412454028.js"; The next step for Japan, I think, is Corona downgrade and mask usage. Join over 180,000 travel agents, professionals Under the current COVID-19 border restrictions, foreign tourists need to obtain a short-term visa and prepare their flights, itinerary, accommodation, and car rentals ahead of time through a. Was great being here. 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. Decreased tourism plus falling exports, an increased consumption tax, reduced consumer spending, weak yen, and growing national debt. 7:09. (February 2023 Update). So you can do more than take in Japans captivating culture, history, nature, and cuisine, we are also working hard on projects for sustainable tourism, adventure travel, and luxury travel. Subscribers also receive a totally free copy of ourJapan on a BudgeteBook. Copyright - Sarah & Tom Bricker, Travel Caffeine. A Hong Kong women's rights group cancelled a demonstration at the last minute on Saturday after police said violent groups might want to join the protest. . These are questions among those planning trips to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and this covers the answers. As for why Japans border is still closed over a year after most democracies reopened, that can largely be explained by the countrys apprehensiveness of outsiders. From Tuesday, Japan will reinstate visa-free travel to dozens of countries, ending some of world's strictest border controls to slow the spread of COVID-19 . The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Elsewhere, the star-studded Super Mario movie (name TBC) will be opening in cinemas in April 2023, and a film adaptation of popular video game Ghost of Tsushima is in the works. 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. Japan has been busy over the past two-and-a-half years with preparations to welcome back everyone. Come see the new Japan. Nagoya 2023 will see the opening of the remaining two areas of the Studio Ghibli Park, making the lesser celebrated city of Nagoya a key transit point for would-be visitors. 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.

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