Mar 5, 2020, 5:17 pm
Last edit by: CPH-Flyer
This thread is for discussion of the coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to Japan. Non-Japan-related discussion should be taken either to the most relevant forum, the Coronavirus and Travel forum, or the OMNI forums.
UPDATE FOR TOURISTS LOOKING TO VISIT JAPAN AFTER COVID-19 BORDER RESTRICTIONS EASE
Japan does currently not allow entry for general tourism purposes. Most visa waivers are suspended, and travel to Japan for non resident foreigners generally require a visa. And quarantine as described for the countries and territories below.
UPDATE FOR PEOPLE WITH VISAS THAT ALLOW ENTRY INTO JAPAN
The quarantine requirements mentioned below will generally apply to entrants in Japan. As the conditions of who can obtain a visa for entry on exceptional circumstances are not clearly listed anywhere, it is necessary to confirm entry requirements with your local Japanese diplomatic representatives
Spouses and children of foreign permanent residents or Japanese nationals, can obtain visas for short term stays (up to 90 days) by applying in person or by mail at an overseas Japanese consulate. Required documentation includes application form, letter with reason for purpose of visit, bank statement and Koseki Tohon. Processing times have been reported as on the spot to up to one week.
From March 1st, business travelers, students and technical trainees can again enter Japan. There is a need to have a receiving organisation to apply for the visa. For business travelers, there will be one point of contact with the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare. Though the full details are not published yet (as of typing on the 27th of February, please add them if you have seen them)
Business travelers must have a Japanese company or organization apply for a Certificate for Completion of Registration to the MHLW ERFS system. This is a two step process. The company must first register and then apply for the Certificate for the traveler. These can both be done online and completed in less than an hour.The website for doing this is https://entry.hco.mhlw.go.jp/.
After getting the certificate the traveler must apply for visa at the Japanese Consulate or Embassy with jurisdiction for where they reside. (They are quite strict about this. E.g. you can't apply while traveling in a foreign country.) The information on the Consulate pages state that you need Letter of Guarantee, Invitation Letter, etc when applying for the visa. In fact, however, if you have the EFRS certificate, all you need is the visa application, your passport and a photo. The Consulate will issue the visa within 5 days.
UPDATE JAPANESE CITIZENS AND RETURNING FOREIGN JAPAN RESIDENTS
All people travelling to Japan has to present a negative PCR test taking no earlier than. 72 hours before departure to be able to board the flight. The certificate has to meet the information requirements and test types from the Japanese government.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000799426.pdf
From the 7th of June, passport number, nationality, signature and stamp from the doctor/medical institution are no longer required.
The requirement for pre-departure test will be removed for passengers on flights landing after the 7th of September 00:00 provided that they have received a full bases vaccination and a booster vaccination. Accepted vaccines are Moderna, Pfizer, Astra, Zeneca, J&J, Novavax, Covaxin.
Uploading documents in advance via the mysos app or via the mysos website is required. For details please see https://www.hco.mhlw.go.jp/en/
The arrival process is as follows. Countries will be grouped in red, yellow, and blue.
Red countries:
Albania, Sierra Leone
Yellow countries:
Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cook Island, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Macau, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, North Korea, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Congo, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Vanuatu, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Blue countries:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentine, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyz, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Western Sahara, Zambia
For updates to the lists of countries and territories and changes to the rules check the website of the ministry of foreign affairs https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html and ask in the thread for clarifications and experiences of entering Japan.
UPDATE FOR TOURISTS LOOKING TO VISIT JAPAN AFTER COVID-19 BORDER RESTRICTIONS EASE
Japan does currently not allow entry for general tourism purposes. Most visa waivers are suspended, and travel to Japan for non resident foreigners generally require a visa. And quarantine as described for the countries and territories below.
UPDATE FOR PEOPLE WITH VISAS THAT ALLOW ENTRY INTO JAPAN
The quarantine requirements mentioned below will generally apply to entrants in Japan. As the conditions of who can obtain a visa for entry on exceptional circumstances are not clearly listed anywhere, it is necessary to confirm entry requirements with your local Japanese diplomatic representatives
Spouses and children of foreign permanent residents or Japanese nationals, can obtain visas for short term stays (up to 90 days) by applying in person or by mail at an overseas Japanese consulate. Required documentation includes application form, letter with reason for purpose of visit, bank statement and Koseki Tohon. Processing times have been reported as on the spot to up to one week.
From March 1st, business travelers, students and technical trainees can again enter Japan. There is a need to have a receiving organisation to apply for the visa. For business travelers, there will be one point of contact with the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare. Though the full details are not published yet (as of typing on the 27th of February, please add them if you have seen them)
Business travelers must have a Japanese company or organization apply for a Certificate for Completion of Registration to the MHLW ERFS system. This is a two step process. The company must first register and then apply for the Certificate for the traveler. These can both be done online and completed in less than an hour.The website for doing this is https://entry.hco.mhlw.go.jp/.
After getting the certificate the traveler must apply for visa at the Japanese Consulate or Embassy with jurisdiction for where they reside. (They are quite strict about this. E.g. you can't apply while traveling in a foreign country.) The information on the Consulate pages state that you need Letter of Guarantee, Invitation Letter, etc when applying for the visa. In fact, however, if you have the EFRS certificate, all you need is the visa application, your passport and a photo. The Consulate will issue the visa within 5 days.
UPDATE JAPANESE CITIZENS AND RETURNING FOREIGN JAPAN RESIDENTS
All people travelling to Japan has to present a negative PCR test taking no earlier than. 72 hours before departure to be able to board the flight. The certificate has to meet the information requirements and test types from the Japanese government.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000799426.pdf
From the 7th of June, passport number, nationality, signature and stamp from the doctor/medical institution are no longer required.
The requirement for pre-departure test will be removed for passengers on flights landing after the 7th of September 00:00 provided that they have received a full bases vaccination and a booster vaccination. Accepted vaccines are Moderna, Pfizer, Astra, Zeneca, J&J, Novavax, Covaxin.
Uploading documents in advance via the mysos app or via the mysos website is required. For details please see https://www.hco.mhlw.go.jp/en/
The arrival process is as follows. Countries will be grouped in red, yellow, and blue.
- Group “Red”：On-arrival test is required. 3-day quarantine at a government-designated facility is required, however, those who obtain a valid vaccination certificate may have 5-day home quarantine (or 3-day home quarantine + negative result of a voluntary test) instead.
- Group “Yellow”：On-arrival test and 5-day home quarantine (or 3-day home quarantine + negative result of a voluntary test) are required, however, those who obtain a valid vaccination certificate are not required to have on-arrival test, home quarantine and other measures.
- Group “Blue”：Regardless of the vaccination status of the entrants/returnees, on-arrival test, home quarantine and other measures are not required.
Red countries:
Albania, Sierra Leone
Yellow countries:
Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cook Island, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Macau, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, North Korea, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Republic of Burundi, Republic of Congo, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Vanuatu, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Blue countries:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentine, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyz, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Western Sahara, Zambia
For updates to the lists of countries and territories and changes to the rules check the website of the ministry of foreign affairs https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html and ask in the thread for clarifications and experiences of entering Japan.
Coronavirus impact in Japan [consolidated]
Feb 15, 2020, 6:44 pm
#151
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Posts: 20,436
Another 70 infections on the Diamond Princess announced today, bringing the total to 355. Nearly one tenth of the ship has now been confirmed as infected.
Feb 15, 2020, 8:37 pm
#152
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Posts: 10,130
America is offering voluntary evacuation tonight from the Diamond Princess for American citizens and their immediate family.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/15/p...hip/index.html
If they choose to do this, they will have to undergo another 14 days of quarantine in the United States, i.e., into the beginning of March.
This is a stunning rebuke of Japan's quarantine policy.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/15/p...hip/index.html
If they choose to do this, they will have to undergo another 14 days of quarantine in the United States, i.e., into the beginning of March.
This is a stunning rebuke of Japan's quarantine policy.
Feb 15, 2020, 8:58 pm
#153
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Feb 15, 2020, 9:46 pm
#154
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Posts: 22,127
Now apparently Canada and Hong Kong are sending their aircraft to pick up their people according to reports.
Last edited by LTN Phobia; Feb 15, 2020 at 9:57 pm
Feb 16, 2020, 5:04 am
#155
Moderator, All Nippon Airways and Japan
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TYO
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Posts: 3,908
Several off-topic posts have been deleted. Please try to stay on topic and keep personal attacks out of the thread.
Regards,
armagebedar
Japan forum moderator
Regards,
armagebedar
Japan forum moderator
Feb 16, 2020, 8:02 am
#156
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: DL PM, 1MM, DL SC, Kimpton Inner Circle
Posts: 2,416
If I hadn't canceled my trip I'd be almost as concerned about getting caught up in a Diamond Princess situation as actually getting sick. Even if healthy, those people will end up being away from home for weeks longer than planned. Think of the problems that will create with work, pets, your home, etc. Apparently the USG told the American passengers they were technically free not to take the charter flight, but if they chose to stay in Japan they might be stuck there for an indeterminate period of time.
As this situation wears on it's not hard to imagine a flight crew radioing ahead that they have a passenger or passengers onboard who appear to be unwell, and all of a sudden your aircraft taxis to some remote part of the tarmac instead of a gate...
As this situation wears on it's not hard to imagine a flight crew radioing ahead that they have a passenger or passengers onboard who appear to be unwell, and all of a sudden your aircraft taxis to some remote part of the tarmac instead of a gate...
Feb 16, 2020, 9:54 am
#157
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Feb 16, 2020, 9:57 am
#158
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I’m starting to wonder myself.
This might be a costly year for me in terms of cancellation penalties and nonrefundable hotel costs.
I’m already out a couple thousand bucks after canceling our Feb trip. We’ve got 2 additional trips over there already booked and paid for between now and the Olympics. I guess I am learning some lessons here on nonrefindable bookings.
This might be a costly year for me in terms of cancellation penalties and nonrefundable hotel costs.
I’m already out a couple thousand bucks after canceling our Feb trip. We’ve got 2 additional trips over there already booked and paid for between now and the Olympics. I guess I am learning some lessons here on nonrefindable bookings.
Feb 16, 2020, 10:10 am
#159
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Zero chance or cancellation. Even if the situation goes exponential with the virus. Just cannot fathom the cancellation as the economic impact would be judged to be more costly than that of lives. That’s not MY opinion, but I personally think the Japanese government will weigh it like that and opt for the “group good” economically. Sorry.
Feb 16, 2020, 10:15 am
#160
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I agree, and given the enormous amount of money at stake with hosting an Olympic Games I think just about any government would do the same. That's why I said in my initial post on this matter that the influence of the Olympics on the Japanese response to this outbreak was definitely one factor weighing into my decision to cancel a trip. And it was a tough decision because I was really looking forward to being in the Shinjuku Gyoen and perhaps seeing some early blossoms, but I just didn't want to be worrying about this before, during and after the trip.
I don’t wear masks in Tokyo, and I travel internationally every 1.5 weeks including to HNL soon where apparently a Japanese man was, just before he came back to Japan and was diagnosed with coronavirus. Perhaps I shouldn’t go, perhaps a meteor lands on my house tonight, perhaps I get run over by a bus tomorrow. Such is life but I’m not letting any of those things stop me from doing what I want to do. But like I said, perhaps my risk tolerance is higher than most. Not perhaps. Definitely.
Feb 16, 2020, 10:52 am
#161
Join Date: Nov 2012
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I have a two week trips there mid April. I am not cancelling yet but I am following. I am immuno-compromised so I am used to pay attention to what I touch and cleaning hands. I think that except if foreign governments start putting Japan on the high risk list I will go.
Feb 16, 2020, 11:07 am
#162
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Despite all the increases, my main concern remains (and in fact has been strengthened) that more countries may impose an entry ban or quarantine requirements on those who have been to Japan if the number of cases keeps going up, not whether I'd catch it or not (I consider it unlikely, and there are things we can personally do to reduce the risk, e.g. avoid queues and crowded places).
Feb 16, 2020, 11:14 am
#163
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...perhaps a meteor lands on my house tonight, perhaps I get run over by a bus tomorrow. Such is life but I’m not letting any of those things stop me from doing what I want to do. But like I said, perhaps my risk tolerance is higher than most. Not perhaps. Definitely.
Feb 16, 2020, 1:53 pm
#164
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
FWIW, life is short, and I guess my risk tolerance is higher. The chances any of us have of dying in a car accident every day are probably far higher than that of catching and dying from this particular virus. In fact, perhaps the risk of dying from influenza or cancer is higher, but I’m no doctor.
Having said that, I've never been worried about illnesses or pathogens, and was pretty oblivious to the entire SARs thing. While this is pure speculation, even if I were to catch this thing despite after taking all of the necessary precautions, I'd like my chances of surviving. The issue is the inconvenience, potentially spreading it to others, and getting my name in the news as a "Super-spreader," a risk I'm unwilling to take.
Feb 16, 2020, 2:19 pm
#165
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,304
Zero chance or cancellation. Even if the situation goes exponential with the virus. Just cannot fathom the cancellation as the economic impact would be judged to be more costly than that of lives. That’s not MY opinion, but I personally think the Japanese government will weigh it like that and opt for the “group good” economically. Sorry.
It is kind of a catch-22 regarding China. Close the ranks and they'll remember the slight. Keep it open, have an outbreak during the Olympics, and they'll also shun tourism to Japan and their products. East Asia accounts for 61%, including China at 28.1%, of the inbound tourism in December 2019. It's not an insignificant percentage of travel and consumer spending from cultures which value face. Many of these governments are also running their own cultural globalization influence campaigns. South Korea's recent media wave, Parasite and BTS, is good awareness for them. Japanese companies like Muji's parent and Uniqlo/GU Fast Retailing are feeling the effects of S. Korea trade war and tension in Hong Kong.
Morbidly, I have wondered what an outbreak would do to the elderly population of Japan and the challenges they pose to pension and economy.
Last edited by freecia; Feb 16, 2020 at 2:34 pm
