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]
Apr 26, 2020, 3:31 pm
#1696
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Apr 26, 2020, 3:43 pm
#1697
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Difficult to get a precise read on the situation or trends when the testing pattern is so up and down day to day like below (from toyokeizai.net).
That combined with the fact that they're still only averaging 300 or less tests per day and >50% of test results are positive.
With this type of volume, there're never going to be much more than 200 new cases on any given day just cuz of the limited testing.
And yet public officials and government-picked experts keep referencing these numbers and draw conclusions based on them.
That combined with the fact that they're still only averaging 300 or less tests per day and >50% of test results are positive.
With this type of volume, there're never going to be much more than 200 new cases on any given day just cuz of the limited testing.
And yet public officials and government-picked experts keep referencing these numbers and draw conclusions based on them.
Apr 26, 2020, 3:44 pm
#1698
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Having said that, I think Tokyo is beyond the point of having any likelihood of a catastrophic situation at least in the near term.
I thought they might've been on the verge in early April.
Important thing is they continue with telework, social distance and bar/event/gym closures well beyond Golden Week. I hope they continue with that, but now Abe's point man for Corona is apparently the Economic Recovery Minister instead of MHLW.
I thought they might've been on the verge in early April.
Important thing is they continue with telework, social distance and bar/event/gym closures well beyond Golden Week. I hope they continue with that, but now Abe's point man for Corona is apparently the Economic Recovery Minister instead of MHLW.
Last edited by 5khours; Apr 26, 2020 at 7:31 pm Reason: typo
Apr 26, 2020, 3:54 pm
#1699
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Doomed could mean a lot of different things, but in terms of health outcome I have a feeling things won't get anywhere near as bad in Jpn as it has in UK or Spain.
I certainly think the masking culture and lack of touchy-feely habits have helped. People are mostly compliant. There's a lot less sense of entitlement. All of that helps mitigate risks of third and fourth waves. There's a lot of idiots in leadership with oligarchical expert panel that's been way off mark thus far, but on the other hand there're so many smart people in Jpn. There's a lot of prowess in the domestic industry capable of providing necessary supplies. It's a largely homogenous nation with inbound travel now mostly cut off. More than anything, temp and humidity are rising up just when you need it.
I haven't heard that name in a long time. In fact, this may be the first time in ~20 years I'm reminded of that hotel name.
I believe it was called Hotel Pacific Meridian. Was that a Le Meridian hotel? I've stayed in the Keikyu Ex reincarnation. It's sort of a glorified business hotel.
The Prince that's been turned into Corona housing is in the different nearby complex as Laplap said. There're different wings/towers in Shinagawa Prince complex, but both times I've stayed it was a dump.
I certainly think the masking culture and lack of touchy-feely habits have helped. People are mostly compliant. There's a lot less sense of entitlement. All of that helps mitigate risks of third and fourth waves. There's a lot of idiots in leadership with oligarchical expert panel that's been way off mark thus far, but on the other hand there're so many smart people in Jpn. There's a lot of prowess in the domestic industry capable of providing necessary supplies. It's a largely homogenous nation with inbound travel now mostly cut off. More than anything, temp and humidity are rising up just when you need it.
I haven't heard that name in a long time. In fact, this may be the first time in ~20 years I'm reminded of that hotel name.
I believe it was called Hotel Pacific Meridian. Was that a Le Meridian hotel? I've stayed in the Keikyu Ex reincarnation. It's sort of a glorified business hotel.
The Prince that's been turned into Corona housing is in the different nearby complex as Laplap said. There're different wings/towers in Shinagawa Prince complex, but both times I've stayed it was a dump.
Local hosts have taken me to the special tempura (we had a small private dining room and our own chef) restaurant in one of the Prince hotels in this complex. That hotel seemed rather nice and had a small Japanese garden between the hotel's lobby/front desk and the restaurant, viewable from lots of floor to ceiling windows.
Later a Le Meridian was built in Tokyo next to the water, vaguely near Rainbow Bridge and on the way to the Big Sight. Now I'm not sure which one had the word Pacific in its name.
Apr 26, 2020, 4:22 pm
#1700
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I think you're right. It is indeed the curvey triangular building (similar in a way to the Westin Chosun in Seoul). When I stayed, it had an outdoor pool which was just about the only hotel pool in Tokyo that was free for all hotel guests.
Local hosts have taken me to the special tempura (we had a small private dining room and our own chef) restaurant in one of the Prince hotels in this complex. That hotel seemed rather nice and had a small Japanese garden between the hotel's lobby/front desk and the restaurant, viewable from lots of floor to ceiling windows.
Later a Le Meridian was built in Tokyo next to the water, vaguely near Rainbow Bridge and on the way to the Big Sight. Now I'm not sure which one had the word Pacific in its name.
Local hosts have taken me to the special tempura (we had a small private dining room and our own chef) restaurant in one of the Prince hotels in this complex. That hotel seemed rather nice and had a small Japanese garden between the hotel's lobby/front desk and the restaurant, viewable from lots of floor to ceiling windows.
Later a Le Meridian was built in Tokyo next to the water, vaguely near Rainbow Bridge and on the way to the Big Sight. Now I'm not sure which one had the word Pacific in its name.
Apr 26, 2020, 5:32 pm
#1701
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A better number to look at is the percentage of positive test results. You'd want to see this in low single digits before you start thinking of relaxing preventative measures, but this number is still rising in Tokyo, on some days exceeding 50%.
Apr 26, 2020, 6:04 pm
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Returning to the rule of three: If we specify three days (such as April 22, 23, and 24 or even three random dates that aren't sequential) and then randomly draw integers in a certain range (maybe 0 through 500, but if the range is small, we need to pay attention to whether the upper and lower bounds are divisible by three) i.i.d. from the uniform distribution, the probability that all three will be divisible by three is approximately 1/27. If we do the i.i.d. drawings from a long list of dates, then with very high probability that I'm too lazy to calculate right now, there will be at least one set of three sequential dates where each number is divisible by three.
BTW, to check quickly whether a number is divisible by three, add the digits together and check whether the total is divisible by three; rinse and repeat if the sum is a large number. Hence 21/2 = 7 and 2 + 1 = 3, 72/3 = 24 and 7 + 2 = 9, etc.
Apr 26, 2020, 7:28 pm
#1703
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Apr 26, 2020, 7:53 pm
#1704
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Apr 26, 2020, 10:16 pm
#1705
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Apr 26, 2020, 11:37 pm
#1706
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I’ve been following this particular subject with some uncontained amusement. Never let a good crisis go to waste.https://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/articles/-/1076210
Apr 27, 2020, 12:17 am
#1707
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Apr 27, 2020, 1:49 am
#1708
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39. Another multiple of 3. A palindrome followed by a prime followed by two consecutive multiples of three. This has to be good news.
Apr 27, 2020, 2:52 am
#1709
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Better steer clear of the raccoon dogs:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...pert-interview
On a related note, I hear from friends in Spain that wild boars are roaming their cities and dolphins are frolicking just off the beaches. Within weeks of the humans receding, nature is taking over.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...pert-interview
On a related note, I hear from friends in Spain that wild boars are roaming their cities and dolphins are frolicking just off the beaches. Within weeks of the humans receding, nature is taking over.
Apr 27, 2020, 3:27 am
#1710
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Better steer clear of the raccoon dogs:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...pert-interview
On a related note, I hear from friends in Spain that wild boars are roaming their cities and dolphins are frolicking just off the beaches. Within weeks of the humans receding, nature is taking over.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...pert-interview
On a related note, I hear from friends in Spain that wild boars are roaming their cities and dolphins are frolicking just off the beaches. Within weeks of the humans receding, nature is taking over.