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]
Oct 4, 2020, 11:52 am
#2506
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Paris, France
Programs: IHG, CC, HH, AF, AA, UA
Posts: 830
Thanks in advance.
Oct 4, 2020, 2:37 pm
#2507
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
It could seem that Japan is not planning on letting tourists in until April next year.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6372767
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6372767
But at the end of the article, it says it's not clear yet what they would do with visa waiver countries.
I sure hope they don't make it unnecessarily PITA.
Oct 4, 2020, 3:12 pm
#2508
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,016
https://giwiz-tpc.c.yimg.jp/q/iwiz-t...h-000-view.jpg
健康管理アプリをダウンロード
Download the health management application
入国後１４日間はアプリで健康状態を報告
For 14 days after entering the country, notify about your health status using the application
健康管理アプリをダウンロード
Download the health management application
入国後１４日間はアプリで健康状態を報告
For 14 days after entering the country, notify about your health status using the application
Oct 4, 2020, 4:26 pm
#2509
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,304
Phone number option would probably be trickier for tourists as it is not easy to get a voice + sms + data without MyNumber or some kind of residency verification.
Oct 4, 2020, 4:38 pm
#2510
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,156
Article talks about proposal to link visa application process to various Covid-related health requirements that need to be fulfilled prior to arrival in Jpn.
But at the end of the article, it says it's not clear yet what they would do with visa waiver countries.
I sure hope they don't make it unnecessarily PITA.
But at the end of the article, it says it's not clear yet what they would do with visa waiver countries.
I sure hope they don't make it unnecessarily PITA.
In the end, it is all guess work until more details gets published, and these plans may be shuffled multiple time before April by the development of the pandemic
Which is a completely different thing. But at least now, after a long period of being prevented from returning to Japan, your son again has the option to travel to visit you. Option is of course not always the same as ability to travel with short notice of course.
Oct 4, 2020, 5:09 pm
#2511
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Sorry to be slow in responding. I actually posted this earlier in https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32657348-post2403.html
The links are:
http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001327505.pdf (Japanese)
http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001327576.pdf (English)
A friend (American citizen) came in recently on this basis. It was relatively straightforward but he had provide documentation and get a visa at the consulate before traveling plus the usual pre and post flight tests, no public transport and 14 day self-quarantine.
The links are:
http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001327505.pdf (Japanese)
http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001327576.pdf (English)
A friend (American citizen) came in recently on this basis. It was relatively straightforward but he had provide documentation and get a visa at the consulate before traveling plus the usual pre and post flight tests, no public transport and 14 day self-quarantine.
Oct 4, 2020, 5:13 pm
#2512
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Thanks for the Memories !!!
Posts: 10,657
Diplomatically, wouldn't any arrangement have to be reciprocal ? So for example, Vietnam would begin to allow tourists from Japan, and Japan would start to allow tourists from Vietnam. How the governments deal with resident foreigners of each country going back and forth as tourists, is an interesting conundrum. One thing that should be ended is this Duty Free silliness. The social system needs the tax revenue.........
Oct 4, 2020, 5:24 pm
#2513
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,016
Newer iPhones support esims and there's several which offer competitive data roaming packages https://esimdb.com/japan Mobile Hotspot rental was also pretty common when foreign tourists were allowed. There's also prepaid visitor data sim vending machines at the airport for some markup.
Will the border guards check that the application is up and running when you enter the country? In that case, what happens if your mobile hotspot rental device was sent by mail to your hotel or if you chose poste restante / 郵便局留め? You won't be able to connect to the Internet before you reach your hotel or post office which is after you pass through passport control. Would they also check that the application is up and running when you leave the country, meaning after you sent the device back to the rental firm?
It is a lot easier to create an application for residents than for foreign visitors. Residents can connect their phones to the Internet and you only have to deal with the few who do not have a phone or who have an incompatible phone. With foreigners you also have the problem that lots of them can't connect to the Internet.
If you report that you have symptoms in the application and a doctor calls from an unknown Japanese number, there's a high possibility that you wouldn't answer as it costs a lot and you don't know who's calling.
Are remote areas no-go zones? You can't use your phone on the Ogasawara Maru: ??????????????????????
Oct 4, 2020, 5:42 pm
#2514
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
Again, amusing that foreigners are complaining about foreigners being let in...I presume you are all referring to Japan's western neighbors, and their typical occupation of Kyoto? Then again, if this were a Japanese language forum, responses would be predictable.
I'm not a foreigner. I am a long term resident of Japan. I've lived in Japan longer than any other country I've lived in. I've earned my right to complain about foreign tourists.
Would nationalization really make my case stronger? Because I'm willing to consider starting that process once things calm down.
Oct 4, 2020, 6:25 pm
#2515
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,156
Yes, but I'd imagine that a lot of tourists do not use those services but simply switch off their Internet connection, in particular if you only stay for a few days. Some tourists do not even have mobile phones. My phone is quite old and it's possible that the application requires a more recent OS.
Will the border guards check that the application is up and running when you enter the country? In that case, what happens if your mobile hotspot rental device was sent by mail to your hotel or if you chose poste restante / 郵便局留め? You won't be able to connect to the Internet before you reach your hotel or post office which is after you pass through passport control. Would they also check that the application is up and running when you leave the country, meaning after you sent the device back to the rental firm?
It is a lot easier to create an application for residents than for foreign visitors. Residents can connect their phones to the Internet and you only have to deal with the few who do not have a phone or who have an incompatible phone. With foreigners you also have the problem that lots of them can't connect to the Internet.
For me, SMS is cheaper than voice or data, assuming no data plan, and assuming I only need to send one SMS.
If you report that you have symptoms in the application and a doctor calls from an unknown Japanese number, there's a high possibility that you wouldn't answer as it costs a lot and you don't know who's calling.
Are remote areas no-go zones? You can't use your phone on the Ogasawara Maru: ??????????????????????
Will the border guards check that the application is up and running when you enter the country? In that case, what happens if your mobile hotspot rental device was sent by mail to your hotel or if you chose poste restante / 郵便局留め? You won't be able to connect to the Internet before you reach your hotel or post office which is after you pass through passport control. Would they also check that the application is up and running when you leave the country, meaning after you sent the device back to the rental firm?
It is a lot easier to create an application for residents than for foreign visitors. Residents can connect their phones to the Internet and you only have to deal with the few who do not have a phone or who have an incompatible phone. With foreigners you also have the problem that lots of them can't connect to the Internet.
For me, SMS is cheaper than voice or data, assuming no data plan, and assuming I only need to send one SMS.
If you report that you have symptoms in the application and a doctor calls from an unknown Japanese number, there's a high possibility that you wouldn't answer as it costs a lot and you don't know who's calling.
Are remote areas no-go zones? You can't use your phone on the Ogasawara Maru: ??????????????????????
The requirements will be known in advance, so if people are not willing to make sure they can live up to them, or feel it might be too expensive to receive a call while in Japan, they should probably postpone their trip until this is no longer a requirement. Anyway, as everything is still in the draft phase, there is no knowing what they will actually do with all of these areas.
Oct 4, 2020, 6:52 pm
#2516
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Thanks for the Memories !!!
Posts: 10,657
That's a rather xenophobic way of looking at it
I'm not a foreigner. I am a long term resident of Japan. I've lived in Japan longer than any other country I've lived in. I've earned my right to complain about foreign tourists.
Would nationalization really make my case stronger? Because I'm willing to consider starting that process once things calm down.
I'm not a foreigner. I am a long term resident of Japan. I've lived in Japan longer than any other country I've lived in. I've earned my right to complain about foreign tourists.
Would nationalization really make my case stronger? Because I'm willing to consider starting that process once things calm down.
Oct 4, 2020, 9:37 pm
#2517
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,304
Off Topic but asked:
Actually, I had a chance to test this as I went there in 2018 on the Ogasawara Maru and there is data access for the beginning and end of the trip in both directions. There's Docomo & Softbank LTE coverage in downtown Chichijima near the dock through surrounding neighborhoods and in the Tokyo Bay area for a couple hours. 3G coverage on outer Chichijima beaches. So no problems with a daily app check in as the sailing route is 24 hours starting in the morning if you check in while sailing out of the bay and upon arriving at the destination. Not sure what they'd do if someone needed a ventilator, though, other than perhaps use a military jet to medivac as pregnant women travel in advance to the mainland for child birth.
Honestly, I go to some off the beaten track areas of Japan. Places without even a local unmanned train office or combini for an hour. Places where I wonder if the last vending machine I saw was 30 minutes ago by car or 1x daily bus. Even then, I still get cell data coverage 99.8% of the time (I have tried both roaming and local carriers) and most ryokan have wifi in room now or at worst, in the lobby. Business hotels went to wifi years ago and many don't even stock ethernet cords in the desk anymore. I'm not a backpacker but from what I understand, there's even decent LTE on Kita-dake and Fuji-san.
I get that some phones are older and some JP app developer choices can be decidedly unusual. I'm not going to pretend that trips to Japan don't influence some of my tech purchases Apple Pay & Suica on iPhone/Apple Watch in Japan [consolidated thread] but maybe I'm unusual in that I travel with an iPhone and Android. I install a few more travel apps on the Android because it was better with Google Translate image recognition for a number of years and I tend to use it with a free wifi pass + paid vpn. I use Town Wifi https://townwifi.jp/index_en.html but there are other free options https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2279.html Sometimes it fails to connect but most of the time it works if I stay in place for more than a few minutes and fire up the app (train station, combini, outside a coffee chain). An ex-JET friend who was on a US flip phone until 2017/2018 went to a smart phone as even older JP people use Line to communicate. He used to rent a flip phone but people preferred to use SNS. I think he might be the only person I know who went without data for a few days upon arrival last year, speaks & reads Japanese, and still found current JP life without data to be inconvenient.
Are remote areas no-go zones? You can't use your phone on the Ogasawara Maru: ??????????????????????
Honestly, I go to some off the beaten track areas of Japan. Places without even a local unmanned train office or combini for an hour. Places where I wonder if the last vending machine I saw was 30 minutes ago by car or 1x daily bus. Even then, I still get cell data coverage 99.8% of the time (I have tried both roaming and local carriers) and most ryokan have wifi in room now or at worst, in the lobby. Business hotels went to wifi years ago and many don't even stock ethernet cords in the desk anymore. I'm not a backpacker but from what I understand, there's even decent LTE on Kita-dake and Fuji-san.
I get that some phones are older and some JP app developer choices can be decidedly unusual. I'm not going to pretend that trips to Japan don't influence some of my tech purchases Apple Pay & Suica on iPhone/Apple Watch in Japan [consolidated thread] but maybe I'm unusual in that I travel with an iPhone and Android. I install a few more travel apps on the Android because it was better with Google Translate image recognition for a number of years and I tend to use it with a free wifi pass + paid vpn. I use Town Wifi https://townwifi.jp/index_en.html but there are other free options https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2279.html Sometimes it fails to connect but most of the time it works if I stay in place for more than a few minutes and fire up the app (train station, combini, outside a coffee chain). An ex-JET friend who was on a US flip phone until 2017/2018 went to a smart phone as even older JP people use Line to communicate. He used to rent a flip phone but people preferred to use SNS. I think he might be the only person I know who went without data for a few days upon arrival last year, speaks & reads Japanese, and still found current JP life without data to be inconvenient.
Oct 5, 2020, 12:03 am
#2518
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tokyo, Japan (or Vienna whenever possible)
Posts: 6,379
Another data point for smooth if not a bit lengthy re-entry after traveling back to the US. I felt significantLY safer coming through the process here than I did at any point during my stay in the us.
Oct 5, 2020, 12:32 am
#2519
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
Programs: UA GS, NH Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist (formerly Courtesy Card sadly), Amanjunkie, CLEAR
Posts: 3,713
It could seem that Japan is not planning on letting tourists in until April next year.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6372767
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6372767
https://soranews24.com/2020/10/05/ja...-requirements/
Oct 5, 2020, 12:54 am
#2520
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
Sorry to be slow in responding. I actually posted this earlier in https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32657348-post2403.html
The links are:
http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001327505.pdf (Japanese)
http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001327576.pdf (English)
A friend (American citizen) came in recently on this basis. It was relatively straightforward but he had provide documentation and get a visa at the consulate before traveling plus the usual pre and post flight tests, no public transport and 14 day self-quarantine.
The links are:
http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001327505.pdf (Japanese)
http://www.moj.go.jp/content/001327576.pdf (English)
A friend (American citizen) came in recently on this basis. It was relatively straightforward but he had provide documentation and get a visa at the consulate before traveling plus the usual pre and post flight tests, no public transport and 14 day self-quarantine.
Anyways, if I have to go through a visa-like process like your friend did, then it's probably not worth it for me at this time.
Sure hope that applying via consulate to enter Jpn with a US passport doesn't become the protocol in the future.