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 23, 2020, 7:19 pm
#361
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,419
I can't imagine that the Japanese government would go after carnival when it was the incompetence of the government managing the quarantine that caused the problem however as the deaths from DP passengers continue, and some of those will be people who caught the virus during the quarantine period, one does wonder if that will trigger some sort of legal action. That would be quite a can of worms to open up.
I just hope that someone in the Japanese government has come to their senses and chasing up and re-testing the passengers who left the boat into Japan at the end of the boat quarantine so they can get those that are positive in isolation asap.
I just hope that someone in the Japanese government has come to their senses and chasing up and re-testing the passengers who left the boat into Japan at the end of the boat quarantine so they can get those that are positive in isolation asap.
Feb 23, 2020, 7:30 pm
#362
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,140
Maybe by Americans against Princess. Surely nothing filed in Japan.
Feb 23, 2020, 7:34 pm
#363
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
In other Japan news, the Glibli Museum is closing from tomorrow through March 17
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles...0m/0na/027000c
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles...0m/0na/027000c
Wouldn't surprise me if Disney suspends operation also. HKG Disney's still closed.
Feb 23, 2020, 7:41 pm
#364
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Feb 23, 2020, 8:08 pm
#365
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: 1A
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Well I do agree it would be a real shame for the line (and possibly other lines) to no longer stop in Japan, I do not think the data supports the fact that it is a “huge“ loss for them at least by percentage or business. Granted, it isn’t trivial, but it is manageable.
Besides, I would imagine that new reservations for cruises stopping in Japan are at an all time low... and probably for cruises in general. Now, that, I am sure is impactful to Princess’s (and other lines) bottom lines.
Feb 23, 2020, 8:15 pm
#366
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I can't imagine that the Japanese government would go after carnival when it was the incompetence of the government managing the quarantine that caused the problem however as the deaths from DP passengers continue, and some of those will be people who caught the virus during the quarantine period, one does wonder if that will trigger some sort of legal action. That would be quite a can of worms to open up.
I just hope that someone in the Japanese government has come to their senses and chasing up and re-testing the passengers who left the boat into Japan at the end of the boat quarantine so they can get those that are positive in isolation asap.
I just hope that someone in the Japanese government has come to their senses and chasing up and re-testing the passengers who left the boat into Japan at the end of the boat quarantine so they can get those that are positive in isolation asap.
Feb 23, 2020, 9:42 pm
#367
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 4
Seriously questioning whether to continue our holiday from Australia to Japan now. Supposed to be leaving this Saturday for two weeks and the government just updated the warnings to, ''Based on advice from Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, we now recommend you ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ in Japan due to a heightened risk of sustained local transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).'' and "We're not saying 'don't go' to this location. But you should do your research and take extra precautions."
Feeling very conflicted.
Feeling very conflicted.
Feb 23, 2020, 9:50 pm
#368
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
I think you will find that most cruise tickets have fine print that prevents passengers from suing for pretty much anything. And that disputes are required to go through binding arbitration, not litigation. And no class-actions, anything filed would have to be individual basis. I would be surprised if Carnival/Princess tickets are different from this norm. There's also a compensation limit for non-US itineraries. That's for anybody thinking about suing Princess. Even less likely to get traction suing the Japanese or US governments.
Feb 23, 2020, 10:57 pm
#369
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Agreed that those guidelines are very confusing to use in making a decision.
Feb 24, 2020, 12:59 am
#370
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,505
Seriously questioning whether to continue our holiday from Australia to Japan now. Supposed to be leaving this Saturday for two weeks and the government just updated the warnings to, ''Based on advice from Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, we now recommend you ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ in Japan due to a heightened risk of sustained local transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).'' and "We're not saying 'don't go' to this location. But you should do your research and take extra precautions."
Feeling very conflicted.
Feeling very conflicted.
We have a number of Hong Kong residents from the Diamond Princesss in Japanese hospitals receiving treatment or under observation. A big complaint we are hearing is the language barrier. While Japan's health care system is advanced, staff don't speak English well so this would be a major barrier for the patients to properly communicate their problems and to understand the treatment they are receiving. Also, if there is a sustained spread, i expect flights to get cut so changing your ticket to fly home may be difficult, and the US has already communicated to their citizens not to rely on government evacuation flights anymore. Not sure if Australia is following that stance but these types of evacuations are rare and not the norm.
Safe travels.
Feb 24, 2020, 3:10 am
#371
Join Date: Mar 2015
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I'm due to travel to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with my mom for her retirement trip in two weeks. I just contacted the airline about cancelling the ticket (or issuing future travel credit), but they're having none of it... Multiple people above mentioned (considering) cancelling. Have you worked out the financial side? Are you just going to swallow the costs?
Feb 24, 2020, 3:34 am
#372
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,402
I'm due to travel to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with my mom for her retirement trip in two weeks. I just contacted the airline about cancelling the ticket (or issuing future travel credit), but they're having none of it... Multiple people above mentioned (considering) cancelling. Have you worked out the financial side? Are you just going to swallow the costs?
Even in the worst case scenario where you're not able to get any refunds from anyone, I would seriously consider just writing off the costs, as the coronavirus is markedly more dangerous for the elderly (might be a different risk equation if you've only got young, healthy adults in your travel party).
We haven’t yet decided for ourselves whether to go ahead with our Tokyo visit. The decision may be made for us as we have indirect Air China flights. If those can still be used, then the decision will be left to my 70+ yo father-in-law, spending time with him is the reason for our trip. If he gets ill, MrLapLap has no other siblings and there will be no feuds or blame laying.
However, this is not the case with my father-in-law’s remaining family in Northern Japan. I have said that I won’t go to see them on this trip. My fear is that any infection that could be related to our visit could severe ties and cause resentment that would permanently compromise our links with our family there. We’ve all worked hard to maintain our relationships; even with all the good will in the world, this could destroy them.
In ok986’s example, even if his/her mom fully gives her consent, should there be a problem attributable in any way to Covid-19, there may be consequences back home for ok986 later on; people who will never accept the mother’s decision and will always hold him/her accountable. And that’s part of what we are all facing - not just the nuts and bolts reality of this infection, but the political fallout - on global, national, regional, commercial, social, family, friends‘ and even religious scales - also. There is so much to contend with.
Feb 24, 2020, 4:41 am
#373
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That said, there's a twenty-something lady in Hokkaido that's unconscious and on a ventilator from this virus, so it's nothing to completely write off for yourself as well.
Feb 24, 2020, 5:48 am
#374
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Well, I couldn’t find the Japan data (searching in English) but I did find this regarding the US, from a report published on Feb 9, 2020
”In contrast, at least 19 million people in the U.S. have experienced flu illnesses this season, the CDC estimates. About 180,000 people have been hospitalized so far, and an estimated 10,000 have died.”
Link: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/as...flu-2020-02-06
I remain in the mindset that by absolute numbers, one has a much higher likelihood of catching and dying from the flu than the coronavirus. I am not arguing with death rates, just the absolute numbers. 10,000 dead in the US. Wow. Makes the coronavirus seem like overhyped media click bait.....
Feb 24, 2020, 6:14 am
#375
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,402
I remain in the mindset that by absolute numbers, one has a much higher likelihood of catching and dying from the flu than the coronavirus. I am not arguing with death rates, just the absolute numbers. 10,000 dead in the US. Wow. Makes the coronavirus seem like overhyped media click bait.....
How much can be controlled or eased, I don’t know. Whether one ends up in the modern administrative equivalent of St Louis in 1918 or Philadelphia at that time, that’s something one might only come to understand in hindsight. Better to be exposed sooner rather than later? Who knows? I certainly do not.
I’ll leave these decisions to those in my circle who are most at risk.
https://www.pnas.org/content/104/18/7582