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 dlvoire, 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 dlvoire, 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]
#5386
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,534
Yes indeed, let's use our scarce resources to prevent outbreaks abroad....
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210801_06/
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210801_06/
#5387
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ONT-SNA-LAX
Programs: UA1K-HHDiamond
Posts: 1,344
Let me pull out my calculator. Tokyo is what...about 1/3 population of of CA, and CA was around 10,000 the other day...Tokyo 3000*3 = ...how about them apples? I KNOW...Californians don't live on top of each other the same way. But that's still a rather close per population number. Tell me I'm wrong.
#5388
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 848
Let me pull out my calculator. Tokyo is what...about 1/3 population of of CA, and CA was around 10,000 the other day...Tokyo 3000*3 = ...how about them apples? I KNOW...Californians don't live on top of each other the same way. But that's still a rather close per population number. Tell me I'm wrong.
#5389
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Posts: 20,446
In general, you're probably better off comparing positivity rates to get a more fair assessment of the difference between two wildly divergent systems like Tokyo and California than raw case numbers adjusted per capita.
#5390
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Programs: UA1K-HHDiamond
Posts: 1,344
Tokyo 19.5 - Source https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en
CA 4.7 - Source https://www.beckershospitalreview.co...s-july-14.html (ignore the date in URL)
In this case, Tokyo ranks right up there with Georgia, Missouri, Iowa. Data also shows that Tokyo is about to break their covid hospitalized record??
#5391
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Yes, this wave is currently known for its high rate.of people with mid-range level of symptoms. There are already thousands of people that probably should be monitored in a hospital that simply can't be at this point.
If the death rate does go up (only five deaths recorded yesterday), it will be because hospitals become so flooded that people that otherwise could be saved will not.
#5392
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Posts: 1,344
If the death rates in both countries don't go up immensely in about 2-3 weeks, consider it a huge victory for improved treatments. That's my Oi Ocha bottle half-full statement.
#5393
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
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Posts: 21,534
Without bothering to look up the numbers, I would guess that Japan's 65+ vaccination rate is better than those areas, while under 65 is much worse.
Yes, this wave is currently known for its high rate.of people with mid-range level of symptoms. There are already thousands of people that probably should be monitored in a hospital that simply can't be at this point.
If the death rate does go up (only five deaths recorded yesterday), it will be because hospitals become so flooded that people that otherwise could be saved will not.
Yes, this wave is currently known for its high rate.of people with mid-range level of symptoms. There are already thousands of people that probably should be monitored in a hospital that simply can't be at this point.
If the death rate does go up (only five deaths recorded yesterday), it will be because hospitals become so flooded that people that otherwise could be saved will not.
One of the reasons is of course that housing sizes in Japan makes it far more difficult isolate people from family (cohabitants) at home. Which is quite a challenge.
At a point, they did start to use hotels for isolation of non treatment requiring cases, and this should certainly be done in a far more than it is being done currently. That would take a lot of load of the hospital systems.
#5395
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Posts: 1,344
About 500 on a normal weekday now, but I think thousands again unless something great happens at hospital level. Same trend last summer and last winter. Cases are blowing up. Just waiting now. I think I am suspending my business travel for a bit.
#5397
formerly wunderpit
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#5398
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Worst worst case scenario? Further mutations to the Delta variant that further erode the vaccine's protection and an unwillingness to return to lockdowns ultimately results in another million deaths.
More likely worst case scenario, this remains a "pandemic of the unvaccinated", daily deaths pick up to around 1000 a day, and US may hit total death number of 700,000 by the end of the year.
As for Japan, I think we can see 200 a day by the end of the month.
More likely worst case scenario, this remains a "pandemic of the unvaccinated", daily deaths pick up to around 1000 a day, and US may hit total death number of 700,000 by the end of the year.
As for Japan, I think we can see 200 a day by the end of the month.
#5399
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 2,194
Worst worst case scenario? Further mutations to the Delta variant that further erode the vaccine's protection and an unwillingness to return to lockdowns ultimately results in another million deaths.
More likely worst case scenario, this remains a "pandemic of the unvaccinated", daily deaths pick up to around 1000 a day, and US may hit total death number of 700,000 by the end of the year.
As for Japan, I think we can see 200 a day by the end of the month.
More likely worst case scenario, this remains a "pandemic of the unvaccinated", daily deaths pick up to around 1000 a day, and US may hit total death number of 700,000 by the end of the year.
As for Japan, I think we can see 200 a day by the end of the month.
unlikely another million death. Yes, the vaccine is broken through. However, a lot of people has immune response much quicker than before. Now the situation is better than 70% have natural immunity. It is no AIDS.
can those infected with delta variant be reinfected with delta variant, that will be more concern.
#5400
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Not only did Hyogo and Hokkaido, make the jump to Stage 4 yesterday, but Gunma and Fukushima exceeded my expectations and did so as well. Tottori is still holding on to Stage 3, but they along with Nara and Kumamoto could yet get promoted today.
Okinawa extends its lead over Tolyo, 154.09 to 146.83.
No new promotions to Stage 3, though at least ten other prefectures could make the job in the coming week.
Okinawa extends its lead over Tolyo, 154.09 to 146.83.
No new promotions to Stage 3, though at least ten other prefectures could make the job in the coming week.
Kagawa moves up to Stage 3, bringing the total number of Stage 3 and above prefectures to 26.
Okinawa further extends its lead over Tokyo in weekly infections per 100K of population, 164.97 to 156.13.