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]
Sep 16, 2021, 7:47 am
#5911
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 608
with due respect, the economy of japan has had a little bit of a challenge for a very long time so perhaps those other areas they are depending on are not doing as well as they think hence the major shift to increase tourism numbers in the 5 years before the pandemic. And it was a MAJOR SHIFT.
Sep 16, 2021, 9:41 am
#5912
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Cape Cod
Programs: Free agent
Posts: 1,535
I'm willing to fly over as soon as they let me to help them change that situation.
Sep 16, 2021, 1:11 pm
#5913
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 813
With due respect to you, I was responding to the bold assertion that "I would say tourism was an important piece of the economy pre-Covid," which was in disagreement with MJM's statement that "Tourism is a very minor part of the economy". With a global ranking of 137 out of 152, I'm going to agree with "very minor part of the economy" in spite of the government's hopes to change that situation.
Sep 16, 2021, 1:18 pm
#5914
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 813
If the economy is declining due to a shrinking population, favorable immigration policies are needed; trying to use international tourism to fix that isn't going to get you very far. Recent efforts to promote tourism are a very visible part of policy that is seen from outside the country, but it hardly is the main economic focus or a big shift from anything else.
Besides, millions more visitors piling into Tokyo and Kyoto isn't a bad thing from an overall numbers perspective, but that really is only helping the richest parts of the country, not the more rural areas which are the ones that are hurting due to depopulation. Domestic tourism is way more useful for that and has always been much bigger than international tourism anyway.
Besides, millions more visitors piling into Tokyo and Kyoto isn't a bad thing from an overall numbers perspective, but that really is only helping the richest parts of the country, not the more rural areas which are the ones that are hurting due to depopulation. Domestic tourism is way more useful for that and has always been much bigger than international tourism anyway.
Sep 16, 2021, 3:04 pm
#5915
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
The important thing to keep in mind re: the economic discussion is that the Japanese domestic market is in constant slow decline due to the thinning and aging population. The only way to get real growth is to bring in foreigners, and that was a very visible part of the government's economic policy over the past decade (visa waivers for Asian countries, the massive "IR" boondoggles, etc.)
Japan has an aging population because its economy is in decline.
Sep 16, 2021, 4:11 pm
#5916
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,170
I'm not so sure about that - do you have any evidence at all?
I know it's old news by now, but the number of international inbound tourists increased 2.2% from 2018-2019, while the total number of Japanese domestic overnight trips was up 7.7% from 2018-2019. And there were a lot more Japanese domestic hotel stays than foreign tourists to begin with.
Fascinating statistics at https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/s.../001375676.pdf
I know it's old news by now, but the number of international inbound tourists increased 2.2% from 2018-2019, while the total number of Japanese domestic overnight trips was up 7.7% from 2018-2019. And there were a lot more Japanese domestic hotel stays than foreign tourists to begin with.
Fascinating statistics at https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/s.../001375676.pdf
Sep 16, 2021, 8:29 pm
#5917
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kobe, Japan
Programs: Bonvoy Platinum, IHG Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,532
The first stats I saw were 7.5%. This fit my image based on what I had been seeing in Kyoto and Osaka, plus the big push pre-Covid.
The OECD number of nearly 10% of employment it is still pretty significant.
7.5% in 2019
https://knoema.com/atlas/Japan/topic...percent-of-GDP
Other more reliable sources show a different story and are more in line with the .91% quoted previously.
In 2017, tourism GDP accounted for 2.0% of total GDP and 9.6% of total employment,
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/...nt/85e3c6a2-en
2% (Before COVID-19, travel and tourism accounted for about two percent of Japan’s total GDP)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/...-to-gdp-japan/
The OECD number of nearly 10% of employment it is still pretty significant.
7.5% in 2019
https://knoema.com/atlas/Japan/topic...percent-of-GDP
Other more reliable sources show a different story and are more in line with the .91% quoted previously.
In 2017, tourism GDP accounted for 2.0% of total GDP and 9.6% of total employment,
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/...nt/85e3c6a2-en
2% (Before COVID-19, travel and tourism accounted for about two percent of Japan’s total GDP)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/...-to-gdp-japan/
Sep 16, 2021, 11:04 pm
#5918
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 608
Other more reliable sources show a different story and are more in line with the .91% quoted previously.
In 2017, tourism GDP accounted for 2.0% of total GDP and 9.6% of total employment,
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/...nt/85e3c6a2-en
In 2017, tourism GDP accounted for 2.0% of total GDP and 9.6% of total employment,
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/...nt/85e3c6a2-en
Domestic tourism by Japanese citizens is also of major economic importance ... representing some 80% of total revenues from tourism.
Sep 17, 2021, 4:52 pm
#5919
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 813
Interesting. I guess the old people will eventually die and cause problems internally in more ways than one, including, the domestic tourism.
Serious question, do japanese people care that their aging population is a huge problem?
Serious question, do japanese people care that their aging population is a huge problem?
Sep 18, 2021, 6:03 am
#5920
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
If the economy is declining due to a shrinking population, favorable immigration policies are needed; trying to use international tourism to fix that isn't going to get you very far. Recent efforts to promote tourism are a very visible part of policy that is seen from outside the country, but it hardly is the main economic focus or a big shift from anything else.
Besides, millions more visitors piling into Tokyo and Kyoto isn't a bad thing from an overall numbers perspective, but that really is only helping the richest parts of the country, not the more rural areas which are the ones that are hurting due to depopulation. Domestic tourism is way more useful for that and has always been much bigger than international tourism anyway.
Besides, millions more visitors piling into Tokyo and Kyoto isn't a bad thing from an overall numbers perspective, but that really is only helping the richest parts of the country, not the more rural areas which are the ones that are hurting due to depopulation. Domestic tourism is way more useful for that and has always been much bigger than international tourism anyway.
Sep 18, 2021, 9:18 am
#5921
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,161
Everything you say makes logical sense to me as an American, where we ostensibly (not necessarily in practice) welcome anyone, but I honestly think that for most Japanese, relaxing immigration rules as a way to counter their shrinking population is simply an unacceptable solution. I think they’d rather keep Japan Japanese and if the population shrinks so be it. Naturally that’s just my opinion, but their immigration policies over the last few decades during the time in which their population has been declining clearly match that opinion. It’s easy to suggest ways to counter issues in Japan based on western perspectives, but often times, the context of the Japanese vs western mind are just so different that logic just seems to fly out the window.
Sep 18, 2021, 10:04 pm
#5922
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Agree. I do regular counts when out walking. Maskless (or masked pulled down) numbers are definitely increasing. And qualitatively, it used to be only young men. Now there are maskless women and older people.
Sep 19, 2021, 8:01 am
#5923
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM MM SC; GE; Bonvoy Titanium; IHG Diamond
Posts: 2,310
My trip was originally booked for September 2020 and then rebooked for the last two weeks of November 2021. I'm 99% sure that won't happen but waiting to rebook because the Fall 2022 dates I'm now aiming for aren't available yet. I have an upgrade with miles, so I keep rebooking rather than just cancelling to try to preserve that.
Sep 19, 2021, 8:53 pm
#5924
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kobe, Japan
Programs: Bonvoy Platinum, IHG Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,532
Bottom line though, (absent tectonic shifts in taxation policy) I don't think Japan has much choice. It's not the declining population per se that is so much of a problem, but rather the fall in the percentage of working age people. Unless Japan brings in workers, the system will break because there won't be enough people to take care of and support the elderly. (Or the whole thing might just slowly transform into a Chinese amusement park/shopping mall.)
Sep 19, 2021, 9:00 pm
#5925
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
Bringing it back to the Coronavirus Impact topic, I wonder how policies will shift given the shortage of incoming younger workers. I suppose many non-Japanese stayed on thanks to Covid visa extensions, but my feeling is that without the steady stream companies start to get desperate. Raising wages is one step.