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]
#7636
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
What he said. To clarify, Narita neither has a transit hotel, nor allows you to remain airside overnight. Haneda has an airside transit hotel (currently closed), but allows you to stay airside and sleep on the floor in the terminal if you like. As to why the airline would rebook you on an "impossible" connection, an overnight connection at Narita isn't impossible for all: it could be done if you were a Japanese citizen, or a foreigner with Japanese residency. Currently not possible for anyone else. "It is the passenger's sole responsibility to ensure compliance with all immigration regulations."
#7637
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 112
Folks. Apparently it’s not meant to be. Gave the boy a choice. He picked india instead. Which makes it easier for him to meet grandparents. I was going to fly them out to Thailand otherwise. So off to india instead and a slightly easier set of connections.
I appreciate all your assistance and clarification. Maybe next year spring break.
I appreciate all your assistance and clarification. Maybe next year spring break.
#7638
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,106
Folks. Apparently it’s not meant to be. Gave the boy a choice. He picked india instead. Which makes it easier for him to meet grandparents. I was going to fly them out to Thailand otherwise. So off to india instead and a slightly easier set of connections.
I appreciate all your assistance and clarification. Maybe next year spring break.
I appreciate all your assistance and clarification. Maybe next year spring break.
Sorry we could not be bringers of better tidings.
#7639
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,376
Very encouraging to see speculations about loosening of border controls on major media outlet.
Sadly we're seeing relatively high number of Covid deaths in Jpn.
But it looks like Jpn's going to get through this without a single prefecture outside of Okinawa reaching level 3 (metric for healthcare burden by Covid).
Critically ill looks like it's going to top out at <1500 on any given day during this wave, whereas it got to be 2200 at one point during the fourth wave.
Hopefully all of this creates momentum towards uncapped quarantine-free visits by this fall. But a lot of this is politics.
Sadly we're seeing relatively high number of Covid deaths in Jpn.
But it looks like Jpn's going to get through this without a single prefecture outside of Okinawa reaching level 3 (metric for healthcare burden by Covid).
Critically ill looks like it's going to top out at <1500 on any given day during this wave, whereas it got to be 2200 at one point during the fourth wave.
Hopefully all of this creates momentum towards uncapped quarantine-free visits by this fall. But a lot of this is politics.
#7640
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: SAS Eurobonus - Blue / Emirates Skywards - Blue
Posts: 618
Quick report from the inaka.
Here in Ehime cases topping out at around 150 - 200 per day at the minute - did peak at 300+.
3rd vaccination looks to be on course and will be ramping up from March - I'll get mine circa End March - 7 months from date of last jab.
I want to get moving on our visa but Osaka case numbers are still way too high - out here in the inaka there is still a distinct stigma wtih "bringing covid back with you" from an out of prefecture trip so probably earliest we can go to Osaka is looking at like May now I guess ?. If no new variants pop up maybe finally summer we can set about our move back to the UK.
Here in Ehime cases topping out at around 150 - 200 per day at the minute - did peak at 300+.
3rd vaccination looks to be on course and will be ramping up from March - I'll get mine circa End March - 7 months from date of last jab.
I want to get moving on our visa but Osaka case numbers are still way too high - out here in the inaka there is still a distinct stigma wtih "bringing covid back with you" from an out of prefecture trip so probably earliest we can go to Osaka is looking at like May now I guess ?. If no new variants pop up maybe finally summer we can set about our move back to the UK.
#7641
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Japan/Thailand
Programs: AS, UA
Posts: 1,201
Just got the ticket for the 3rd vaccine from my city. Same appearance as the previous letter with the first two tickets along with the list of clinics that have it, but this time there are four different columns for 1st&2nd vaccine, 3rd vaccine, 16+, and 12-15 years old; and different places have different availability for each category, not really sure why.
The eligible date printed on the ticket is 8 months from the 2nd vaccine, but in the literature provided it says that due to policy changes, after March 1st you can actually get it after 7 months, or 6 months if you are 65+.
The eligible date printed on the ticket is 8 months from the 2nd vaccine, but in the literature provided it says that due to policy changes, after March 1st you can actually get it after 7 months, or 6 months if you are 65+.
#7642
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ONT-SNA-LAX
Programs: UA1K-HHDiamond
Posts: 1,337
#7643
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ONT-SNA-LAX
Programs: UA1K-HHDiamond
Posts: 1,337
Well, Japanese employer pushing forward with booking flight for May. It almost makes me laugh. They figure book now since airlines are zero change fees, and then their prediction is that by end March/beginning April we will know the reality.
I made it clear that I will not go if there is any sort of quarantine. Anyone want to place bets?
I made it clear that I will not go if there is any sort of quarantine. Anyone want to place bets?
#7644
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,595
I'm actually not sure that this is true. Aren't you supposed to stay in quarantine for the required period once you go in? I didn't think you could leave early even if it's for the purpose of leaving the country...
#7645
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: ANA Diamond, JAL JGC, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 250
It is possible to leave quarantine early for the purpose of leaving Japan, as long as you follow the rules on no public transport and notify the airline and the MHLW. One of the members of this thread has done so multiple times.
#7646
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: middle of nowhere, formerly TYO/EWR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 213
I'm curious if there is any more reporting (in either Japanese or English) about the effect of the prolonged Japanese travel restrictions on the more "xenophobic" (or, more charitably, "anti-tourism") elements of Japan. There was this article about how many residents of Kyoto are enjoying the lack of tourism: https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...reign-tourists and recently there was a survey done showing that 57% of people want the ban on foreigners to remain in place for longer: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/artic...support-border I assume part of that relatively high number is some people who simply don't want foreigners due to the cultural association of foreigners as unclean. I can only guess that the pandemic has only strengthened that view within some elements of Japan.
Tokyo is an interesting place to witness the tension between the internationalization and traditionalism. Where I was living in Adachi-ku in 2018-2019, there was a huge surge of expats moving to that area, while at the same time a number of apartment buildings were specifically prohibited renting to foreigners, bars which would only serve Japanese speakers, etc. This all coinciding with the build-up to to the Olympics where there government was trying to push a more internationalized orientation. I'm guessing at this point, with two years of fairly strict border controls, even the expat community has measurably dropped and the push towards foreigner-friendly policies within Japan has taken the back seat.
Tokyo is an interesting place to witness the tension between the internationalization and traditionalism. Where I was living in Adachi-ku in 2018-2019, there was a huge surge of expats moving to that area, while at the same time a number of apartment buildings were specifically prohibited renting to foreigners, bars which would only serve Japanese speakers, etc. This all coinciding with the build-up to to the Olympics where there government was trying to push a more internationalized orientation. I'm guessing at this point, with two years of fairly strict border controls, even the expat community has measurably dropped and the push towards foreigner-friendly policies within Japan has taken the back seat.
#7647
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ONT-SNA-LAX
Programs: UA1K-HHDiamond
Posts: 1,337
If multiplied for population total, sure, USA was more at peak, but that's still a lot in Japan!
#7648
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: middle of nowhere, formerly TYO/EWR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 213
Not sure what your point is? I'm not making any claim about whether foreigners are "dirty" or not, or whether these Japanese stereotypes are accurate or not. Just if there is any reporting about the opinion of Japanese people one way or another...
#7649
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ONT-SNA-LAX
Programs: UA1K-HHDiamond
Posts: 1,337
You either have all citizens with a ZERO-covid policy that are allowed to consider us dirty, or you have the rest of us (Japan, USA, etc) that are just trying to move on with some dirt on us I won't put any weight in Japanese opinion when Shibuya Crossing is packed. Except the opinion that we just need to move on
#7650
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: middle of nowhere, formerly TYO/EWR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 213
I'm just saying...What is the point of Japanese op-ed articles about potential foreigners when so many people are out an about in Japan with a ton of Omi? It would just be hogwash. For instance, the Kyoto article actually hints at a middle ground opinion...some like it, and some are hurt by the loss of tourism and business travelers.
You either have all citizens with a ZERO-covid policy that are allowed to consider us dirty, or you have the rest of us (Japan, USA, etc) that are just trying to move on with some dirt on us I won't put any weight in Japanese opinion when Shibuya Crossing is packed. Except the opinion that we just need to move on
You either have all citizens with a ZERO-covid policy that are allowed to consider us dirty, or you have the rest of us (Japan, USA, etc) that are just trying to move on with some dirt on us I won't put any weight in Japanese opinion when Shibuya Crossing is packed. Except the opinion that we just need to move on
If there were a lot of op-ed articles about foreigners spreading COVID around Japan that would be quite interesting, not for convincing me that restrictions are a good policy, but from the standpoint of trying to understand shifts in public opinion within Japan. There is certainly a lot more to the discussion than "some like it, and some are hurt by the loss of tourism and business travelers." That is equivalent to saying the rise of Trump in the Republican party in the US is just that "some people like him and some don't" when obviously there are lots of interesting demographic and historical trends at play; that is true whether or not you like him... :P
Last edited by A Little Cow; Feb 15, 2022 at 1:27 pm