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]
#7846
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
List of designated countries has been updated, all European nations except Switzerland and Sweden are no longer designated (= no quarantine with booster vaccination). Canada is no longer designated as well. https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html
Thank God we have CPHflyer to translate this garbage.
#7847
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,159
I am sure GSK has seen a material improvement in the profits in their OTC painkiller lines since the introduction of this document back in March last year. It has certainly also caused me some headaches, and some extended searches and discussions to get a general understanding of the information. But once I got used to it, there is a weird sense of semi logic to it. Though they still manage to cheat me with some of their more convoluted updates.
#7848
Join Date: Aug 2020
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 182
Two weeks later, Canada jacked up the Advisory level, I and I had to cancel. The good news is, the travel fund is very, very fat now so this next trip will be a doozy. Whether or not that will be this year is the next question.
#7849
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,159
In late February 2020 I was quite annoyed listening to my colleagues about how dangerous it all was, and people already refusing to come to the office due to the dangers of covid. And while I did see the failures of certain European countries, I was still very much in the "it will be fine shortly" camp, and certainly in the "no need to panic" camp. I never left the latter, panic never helps.
So to be very contrarian I flew to Singapore 27th of Feb to the 1st of March. That was a very nice trip, airports and flights were already quite empty, hotel was quite empty so got a nice upgrade, and I managed to try the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge in Singapore. It would be 6 months and a bit before my next international trip as Japan sealed the borders.
But I also achieved the target of horrifying my colleagues.... Lol
So to be very contrarian I flew to Singapore 27th of Feb to the 1st of March. That was a very nice trip, airports and flights were already quite empty, hotel was quite empty so got a nice upgrade, and I managed to try the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge in Singapore. It would be 6 months and a bit before my next international trip as Japan sealed the borders.
But I also achieved the target of horrifying my colleagues.... Lol
#7850
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
Of the 31 prefectures currently under a pseudo emergency set to expire on March 6th, 18 will see their pseudo emergency extended to March 21st, including all of Kanto and Kansai region.
#7851
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,968
I was in Taiwan and Tokyo in January 2020, came back and ended up in Bellevue, WA when the first cases were announced in the US and then again when the first deaths were announced in Kirkland, staying at the Bellevue Hyatt Regency. My customer's office building closed down for a deep clean saying they'd be open back up on Monday, but never opened again. I was told to fly home and work remote for the week. I immediately booked a flight on Alaska Airlines from SEA to ONT the night of 3/3/2020, and it was eerie. FAs were wearing gloves and masks and the flight had about 10 other people on it. I flew to SLC the following week to work with another customer and was told that Monday to fly home. That was the last real work travel for me aside from a couple two-day trips to Austin a few months ago.
Of all the trips to Japan I've cancelled since 2020, the one that hurt the most was a month trip in September 2020 starting in Okinawa, taking a boat to Kagoshima, then Shinkansen towards Hokkaido with stops along the way, finishing the trip in Sapporo. Ended up changing that trip to Turkey and Croatia, which was an awkward experience with all the COVID stuff in place. Subsequent trips around the US and to Greece and Thailand were less awkward as people got used to the theater. I've canceled a total of 6 or 7 speculative trips to Japan over the last couple years
Of all the trips to Japan I've cancelled since 2020, the one that hurt the most was a month trip in September 2020 starting in Okinawa, taking a boat to Kagoshima, then Shinkansen towards Hokkaido with stops along the way, finishing the trip in Sapporo. Ended up changing that trip to Turkey and Croatia, which was an awkward experience with all the COVID stuff in place. Subsequent trips around the US and to Greece and Thailand were less awkward as people got used to the theater. I've canceled a total of 6 or 7 speculative trips to Japan over the last couple years
#7852
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
KIshida seems gung-ho on re-opening quickly. Barring some new variant, I'm starting to think it more and more likely that we'll see some form of international tourism by mid-May.
#7853
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,968
I've got a trip to Osaka in the chamber for July 4th week, so here's for hoping.
#7854
Join Date: Aug 2020
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 182
If that's the case, Golden Week is going to be the benchmark. If they have no major increases after the public holiday, yeah, maybe this summer. I think it won't be May though, just based on the timing and length of GW alone. Christmas to NYE 2021-2022 was about rthe same length of time and they're still seeing 60k+ new cases a day right now.
#7855
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ONT-SNA-LAX
Programs: UA1K-HHDiamond
Posts: 1,339
#7856
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
I didn't say full international tourism. More like select group packages from select countries doing select things. Fully open by summer might be doable though.
#7857
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
I was in Singapore in Nov 2019, then Jpn until early Jan 2020. Was supposed to fly back to Jpn in Feb 2020 but decided to cancel because I didn’t want to take any chances with Covid. I think I was more wary of this virus in the early days than most people. I stopped going to the gym too. After canceling my Jpn trip, used that fund to head to Utah 2 different times in Feb. I have not been back to Jpn ever since. I had two more trips booked for Jpn in 2020, one of them Olympics, canceled both.
Then I headed up to Canada in March 2020 and, while there, the world came to a screeching halt really when Stifle Towers (can’t remember his real name) went around touching all the postgame microphones as a joke then came down with Covid. That canceled the NBA, then came announcement that Vail Resorts were shutting down which I heard a couple hours after I came off the slope couple days later. Soon after my work shut down. That was my last international trip… until last month when I went back to Canada and for old times sake headed back to the same restaurant where I heard the news of NBA shutting down 23mo prior.
I had no buffet for 4months, from March until July 2020… longest I ever went without food. Finally found a semi-buffet in Lake Tahoe in July which was like reuniting and it felt so good. I’ve just been dinking around mostly in California all this time. Have not been able to go to Jpn mostly due to the quarantine requirement and the fact that I can’t take off work more than 10days. But I have a feeling things are getting close. I really miss Asia’s real hotel hospitality and lavish breaksfast buffets. But I must say being stuck in America due to the pandemic has really made me appreciate vacationing in America (well, California really), something I never really did before. There’s just a lot of cool places here. I was in Zion National Park over the Holidays which is in middle of nowhere… so many people there from India, China, even Jpn… probably a lot of them would normally have spent the Holidays back in their home countries if it weren’t for the pandemic. Yet there we were, doing something different, enjoying Americas great outdoor.
I’m planning on Jpn this Dec. When I consider the uncertainty still for this summer, and the thought of wearing mask despite the awful humidity, I think it’s best I wait till fall or winter.
Then I headed up to Canada in March 2020 and, while there, the world came to a screeching halt really when Stifle Towers (can’t remember his real name) went around touching all the postgame microphones as a joke then came down with Covid. That canceled the NBA, then came announcement that Vail Resorts were shutting down which I heard a couple hours after I came off the slope couple days later. Soon after my work shut down. That was my last international trip… until last month when I went back to Canada and for old times sake headed back to the same restaurant where I heard the news of NBA shutting down 23mo prior.
I had no buffet for 4months, from March until July 2020… longest I ever went without food. Finally found a semi-buffet in Lake Tahoe in July which was like reuniting and it felt so good. I’ve just been dinking around mostly in California all this time. Have not been able to go to Jpn mostly due to the quarantine requirement and the fact that I can’t take off work more than 10days. But I have a feeling things are getting close. I really miss Asia’s real hotel hospitality and lavish breaksfast buffets. But I must say being stuck in America due to the pandemic has really made me appreciate vacationing in America (well, California really), something I never really did before. There’s just a lot of cool places here. I was in Zion National Park over the Holidays which is in middle of nowhere… so many people there from India, China, even Jpn… probably a lot of them would normally have spent the Holidays back in their home countries if it weren’t for the pandemic. Yet there we were, doing something different, enjoying Americas great outdoor.
I’m planning on Jpn this Dec. When I consider the uncertainty still for this summer, and the thought of wearing mask despite the awful humidity, I think it’s best I wait till fall or winter.
#7858
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
Sounds like the pandemic really hit you hard. I was able to have food throughout the pandemic, I don't know what I'd do without it. Giving up international travel or the indoor gym is one thing, giving up food I find much harder, so kudos to you.
#7859
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 327
If that's the case, Golden Week is going to be the benchmark. If they have no major increases after the public holiday, yeah, maybe this summer. I think it won't be May though, just based on the timing and length of GW alone. Christmas to NYE 2021-2022 was about rthe same length of time and they're still seeing 60k+ new cases a day right now.
The Faroe Islands being one of the most striking recent examples having now decided to lift all restrictions immediately following a super high Omicron peak, including testing and the recommendation to isolate.
Obviously the Faroe Islands and Japan are not really comparable, but it shows the logical position to take once Omicron is widespread in the population and the hospitals are not threatened.
Like all the other countries that have fully opened / removed restrictions recently, Japan should consider whether their hospitals are able to operate normally, and if they're in danger of being overwhelmed. If not, then remove restrictions.
#7860
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,968