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]
#8611
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 112
What an utter joke this all is…
#8612
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
A more detailed account of yesterday's ruling, which found Tokyo's "demand" for restaurants to reduce operating time illegal, but did not grant the plaintiff's request for nominal damages.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles...0m/0na/056000c
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles...0m/0na/056000c
#8613
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Kanto
Posts: 151
104 Yen?
https://japantoday.com/category/nati...-chain-illegal
Maybe hailstorm can explain this one to me... Must be a Japanese thing?
https://japantoday.com/category/nati...-chain-illegal
Maybe hailstorm can explain this one to me... Must be a Japanese thing?
But (according to Japanese language media) the 104 yen represents a symbolic 1 yen per restaurant for the 26 restaurants of this company which were subject to closure order over the course of the 4 days they were closed (4 X 26 = 104).
#8614
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,968
Yeah, its pretty bad reporting, especially for a glaringly weird settlement amount.
But (according to Japanese language media) the 104 yen represents a symbolic 1 yen per restaurant for the 26 restaurants of this company which were subject to closure order over the course of the 4 days they were closed (4 X 26 = 104).
But (according to Japanese language media) the 104 yen represents a symbolic 1 yen per restaurant for the 26 restaurants of this company which were subject to closure order over the course of the 4 days they were closed (4 X 26 = 104).
#8615
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,315
Don't underestimate the value of saving / preserving "face" in Japan -- it's way of saying you are right -- but you aren't getting paid for it....
#8616
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
On the subject of mask culture in Japan, a local prefectural member that was not allowed to speak at assembly last September on account of improperly wearing his mask below his nose has ended his appeal and request for compensation after losing re-election.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/oita/20...070012603.html
And the trial of a man that boarded a domestic flight without a mask in September 2020 and allegedly caused a disturbance with flight attendants that caused an emergency disembarkation begins today.
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2022051700263&g=soc
Even Japan has its own nails that need hammering down.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/oita/20...070012603.html
And the trial of a man that boarded a domestic flight without a mask in September 2020 and allegedly caused a disturbance with flight attendants that caused an emergency disembarkation begins today.
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2022051700263&g=soc
Even Japan has its own nails that need hammering down.
#8617
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
How is Jpn enforcing the cap on the number of people arriving each day? Is it via landing slots or is each airline given certain quota as far as seats they can sell?
Im flying UA this Dec. Looking at the seat map, nothing is blocked, meaning UA does not seem to be restricting capacity on its flight.
Does the fact that I’ve secured bookings mean I’m home free as long as the arrivals cap does not decrease?
Im flying UA this Dec. Looking at the seat map, nothing is blocked, meaning UA does not seem to be restricting capacity on its flight.
Does the fact that I’ve secured bookings mean I’m home free as long as the arrivals cap does not decrease?
#8618
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
December is a long time away. Long enough for either all restrictions to disappear entirely, or for a new variant to appear that is so scary that Japan once again prevents all but nationals from entering the country.
#8619
Join Date: Aug 2020
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 182
Reuters - Japan announces limited "test tourism" from May as step to full re-opening.
For all the people I've seen complain that the concept of "guided tours" is useless and dumb, I wonder how many of them are going to be clamouring to book one the second they're available?
For all the people I've seen complain that the concept of "guided tours" is useless and dumb, I wonder how many of them are going to be clamouring to book one the second they're available?
#8620
How is Jpn enforcing the cap on the number of people arriving each day? Is it via landing slots or is each airline given certain quota as far as seats they can sell?
Im flying UA this Dec. Looking at the seat map, nothing is blocked, meaning UA does not seem to be restricting capacity on its flight.
Does the fact that I’ve secured bookings mean I’m home free as long as the arrivals cap does not decrease?
Im flying UA this Dec. Looking at the seat map, nothing is blocked, meaning UA does not seem to be restricting capacity on its flight.
Does the fact that I’ve secured bookings mean I’m home free as long as the arrivals cap does not decrease?
#8621
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
Reuters - Japan announces limited "test tourism" from May as step to full re-opening.
For all the people I've seen complain that the concept of "guided tours" is useless and dumb, I wonder how many of them are going to be clamouring to book one the second they're available?
For all the people I've seen complain that the concept of "guided tours" is useless and dumb, I wonder how many of them are going to be clamouring to book one the second they're available?
#8622
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
Not sure how they do it right now, but last year, when capacity enforcement was happening, it was for each airline, and they did it on checkin (ie as I understand it, each airline had a certain number of slots they could carry). I base this on a single data point of a friend flying to Japan but not checking in online for a late evening flight - so when he arrived to the airport, he was told the maximum number of checkins was reached and they were required to rebook him on the following day’s flight (and that he should REALLY REALLY OLCI next time).
Something like that would just have domino effect.
#8623
The Reuters article is paywalled, but from an NHK article I can see that the tour will be limited to thrice vaccinated people from Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and...America!? If you're going to allow Americans in, where six figure daily case numbers remain the norm, then I can't see the rationale for keeping other nations out.
#8624
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TYO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,744
The Reuters article is paywalled, but from an NHK article I can see that the tour will be limited to thrice vaccinated people from Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and...America!? If you're going to allow Americans in, where six figure daily case numbers remain the norm, then I can't see the rationale for keeping other nations out.
#8625
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,161
Not sure how they do it right now, but last year, when capacity enforcement was happening, it was for each airline, and they did it on checkin (ie as I understand it, each airline had a certain number of slots they could carry). I base this on a single data point of a friend flying to Japan but not checking in online for a late evening flight - so when he arrived to the airport, he was told the maximum number of checkins was reached and they were required to rebook him on the following day’s flight (and that he should REALLY REALLY OLCI next time).
For airlines with multiple flights a day, how would the system be geared to count Cross flights? I think that was an airline employee making up stories to make IDB case easy to swallow. But I have been wondering how it works, though everytime it has been cut suddenly, or when first introduced, JAL and ANA suddenly stopped selling tickets with destination Japan.