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]
Mar 31, 2020, 12:13 am
#1186
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
I think I mentioned this a couple days ago, but one datapoint that highlights undertesting in Jpn is that, if Tokyo prefecture were a state in USA, it would be absolute dead last in terms of number of tests administered per million (2269 tests w/ population 13.9 million, which is 163 per million for Tokyo as of 29 March).
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/26/211938...tests-by-state
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/26/211938...tests-by-state
I suspect that the various reasons cited for Japan's reluctance to do more testing (e.g. "We don't see the need to test since there's no explosion in cases," or "We're saving resources to focus them where they're really needed,") are tatemae, and the truth is that Japan hit some barriers to increasing testing capacity at its laboratories. I read a quote from an employee at one laboratory who said that the equipment could only handle half the samples that it was supposed to be able to process simultaneously. (I apologize that I can't point to a source for that - I think it was an English language article). There are also global shortages of reagents for PCR testing.
My hope (yeah I'm an optimist really) is that the emerging antigen and antibody tests will change the picture. These make it possible for patients to self-test a drop of their own blood and report results digitally. That would bypass any bottlenecks at laboratories, obviate the need for healthcare professionals wearing PPE, and enable testing of large populations at a fraction of the cost of laboratory testing (albeit with reduced accuracy). This could finally give us a clearer view of how the virus has spread in Japan. I'm crossing my fingers that Japan will get onboard with this and start producing data - It's going to be essential to the proper management of this health crisis.
Mar 31, 2020, 12:27 am
#1187
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
I know most here probably take shoes off at the door. Do Japan senior and medical care facilities also have facility shoes which are part of the uniform? I know people aren't licking the floors but wonder if there's another habit which is helping or perhaps more PPE for senior care facilities.
That said, I remember being impressed by the precautions to protect the residents at the residential home where I used to visit a Japanese grandma in the 2000s. Shoes, coats, and outside wear was to be removed at the lobby. Hands were to be sanitized. Masks were available to any visitors who thought they should wear them. There were reminders everywhere about washing hands. I think there was heightened concern at that time because of a new flu that was going around, but I was impressed that the home had been designed to make it easier to keep pathogens out - the segregation of clean areas, where the elderly residents were, from other parts of the facility, was very clear.
Mar 31, 2020, 1:04 am
#1188
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
I see that Vox updated that table on 30/Mar - and what you say (Japan's rate is lower than any US State) is accurate today. Last time you made the comment, I looked and found that Japan was not quite dead last - It was ahead of a handful of states and territories. Perhaps it's super-pedantic of me to mention it now, but I just wanted to make the point that things can change quickly. I have the feeling that it's not to late for Japan to get its act together with regard to testing...
I suspect that the various reasons cited for Japan's reluctance to do more testing (e.g. "We don't see the need to test since there's no explosion in cases," or "We're saving resources to focus them where they're really needed,") are tatemae, and the truth is that Japan hit some barriers to increasing testing capacity at its laboratories. I read a quote from an employee at one laboratory who said that the equipment could only handle half the samples that it was supposed to be able to process simultaneously. (I apologize that I can't point to a source for that - I think it was an English language article). There are also global shortages of reagents for PCR testing.
I did hear things similar to what you're citing. When the government was saying there was capability for ~3800 tests a day, a lab guy was being quoted anonymously as saying that the actual capability was 1/2 that in reality.
But the argument I keep hearing over and over for justifying Jpn's philosophy of undertesting is that identifying too many cases with minimal symptoms or lower risk factors would overwhelm the healthcare system and prevent it from being available to focus on those who have severe symptoms or who're more vulnerable. As I said before, this argument would be moot if Jpn could just extricate itself from the long-held tradition of hospitalizing everyone. Those 3 covid19 Hanshin Tigers players that have no symptoms other than inability to taste have no business taking up hospital beds. You can identify Covid19 cases with minimal symptoms, then subject them to home isolation, and the knowledge that they have covid19 will surely improve quarantine compliance and help reduce silent transmission.
I suspect that another reason for undertesting is the cost.
I understand the shortages but, if that's the reason for undertesting and if Jpn somehow is more disproportionately affected by shortage than other industrialized countries, then that's not good.
Mar 31, 2020, 1:28 am
#1189
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
Well that was idle speculation on my part. But it would bode well for the future if it were true, because alternative test methods are coming online.
Mar 31, 2020, 1:36 am
#1190
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,404
At the risk of getting flamed. There are a lot of people who are helping out here. Haven't seen Japan numbers, but in the U.S. the case rate and fatality rate from Covid-19 among health care workers is about 1/5th or 1/10th that of the general population. (That protective equipment really does work.) At the same time the occupational fatality rate for truck drivers even in normal times is about 10x that of health care workers. Everyone has a part to play and they all deserve a salute.
When Spain was in the position Japan is now, where the testing was not delivering the true story of suspected cases, it was the geriatric residences that began to deliver the evidence. Spain realised quickly and targeted them before the body count at these centres rocketed and made that mounting evidence un-ignorable.
In the U.S. too, it was the geriatric care homes that were the first “tell”. I understand Derry in Northern Ireland has reported that a Nursing home has six cases and is receiving support.
I’m aware that there is one care residence (for those with disabilities?) in Japan that has hit the headlines, but apart from that, nothing. And I doubt the press is uninterested.
Something isn’t happening. And (speaking from my Spanish point of view) what isn’t happening is something that strikes rapidly and has devastating, obvious consequences, yet it hadn’t* been much mentioned or discussed in this thread. So yes, I’m clapping and yelling and cheering for these particular carers. They are in the absolute vanguard of this threat. That they are (as of yet) hardly in the news or headlines is in itself an extraordinary achievement.
*jib71’s description from the 2000s is enlightening
Last edited by LapLap; Mar 31, 2020 at 1:49 am
Mar 31, 2020, 2:10 am
#1191
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
78 cases in Tokyo today. (Includes cases from yesterday that we're not reported.)
Mar 31, 2020, 5:43 am
#1192
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,436
7 dead from coronavirus in Tokyo today, by far the highest single day number yet.
28 new cases in Osaka.
28 new cases in Osaka.
Mar 31, 2020, 1:32 pm
#1193
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,304
Spraying things down probably also helps weigh down micro droplets indoors. Encouraging clean air circulation also helps reduce micro droplets floating in the air from NHK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVqDxLkbhJk
Do Japanese people change clothing when getting home? Is the salary man/woman (often the one who has more human contact and crowded commute) usually taking a bath before eating dinner? We now put outside clothing near the doorway or outside in daylight after a shopping trip before a good wash up. Those sleeves have sneeze catching, button pushing, hair brushing duties these days.
[edit to remove embed]
That said, I remember being impressed by the precautions to protect the residents at the residential home where I used to visit a Japanese grandma in the 2000s. Shoes, coats, and outside wear was to be removed at the lobby. Hands were to be sanitized. Masks were available to any visitors who thought they should wear them. There were reminders everywhere about washing hands. I think there was heightened concern at that time because of a new flu that was going around, but I was impressed that the home had been designed to make it easier to keep pathogens out - the segregation of clean areas, where the elderly residents were, from other parts of the facility, was very clear.
[edit to remove embed]
Mar 31, 2020, 5:18 pm
#1194
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
How much time does Abe need to call state of emergency? What the hell is he doing?!
Mar 31, 2020, 5:39 pm
#1195
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,436
He said he'd rely on the opinions of experts, but all the one's I've seen on TV say it should be done now.
Maybe he's listening to economic experts instead?
Maybe he's listening to economic experts instead?
Mar 31, 2020, 5:55 pm
#1196
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
Mar 31, 2020, 6:11 pm
#1197
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: HIJ
Posts: 260
He may also be waiting for the new school year to start.
Mar 31, 2020, 6:29 pm
#1198
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tokyo, Japan (or Vienna whenever possible)
Posts: 6,379
Consensus here is not always fast but it is generally effective once arrived at. And there’s also significantly less litigiousness once consensus has been achieved. Trying to apply what works in one country to the government of another is often far wide of the mark.
Mar 31, 2020, 9:33 pm
#1199
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,436
Press Secretary Soga just reaffirmed that an Emergency Declaration is not necessary at this time.
Mar 31, 2020, 10:09 pm
#1200
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tokyo, Japan (or Vienna whenever possible)
Posts: 6,379
