Japan Travel 2022

[railsquid]

1 hour ago, mojo said:

Coincidentally I'm flying on the 9th to Haneda as well. I'm starting to worry now as I still can't get the Visit Japan Web page for submitting quarantine documents to load. It just spins forever.

 

Have you tried using a different browser?

[Tony Galiani]

Using an alternate browser seems odd to me - but it often works - I wonder why?

At work, I normally use Firefox but for some report processes, it will not work yet the same process works in Microsoft Edge.  I don't get it but at least nowadays I often try that when I am having a problem.  Also the ever popular reboot which seems to work wonders in some cases.

Strange.

Ciao,

Tony

[railsquid]

28 minutes ago, Tony Galiani said:

Using an alternate browser seems odd to me - but it often works - I wonder why?

 

I get the impression these days that there are quite a few websites which use the latest cutting edge technologies (the current trendy Javascript framework etc.) which assume that the user is using a very recent browser, and if not, Stuff Doesn't Work Properly.

 

There's one (Japanese) site I use on my phone where I need to log in and bring up a QR code, a while back the QR code popup just stopped working altogether on Firefox (which I prefer), but works fine on Chrome.

[mojo]

1 hour ago, railsquid said:

 

Have you tried using a different browser?

 

I have it working in Firefox for Android now. For some reason it doesn't work in Chrome for desktop or for Android. Odd as Firefox on Android has all the privacy enhancement add-ons where as Chrome does not. There is also an app you can install but that doesn't work either. Anyway...

 

You need to scan your passport. The site recommends taking screenshots in case you can't access the site on arrival, although at least Narita, Haneda and Kansai airports all have free wifi.

[railsquid]

Yup, the good ol' browser roulette.

 

Anyway, as my great grandfather used to say, "never trust the wifi". OK, Japanese airport wifi is likely to be more reliable than Birmingham airport wifi (which was evidently using a dial up modem when it was not down completely) but Murphy's Law is universal.

Edited December 2, 2022 by railsquid

[chadbag]

Daughter was sick for a while (probably RSV) and the first 3 nights this week I got terrible sleep and so also got sick.   COld symptoms -- cough, mucus in head and throat, etc.  We didn't think it was C19 but just to be sure I bought a 5 pack of rapid tests (I know the rapid ones aren't the most reliable).  I took the test last night and it came back negative.  I'll do another one this weekend and also have the daughter do one, and try and get the son and wife to do one as well just for the piece of mind before we go.

 

Our flight leaving Japan leaves Itami (Jan 4) around 7:30 am.   The subway/train/bus etc don't start in Kobe until 5:30am so we'd not really make it to Itami with enough time so I got us 2 rooms at the Itami in airport "airterminal hotel" for the night before we leave.  That way there is no stress in the morning to make sure we catch our flight to Haneda.  A little over 2 hours layover and then a long flight to DFW and then backtracking to SLC.    Because we are leaving Itami early, and then Haneda in the morning, unlike or normal late afternoon or evening flights out of Narita or Kansai, and because we go all the way to DFW and lay over and then back to SLC, on this trip we are not getting home (clock time) before we left.  When we take the early evening flights out of Narita or Kansai, and layover in LAX or SFO or somewhere, we often are home, clock time, before we left Japan...   We get into SLC right before noon on the 4th.  Not bad for leaving at 7:30am.  Never mind the time zones and date line...

 

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, mojo said:

 

I have it working in Firefox for Android now. For some reason it doesn't work in Chrome for desktop or for Android. Odd as Firefox on Android has all the privacy enhancement add-ons where as Chrome does not. There is also an app you can install but that doesn't work either. Anyway...

 

You need to scan your passport. The site recommends taking screenshots in case you can't access the site on arrival, although at least Narita, Haneda and Kansai airports all have free wifi.

 

So, all the Visit Japan website stuff is really "optional".  Supposed to make it faster but some people in a FB group have been saying that those who just take the on-airplane forms and fill them out and go through the "paper" lines are through faster than those who registered online and have the QR codes -- mainly because most have teh QR codes so that line has to process a lot more people than the paper line does, which is why the paper line has been faster for some people...

 

I'll be filling it all out this weekend anyway.

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, chadbag said:

 

So, all the Visit Japan website stuff is really "optional".  Supposed to make it faster but some people in a FB group have been saying that those who just take the on-airplane forms and fill them out and go through the "paper" lines are through faster than those who registered online and have the QR codes -- mainly because most have teh QR codes so that line has to process a lot more people than the paper line does, which is why the paper line has been faster for some people...

 

I'll be filling it all out this weekend anyway.

 

No paper forms on my flight.  They said they don’t Dhabi then out on board anymore (my flight anyways). They still have them in the airport though (I assume 😜).

[matt_d10]

I got back from a few days in Tokyo last week. I thought I’d done everything for the Japan web arrivals process, but in reality had missed the immigration and customs sections completely 😂 it wasn’t an issue and did paper forms in Haneda airport…and was still on the monorail within half an hour of landing!

 

I had similar experience with mask use as everyone else and was more than happy to wear one when required. The odd person not wearing one (usually a tourist unfortunately) really stood out and you could see it making people uncomfortable.  
 

Tokyo was definitely quieter than I was used to but it was great to be back! 

[chadbag]

42 minutes ago, Bob Martin said:

No paper forms on my flight.  They said they don’t Dhabi then out on board anymore (my flight anyways). They still have them in the airport though (I assume 😜).

 

The replies in the FB group made it sound like they were on plane but could have been in airport forms.

the main take away is that if you are having problems with the website, don't sress.  There are work arounds.

 

[mojo]

I've filled it all out. One issue I had was that when providing contact details in Japan it wouldn't let me edit my phone number. I wanted to give the phone number of the hotel (I'm friends with the owner and he could get me on Line in a real emergency) but it wouldn't let me change it from my UK number. Fortunately the email address was right so I should get any messages they need to send me.

 

I have submitted a PDF copy of the NHS vaccination certificate you can get via the NHS app. Just waiting for it to be checked now. Another small issue there, it only asks you to give details of the first three vaccinations you had, and my 3rd one was in December 2021. I don't think it matters how long ago it was, but they can see that I had a forth one in October anyway.

 

I'm still nervous about commuter trains. I have my FFP3 masks I guess. Going to pick up some new contact lenses tomorrow too, second time lucky I hope.

[railsquid]

2 hours ago, mojo said:

I'm still nervous about commuter trains. I have my FFP3 masks I guess. Going to pick up some new contact lenses tomorrow too, second time lucky I hope.

 

No-one talks and almost three years in they are still running with open windows.

[ED75-775]

On 12/3/2022 at 6:29 AM, matt_d10 said:

I got back from a few days in Tokyo last week. I thought I’d done everything for the Japan web arrivals process, but in reality had missed the immigration and customs sections completely 😂 it wasn’t an issue and did paper forms in Haneda airport…and was still on the monorail within half an hour of landing!

 

I had similar experience with mask use as everyone else and was more than happy to wear one when required. The odd person not wearing one (usually a tourist unfortunately) really stood out and you could see it making people uncomfortable.  
 

Tokyo was definitely quieter than I was used to but it was great to be back! 

Good to hear you enjoyed your trip, Matt. I've still got to wait to go back, hopefully next year!

 

The reason for the wait being that I am autistic, and unfortunately I can't cope with the constant sensory stimuli caused by wearing a mask. I could just about cope with cloth ones for a while, until even they became too much and I switched to a face shield at work until our mask mandates were removed. Given the current circumstances, I don't plan on going back until infection numbers subside, and it's safe not to wear a face mask.

 

Alastair

[chadbag]

 

We're getting ready for our Dec 9 departure.

SLC -- DFW -- HND -- ITM

and the reverse back.

 

Originally we were  SLC -- LAX -- KIX with the ITM -- HND -- DFW -- SLC on the way back but the LAX -- KIX got canceled and we had to be rerouted.

 

My wife said today, that her sister, where we will be staying, wanted to know if we were OK with ordering KFC for Christmas Day.   I had to laugh (of course I am ok with it -- who wouldn't want to participate in a long time Japanese Christmas tradition).

 

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/kentucky-for-christmas-story-behind-kfc-s-biggest-day-of-the-year-in-japan-11640416289467.html

 

https://global.kfc.com/stories/how-kentucky-for-christmas-began-in-japan/

[cteno4]

I think you may be too late to get an order in!

 

jeff

[chadbag]

32 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

I think you may be too late to get an order in!

 

jeff

 

Luckily the Sis-IL is doing it!

 

Whatever they end up doing is fine with me.   I remember reading about the KFC in Japan at Christmas a few years ago so when the wife asked me today if it was OK to do it as her sister wanted that I had to smile and laugh.

 

We'll see what happens!

 

[mojo]

I managed to get upgraded to Premium Economy at a reasonable price. Hopefully that means the flight isn't too full.

[Kamome]

8 hours ago, chadbag said:

My wife said today, that her sister, where we will be staying, wanted to know if we were OK with ordering KFC for Christmas Day.   I had to laugh (of course I am ok with it -- who wouldn't want to participate in a long time Japanese Christmas tradition).

My family have progressed to MOS chicken rather than KFC. It’s a game changer 😂

[Tony Galiani]

3 hours ago, mojo said:

I managed to get upgraded to Premium Economy at a reasonable price. Hopefully that means the flight isn't too full.

 Curious to hear of your experience since - IIRC - you are flying ANA.

 

I am still trying to sort out travel plans - which I am making overly complicated due to my personal foibles/issues - music schedule, work schedule and realizing my passport expires in 2023 and I need to allow replacement time (which even with expedited service can take a while.)

 

I was looking for ANA flights on their web site - HNL- HND - and I could only find B787 service.  Not sure what is going on with Flying Honu and ANA's A380s.

 

Anyway, I did note that the seat pitch, even in economy, was better than the typical international carrier and ANA has a great reputation.

Ciao,

Tony

[mojo]

2 hours ago, Kamome said:

My family have progressed to MOS chicken rather than KFC. It’s a game changer 😂

 

I really don't understand KFC. They serve your food in a bucket. What's next, the KFC Family Feeding Trough? Now you just need to upgrade them to Freshness Burger.

 

5 minutes ago, Tony Galiani said:

 Curious to hear of your experience since - IIRC - you are flying ANA.

 

Yes, ANA. I have never flown ANA Premium Economy. I flew Premium Economy on BA back in 2019 and it wasn't really much of an upgrade. Slightly better headphones and a different choice of meals. I don't really go for fancy food though. Speaking of burgers, years ago JAL did a MOS Burger meal and it was one of the best I've had at 11,000m.

 

The seat was a little bigger, although I didn't find the normal ones too bad on that route anyway. I'm hoping that ANA is better. You get a 100V outlet in the seat, although I could swear that when I've flown on the 787 before it had those in economy, at least on BA. I'd love to try an A380. Apparently this aircraft is a 777 and it's 13 years old, so it might be a bit basic. Again my main concern is COVID; the 787 and A380 have better filtering and overall air quality.

[chadbag]

I've flown "Premium Economy" once from Chicago to Stockholm on SAS.   I forget the plane type.  It was quite nice.  Business Class menu, and seats a bit wider and with more legroom.  I could travel like that more.   But it is pricey.  I didn't have to pay for that ticket -- it was on Volvo's dime.  I've looked since for Japan etc Premium but always way more pricey.

 

My understanding is that the "Premium Economy" on non-US airlines is better than the minor upgrades US airlines give.

 

 

[cteno4]

19 hours ago, chadbag said:

Luckily the Sis-IL is doing it!

 

Whatever they end up doing is fine with me.   I remember reading about the KFC in Japan at Christmas a few years ago so when the wife asked me today if it was OK to do it as her sister wanted that I had to smile and laugh.

one of our club members a while back was an expat family from japan stationed here for nhk for a couple of years. They were going home for the holidays and heard they had missed the window for their usual KFC reservation! She was able to find a friend of a friend that got her back onto the list, holidays saved!

 

jeff

[chadbag]

 

So we got all 4 of us "Blue" with our pre-registrations!   One stress down.  (We had to do Covid tests and upload)

 

[railsquid]

1 hour ago, cteno4 said:

one of our club members a while back was an expat family from japan stationed here for nhk for a couple of years. They were going home for the holidays and heard they had missed the window for their usual KFC reservation! She was able to find a friend of a friend that got her back onto the list, holidays saved!

 

We tried the Christmas KFC once, not sure what all the fuss is about.

[cteno4]

I can see that! While a few times a year I may have KFC, but that was more out of convenience and a tad of nostalgia (it was very new and a big deal when I was a kid). Sometimes though folks just gravitate to the exotic over good…

 

jeff