Japan Travel 2022

[JR East]

10 hours ago, Tony Galiani said:

Sadly, my French is very weak but even I could get that first sentence.  Personally, I expected that the reopening would be slow and cautious.  I have been hoping for a trip for this year but mainly focused on planning (again) for my long desired visit to the Sapporo Snow and Ice Festival.

 

Meanwhile, on the home front, we are again seeing a small surge with a Covid variant.  I am trying to opt for denial but my Director keeps sending me the updates from our campus and clinics anyway.

I have two international trips set for June and I was just discussing with my wife that, no matter how relaxed things may be on the planes and in the airports, we may want to continue masking.

 

Ciao,

Tony

 

 

https://www-lefigaro-fr.translate.goog/voyages/tourisme-comment-le-japon-compte-ne-pas-encore-rouvrir-ses-frontieres-20220516?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr&_x_tr_pto=wapp

 

Google Translate for Website will help. 

[disturbman]

Left clicking a page in any browser brings up a "translate to..." button. Foreign language materials are not exactly an issue anymore.

[Tony Galiani]

Translation technology is really useful - though some of my browsers do a better job than others.  I just try to keep what little skills I have and take a try for Spanish and French before resorting to the translation tools.

Sadly - since I do not use them enough - my skills are really weak now.

Fortunately, I have kept the key parts of several languages - I can ask for coffee, cake and directions to the train station in several languages!

Ciao,

Tony

 

BTW - NHK has a learn Japanese section - I have been trying to learn some basic phrases using that.  Though I doubt I will ever get to the point where I would use anything but the most basic phrases.

Edited May 19, 2022 by Tony Galiani
additional text

[kuro68000]

On 5/18/2022 at 6:58 PM, JR East said:

https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/tourisme-comment-le-japon-compte-ne-pas-encore-rouvrir-ses-frontieres-20220516

 

It's dead for this summer. 

 

I hope this isn't right. My work runs holidays September to September so I was hoping to travel in August, otherwise, I'll have to use it all up and stay here with nothing to do.

 

I booked some flexible tickets just to make sure I can go if it happens. I was hoping to be able to do some interviewing for jobs while there too. I wish they would give us a timetable or something, all this waiting and wondering is taking a toll.

[Wolf]

As long as one is not up for guided tour, i doubt anything will happen this year.

[kuro68000]

Okay, let's stop speculating, my mental health can't handle it. But please keep us updated with developments.

[Kamome]

I’m not sure how accurate this article is. There are definitely some sweeping generalisations of previous Japanese mentality to overseas visitors, not saying it doesn’t still exist in parts, but not to the lengths that this article expresses. 

 

Are the government seriously considering introducing a system similar to that of North Korea, with appointed officials to keep tabs on people? I can’t see that materialising without damaging their standing in the G7.

 

How reliable is this source with past news?

[disturbman]

Le Figaro is France main right-wing newspaper. They never were my news provider but they are normally relatively well sourced. The journalist is their correspondant in Japan.

[JR East]

Le Figaro (more conservative/right wing), like Le Monde (more socialist / left wing) are serious & well established news paper in France with lots of journalist in France and abroad. looking to the new itself, it doesn't speak about Norh Korea but South Korea. 

 

Japan Experience - former "Vivre le Japon" - is also a serious source of info as this travel agency is dedicated to Japan travel for a long long time with real specialist knowing Japan in-deep. I know them very well and the extract at the end is really what they mentioned to the journalist (no truncation or weird shortcuts...).

Regarding this news in particular, I'm quite sure they are close to the truth unfortunately. 

 

Travelling for business purpose, I experimented couples of weeks ago the Singapore position, believe me ... it's not a real pleasure as measures are awfully strict and going to Singapore was nor the pleasure it was before Covid. So it was fora business trip, not a leisure trip (oherwise I would have chosen another destination)

Anyway, I'm like you, I miss Japan and as soon as the border are open again, I'll fly to Japan.

[kuro68000]

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14625853

 

Restrictions are being relaxed a little from the 1st of next month.

 

The article talks about three different categories of country, red, yellow blue. People from red countries will still have to isolate for 3 days. People from yellow countries can isolate at home, or not at all if they have booster shots. People from blue countries don't need anything, no tests or vaccinations.

 

Does anyone know if the countries on these lists have been published anywhere? I'm not sure if they are a new thing or if the list already exists.

 

Also the limit on arrivals will increase from 10k to 20k per day on June 1st.

[katoftw]

No real info on this yet has been published. It's only new. It's really no different to what they have been doing regards restricting high case countries.

 

Last week I did read that about 150 countries fit in the first category.

Edited May 23, 2022 by katoftw

[JR East]

Yes, but as it's mentioned, it's not for tourists. 

[Wolf]

38 minutes ago, JR East said:

Yes, but as it's mentioned, it's not for tourists. 

Sadly, this.

[Arctic]

The prime minister just announced they will start allowing foreign tourists on group tours from June 10th

 

https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/confirmed-japan-to-accept-foreign-tourists-on-group-tours-from-june-10-052622

[kuro68000]

Same as we already know, limited tour groups from the 10th of June, but NHK also has a list of countries that don't have to do an on-arrival test and then quarantine.

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/2004/

 

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'Ivoire, 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, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, South 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, Zambia

[Tony Galiani]

Having just spent an hour filling in on-line forms and entering documentation, on top of the hour I spent last week working on this, I managed to check-in for my upcoming flights to Bonaire.  I hope that when Japan opens up that the documentation and entry requirements are logical and easy to use.  Nothing quite so frustrating as entering the same information over and over because of the design of the forms.  Part of this is on the airline - Delta's FlyReady is not all that good.  (I am hoping United's set up is better as I will be using their set up for my next trip this month.) But part of this is on the destination as well - for our trip to Bonaire you cannot do a family form and each traveler's info has to be put in separately even though we are on the same flight, staying at the same hotel, etc.

Oh well - end of rant.  Japan has had plenty of time to prepare so hopefully their systems will be better.

In the meantime, back to Japan travel planning and dreaming.  And wondering how the heck Solo Travel Japan can eat so much food.  Between STJ and Kuga's Travels my list of desired places to visit in Japan is getting longer and longer.  If I ever retire again I may want to see if I can spend a month traveling there.

Ciao,

Tony

[kuro68000]

The government plans to start vaccination against Omicron from October. This will be the 2nd booster, the 4th vaccination overall.

 

I read that the government also plans to downgrade COVID to a less serious disease, but I've lost the link now.

 

Apparently lateral flow tests were not easily available to buy due to some legal reason related to their accuracy level, but the government intends to change this so that tests are more widely available.

[kuro68000]

On 5/30/2022 at 1:23 PM, Tony Galiani said:

Kuga's Travels

 

I've been wondering about Kuga. He seems to have the best job in the world.

[Tony Galiani]

The suspense is getting to me - article in today's Singapore Times that Japan may ease entry restrictions for tourists.  Still hoping to go to Sapporo for the Snow and Ice Festival - have even picked out a hotel (that Solo Travel Japan stayed in) but can't really plan the trip until I know if we will be able to go.  Hoping for positive news!

Ciao,

Tony

[chadbag]

The latest is that there will be in September a new e-Visa for some countries (a lot easier to get than the current paper submittal) and then the rumor [from newspaper articles] that in September that a tourist will no longer need to be part of a group, but still follow an itinerary created by a travel agent who can help if the tourist gets Covid.  Getting closer.

 

[katoftw]

PM did some serious talk about reopening yesterday. Still fairly vague in the major details.  Daily limited raised from 20k to 50k arrivals. Hasnt set a date or tour group only travel to end though. 3x jabs of vaccine means no more pcr test needed.  Expecting more info this week.

 

Looks like a self-guided tour option will be next.  ie book your holiday through and agency.  This is so you movement can be traced through itineraries in case of emergency.  But judging how quick we went through the tour guide only stage, this second stage should be quicker also.

 

So rumours about why it's advancing now, is that the ski resorts are jumping up and down.  Although international tourism was only 1% of income in 2019 before covid hit in 2020.  For ski resorts, international visitors make up a huge chuck of income.  Lowered internal and exturnal visits in the past two years have really hurt business.  And the don't want another third season to be really poor.  And some resorts are rumoured to have been sold to non Japanese owners.  And well any nation's leader wouldn't want things like these changing over to foreign hands.

 

Anyways, as above.  Expecting more firmer details to be given throughout the week.

Edited August 23, 2022 by katoftw

[kuro68000]

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14702058

 

PCR tests will no longer be required for people who are triple vaccinated, from the 7th of September. It also mentions that tourists will be allowed in "unsupervised groups". Not sure exactly what that means.

 

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14705819

 

People with a positive COVID test but no symptoms will be allowed to do daily shopping.

[katoftw]

Above articles are outdated with some incorrect info.  No date yet for unsupervised tours.

 

There was supposed to be further announcement/s last week but the government panicked after a spike in positive cases early last week. This week has been a serious drop in positives. So hopefully news early next week.

[katoftw]

Press conference today at 11am JP time (2 hours from this post). Hopefully some good news on travel.

 

Some more news on selling JP touristy things. HIS tourism company is selling Huis Ten Busch to a Hong Kong based company. HIS is selling some assets  due to loss of revenue due to lack of tourists.

 

Adds to the fire and public push towards the government to open more freer borders.

Edited August 30, 2022 by katoftw

[kuro68000]

Any news? The only thing I'm seeing right now is that they plan to start vaccinating against Omicron in September.