According to market research firm YouGov, about 49% of Singaporeans say they are considering a trip to Japan on their next overseas holiday.
Interest may be higher among younger citizens. According to research published in May, about 68% of Singaporeans aged 16 to 24 said they were considering Japan as their “next holiday”, compared with 37% of those aged 55 and above .
Among respondents, Japan was the top choice, followed by Taiwan with 39% of respondents’ interest. The survey results showed that about 26% of people expressed interest in holidaying in Malaysia, but this may be influenced by the survey question, which asked specifically about travel plans “by air”.
Still, Wanping Aw, chief executive of Tokyo-based travel agency Tokudaw, said her company’s business had grown significantly after Japan reopened its borders in June — 50 percent of inquiries and bookings came from Singapore, she said.
Why Singaporeans love Japan
Aw said Japan has always been a popular destination for Singaporeans, especially those looking to switch seasons.
Spring and winter are the two “peak seasons” for tourists in Singapore, she said: “They like cherry blossoms and snow very much.”
Singapore-based trader Alex Ng said he was planning a trip to Japan this fall.
Wanping Aw in Shinjuku Gyoen, a popular park in Tokyo. Aw is a Singaporean and has lived in Japan for 13 years.
Source: Wanping Aw
Wu, who describes himself as a “Japanese,” said the country has found a “sweet spot” between the familiar and the unknown.
Japan’s safety, cleanliness and professionalism are similar to Singapore’s, as is the cultural adherence to social rules of collective interest, he said.
“When you come back from a day trip, the trains don’t strike,” he said. “We feel comfortable operating in this structure. We have a familiar way of life here, which is probably why most Singaporeans also like Switzerland.”
The food is also familiar – rice-based, with ingredients such as fish, pork and tofu – but it “branched from there in countless fascinating directions”.
Alex Ng said that most Singaporeans like the complexity of Japanese culture. “Experiencing it was a cathartic and inspiring experience.”
Source: Alex Ng
He said he also appreciates the religious differences between the two countries.
“We are fortunate to have a range of religions in Singapore,” he said. But “the Shinto religions that influenced Japanese life and culture—especially their architecture, aesthetics, nurture, and maintenance of natural spaces—are completely different from the environment we grew up in.”
And sakura? “Cultivating tens of thousands of cherry trees over hundreds of years … there are several weeks of vibrant festivities every year.”
“I’m not tired of the spectacle yet,” he said.
Chaos abounds
Singapore is one of more than 100 countries and territories marked “blue” in the Japanese Color Entry Classification System.
Travellers from these places do not need to be tested for Covid-19 or quarantine upon arrival, nor are they required to be vaccinated to enter. However, according to the website of the Japanese embassy in Singapore, a visa and a pre-flight Covid-19 PCR test are required.
But the requirements beyond that confuse many travelers, Aw said.
This is especially true of Japan’s foreign ministry rules that allow tourists to enter “only if the travel agency that organizes the trip, etc., acts as a reception agency for the entrants.”
Sites like this use “the language of circular conversations,” Aw said.
Everyone is confused and stressed about the visa application process.
“This misunderstanding is escalated by the fact that the Japanese embassy uses the word – tour group,” she said. It is reminiscent of “30 to 40 strangers sitting in a The route follows a fixed route”.
But that’s not accurate, she said.
One person can book a “group tour”, she said, adding that she has made three bookings for solo travel, including one from Singapore, since Japan’s borders opened in June.
The term “booked itinerary” also confuses potential travelers.
“Everyone seems to have the impression that they have to schedule their trip to an hour or a minute … it’s hard to come up with,” she said. “But it’s not as difficult as it seems.”
Another problem – “Everyone is confused and stressed about the visa application process,” she said.
To apply for a tourist visa, travelers need to plan their trip and book flights and accommodation before she can process their “ERFS certificate”, she said, referring to the approval documents that tourists need before applying for a visa.
Only Japanese companies can apply for the certificate, but travelers can work through travel agencies in their home countries, which in turn work with local partners in Japan, she said.
Once an ERFS certificate is obtained, travelers can apply for a visa, Aw said.
Finally, escort
In addition to working with agencies, international travelers must “always” travel with a partner, Aw said.
The guests had to pay for the escort, said Aw, who is an employee of the travel agency. But on the plus side, chaperones can assist with things like restaurant reservations and train schedules to make travel smoother, she said.
He said escorted travel would not be a deal breaker, nor would Japan’s other travel rules. However, he said he might travel to Japan more frequently if the rules were less onerous.
For now, Wu says he is optimistic.
“Given that the election is now over, it is very likely that Japan will soon ease restrictions further,” he said.
Ng said he secured his flight and hotel — but not his visa — assuming the rules could be different by the fall.
Hu said that many other Singaporeans are doing the same. She said they were making plans but would delay the visa process “as much as possible”.
