If the Prime Minister says so, at least there is a chance, right? During a visit to Britain in May, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dramatically changed the tone of Japan’s plans to reopen travel. that change? Seriously considering reopening!
After more than two years of little hope and desperately lagging behind in other Asian hotspots such as Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the leader mocked the near-imminent reopening of travel, offering “similar smooth entry to other countries” process”. G7 member. “
In the days since, the hype has only accelerated.
There have been many rumors about what potential visitors might want, and some exact dates have even been suggested. If you’re curious to know, as we are, here’s all the latest information on what to expect from travel in Japan as the country looks to reopen.
When does Japan plan to reopen?
From about 32,000,000 tourists in 2019 to about 250,000 tourists in 2021, it can be said that Japan has a lot of tourism areas to recover. The good news for this country is that there is almost no end to the desire to return.
The first thing to know is that Japan wants to ease its prohibitive border controls during June and July 2022. A specific date has not yet been determined. It might be June 1, it might be July, it might not be once. In fact, it won’t.
Japan has announced that the first group of tourists from the US, Australia, Thailand and Singapore will be required to book prepackaged tours without deviating from the plan. This is definitely not “open” tourism.
We will update this information as soon as government officials confirm the date and further information. A full press conference should be held in the next few days to confirm the agreement, the sources said.
According to recent research, Japan’s border measures cost an estimated 22 trillion yen in lost revenue, or about $170 billion. This is a good reason to open.
Restrictions still exist, for now
In addition to the prohibitive border measures, Japan has imposed a cap on the number of people who can enter the country each day. Reports say Japanese officials will raise the number to 20,000 a day in June.
That’s still far from the 90,000+ that would normally arrive in a day.
Until the visitor cap is completely lifted, it is expected that some restrictions – such as requiring group tours – may remain in place. Despite the media hype, the opportunity may not be immediately available for casual visitors.
You might start to get excited if Japan announces the removal of the visitor cap. A full reopening will be made clear at that time. Right now, the best estimate is that the visitor cap could be lifted in July. Of course, the sooner the better.
What are the testing requirements in Japan?
Clearly, part of the impediment to Japan’s reopening of travel is the conservative risk approach. Japan currently tests travelers on arrival, and when you’re testing 10,000 or more people at a time, you need to make sure you have enough.
There are strong signs that Japan will waive Covid-19 tests on arrival for tourists who are fully vaccinated or who have tested negative before departing for the country after the new agreement comes into effect.
Which, or whether all tests can be waived, remains to be confirmed. If you got it wrong, you got it wrong. At least for now. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will (hopefully) update the official New Entry Agreement once it goes into effect.
and proof of vaccinations?
It is unclear whether visitors will be required to submit proof of vaccination. This is possible, but exceptions may also be made for unvaccinated tourists.
All early indications are that fully vaccinated and/or boosted tourists will be able to skip at least some of the current testing requirements for entry into Japan.
Politics Affecting Japan’s Border Plan?
Maybe. Japan will hold upper house elections in July. A sharp increase in cases or deaths in an elderly population would negatively impact approval by the Kishida government, so a delay to July or later (!) may be “just in time”.
Polls also suggest that reopening has not been as popular among Japanese locals as many had hoped. Nearly 40 percent of the country favors strict border measures, and many remain strongly motivated to curb tourist numbers.
Japan should open soon
Whether it’s a soft opening in June and a big opening in July, a little bit faster or a little bit slower… these are exciting times. Japan is apparently seriously considering reopening travel. Japan, the Golden Sun!
More details are expected this week as the government checks the number of cases and testing capacity after “Golden Week”, an important travel period in the country. If things look good, there may be good news. From gourmet food in Osaka to extraordinary temples in Kyoto, Tokyo and beyond, I can’t wait!
