Compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019, it dropped 99.2 percent. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that his top priority was formulating new economic measures and implementing these goals. Japan Travel Advice & Safety | Smartraveller All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. The number of people anxiously awaiting Japans reopening is shrinking, not growing. They can be reached by phone from 10:00 to 17:00, Monday through Friday, at 0120-296-004. We have to carry it out in the not-so-distant future, he said. Also as previously mentioned, recent poll data also shows the public is now far less concerned with COVID than the economy, Unification Church scandal, Abes state funeral, and other issues. Please subscribe to our FREE email newsletterand stay tuned if you are curious about how things are on-the-ground for tourists in Japan post-reopening. To differentiate the two, Ill also allow for a middle ground possibility of a bifurcated decision with the individual tourist reopening a few weeks after the entry cap elimination. Instead of blanket testing of travellers from mainland China, Japan will only test selected samples, although travellers will still need to show a negative test before boarding their flights to Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Monday. Fly into one airport and out of another Plan to do 4 nights in Singapore on way back to Australia All Asia-Pacific's Biggest Races Return for a Primed and Ready 2023 As for you, Tom Id buy you a round at my favourite izakaya if I could! This is in the context of the ongoing community-led revitalisation of the little-known Koganecho area which has welcomed the opening of an artist-in-residence programme, galleries, art classes, a book bazaar and new street art installations. Can I Travel To Japan? Requirements and Travel Restrictions [March 2023] More likely, the impact wont be fully felt until next years cherry blossom season. I will be in Japan from the second week of Nov. No doubt I will walk past some of you on here at the customs or one of the many beautiful places in Japan . Then theres the middle ground or base case. Covid restrictions stymie tourism revival in Japan - Financial Times People attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, sing the national anthem during the opening session, at the National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, March 2, 2023. But I was there from the beginning, first as a lurker and then eventually as a participant, so I know precisely how it came to be. 2023 when Japan is scheduled to downgrade the categorization of the virus. sheeesh still cant believe my trip starting october 22nd might actually happen this time (). How do you view the news about guided tours? Im so excited and happy for everyone! Due to this and other policies, Japan has lagged behind economically, seeing slower recovery than the United States and other counterparts that have more aggressively reopened. A Hong Kong women's rights group cancelled a demonstration at the last minute on Saturday after police said violent groups might want to join the protest. The yen has fallen to a 24-year low of 144 to the dollar, likely contributing to the sense of urgency in the aforementioned interviews. New Zealand is finally open for business. Despite the aforementioned numbers, Japan is maintaining its goal of attracting 60 million foreign visitors by 2030. Everybody have a great trip! The country is also about to increase the daily cap of tourists allowed to enter Japan from 20,000 to 50,000. Japan: A deep-fried pork . Japan to lift COVID-19 entry ban for 106 countries - RAPPLER In various updates here, weve been sharing our experiences and what its like as a foreign visitor, what has changed, crowd conditions, expenses of visiting Japan with the weaker yen, and much more. In our view, koyo (autumn leaves) season is a good bet, and that takes place from mid-November through December. Lets say that happens in early November. Join over 180,000 travel agents, professionals Ive been following since the very beginning and only started actually posting at the very end, but I want you to know how grateful I am that your blog existed as truly the gold standard for Japan-related travel blogs throughout the pandemic. 2 days agoJapan on Monday reported 95916 new coronavirus cases. As frustrating as this whole process has been, Japan is not still (completely) stuck in March 2020. Do you think Japan will have its "borders opened" by May 2022? Except for everyone wearing masks, things seemed mostly back to normal. Just open the borders already. Of course, things could change between now and then, but its likely the border will revert to late 2019 status as of that date. This assumes thatJapan downgrades COVID-19 from its special status to Category 5 literally any day now orthat this is not a necessary prerequisite to an individual tourist reopening. The Japanese government recently eased its COVID-19 entry restrictions, meaning tourists can now visit without being on a guided tour. P.s. Weve already returned to Japan, spending about a month in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and elsewhere. It remains unknown when independent travelers will be able to enter the. Japan also began allowing unguided tours, meaning ones not accompanied by tour conductors. It's official: Japan will reopen to tourism on October 11. Obviously, the easing has to occur at some point and this lag will always play out, but the notion that this moves the needle for fall is misguided. TOKYO: Japan looks like it may finally open its borders and end its splendid isolation. On Tuesday, the country. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 2023 will also see the opening of Yokohamas first high-end Hilton property in a waterfront development that will also house the K-Arena, one of the worlds largest live music venues, as part of the new Music Terrace. You no longer need a visa to travel to Japan for up to 90 days. TEL: 0120-248-668 (Japanese only) . Hi Tom, This is because Japan has formally decided to downgrade the legal status of the novel coronavirus on May 8, 2023 to the same category as common infectious diseases, such as seasonal influenza, thereby easing COVID-19 prevention rules. Thanks to everyone in here in the comments for that! Japan has vilified and scapegoated foreigners and had an overly aggressive approach to its borders. We were wrongthe unguided tours offered two steps forward but one step backwards. We can't expect Japanese government to reopen their border on April 2022 due to the emergence of Omicron variant. 2023 will bring the opening of a farm area for agritourism, with a private villa area due to open in 2024. Toranomon-Azabudai A futuristic development project by Heatherwick opening in 2023 in the well-heeled area of south-west Tokyo by the same name, the Toranomon-Azabudai Project will foreground green spaces, a new temple, retail spaces designed by Sou Fujimoto, Japans tallest high-rise building, two Aman properties and the new permanent location for teamLab exhibitions in Tokyo from 2023. obsolete information. For general inquiries about border measures for entry into Japan, please contact the following numbers Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Call Center Open 9 AM to 9 PM, everyday including weekend and holidays. Thats the sharpest fall on record according to the Japan Tourism Agency. Putting aside how I obviously need to be clearing my web history more often, it all feels so surreal now that is, how religiously I checked this comments section for news on Japan not even half a year prior, a somewhat embarrassing fact that Firefox is keen to remind me of. I came to your page because this comments section and its provisional community provided something both unique and welcome in a dark time for travellers of Japan. China retaliated by suspending the issuing of short-term visas in South Korea and Japan. With all of that in mind, we remain cautiously optimistic that individual tourists will be allowed to enter Japan sooner rather than later. From September 7, 2022, the country plans to drop pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers (including one booster dose). Its been our perspective that this was a necessary prerequisite towelcoming individual tourists as there would no longer be a need for a responsible receiving party to monitor travelers and act as a liaison for infected individuals. You will receive a link to download the eBook and periodic emails when there's news to share. Explore Japan's lesser-known destinations over 13 adventure-packed days, sipping sake in Takayama and marvelling at the iconic floating torii gate . Felix Ng. Analysis | Relax, This Isn't the Future of Japanese Tourism . There are also signs that stringent travel measures, including the border closure, are having a greater impact on Japans economy than previously believed. Marufukuro Located in the former HQ of pop culture behemoth Nintendo, this Kyoto hotel is a stylishly renovated property opened in 2022, featuring a suite of exclusive rooms in a richly storied building, with a special whiskey bar and library showcasing the works of Nintendo pre-Super Mario and then through the ages until now. In short, the early October reopening is not just our most optimistic viewits now what we expect to happen. js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/28/412454028.js"; Thank you Tom and to everyone for all the insights, info, and updates. Why You Should Visit Japan in 2023and Where to Go With all borders open and international racing officially back on, Asia-Pacific's premier off-road triathlon series is ready to return with some of the best trails on the circuit as local and international age group athletes can finally go head-to-head once again in a season-long race for the title of XTERRA Asia-Pacific Champion. Grab your passport: Japan is once again open to the world Im heading to Tokyo for the first time in 3.5 years on October 23rd and I cant wait! The political and economic appetite for fully relaxation now clearly exists, and theres a vocal chorus of politicians in Japanincluding those who were previously in favor of closed borderschampioning reopening. However, Japan is now joining the rest of the world as people are ready to move on with life. of course the opposition (not all of it, from what I read) is against this. Im happy that I soon wont be needing to lurk this site on a daily basis as I have for the last countless months, but will always look back on this unexpected place of community fondly. Hi Tom and THANK YOU for everything this platform had AND still has to offer! Economists fear a double dip recession in Japan due to the prolonged closures and restrictions.