The resumption of individual travel to Japan and visa waivers, and the elimination of the daily arrival cap will allow international visitors to enjoy Japan in more ways than in the past two-and-a-half years. I wish you all the best with your upcoming tripsthanks again for everything. The endisnear. We had a nice little community here, and that was greatly appreciated. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the news in September at a press conference. |. This is. Thanks for the posts, Tom. Economic benefits of international tourists is one big reason why Japan is expected to reopen its border. Japan will further ease in June border controls implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and bring them on par with other Group of Seven nations, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday. Are you concerned that Japan wont reopen until 2023, or think October is still realistic? Unlike the ever-sensational, click-hungry news, it was immediately clear whether something had actually happened (and thereby I could close out of the tab without being sucked into the latest round of Corona-related doom and gloom), and unlike virtually any other Japan-centric community Id encountered so far, it was a positive and generally healthy environment with a pleasant, level-headed and responsible leader at its helm. Was great being here. Japan reopens: Heres what to look forward to in 2023, Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE), Destination NaJomtien BanAmphur BangSaray *NEW*, *NEW*, Affordable Luxury in Thailand by Centara Hotels, Rising Above the Oridinary by Conrad Bangkok, Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), 5 reasons why traditional travel protection is obsolete, 5 reasons why Cross Hotels & Resorts is APACs hotel operator of choice, Wake up at the magnificent Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions). Kiyomizu-dera Temple with cherries in full bloom: f11 photo / Shutterstock.com Situation Summary 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. Essentially, there will be no (legal) basis for the current border protocol effective May 8, 2023. Bon voyage! Travel Daily - Informing, connecting and developing the worlds travel industry professionals. Those reading regular updates on Japans reopening are not representative of international travelers at large. It also will see the opening of the TIAD luxury hotel in the buzzy Sakae/Shin-Sakae entertainment districts, after the opening of the art deco hotel The Tower Hotel Nagoya (2020) on the upper levels of Nagoyas TV tower, with the large beams of the tower as a centrepiece within each room. Japan has vilified and scapegoated foreigners and had an overly aggressive approach to its borders. 2 days agoJapan on Monday reported 95916 new coronavirus cases. New Zealand is finally open for business. This is where there is disagreement among the major outlets. Intrepid Travel: Japan - Land of the Rising Sun. First, theres already the realization that unguided tourslike guided tours before themwill not move the needle on inbound tourism in any meaningful way. }(document, "script", "aweber-wjs-adqosrqps")); If youre planning a visit to Japan, our recommendation at this point is to target sometime in November at the earliest. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Thank you Tom and to everyone for all the insights, info, and updates. Im heading to Tokyo for the first time in 3.5 years on October 23rd and I cant wait! Moreover, how this played out with Japans last announcement is also instructive. Japan reopened its borders to overseas visitors on package tours Friday in a move that will potentially boost the economy over time, though the initial spending impact is likely to be limited. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. "We will lift the ceiling of the number of entrants. One of the last closed-border hold-outs is now allowing entry for Australian tourists, with visitors from the rest of the world to follow on May 1. [1/2]Passengers on a plane from Chinas capital Beijing arrive at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, Japan January 8, 2023. If youre planning a trip to the Japan, check outour other posts about Japanfor ideas on other things to do! Which brings us to a threshold issue:when will Japan reopen?This week, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is in New York to deliver an address at the U.N. General [], Your email address will not be published. Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs has offered new guidance that were covering inJapan Reopening to Individual Tourists: FAQ, Rules & Guidelines. Japan also began allowing unguided tours, meaning ones not accompanied by tour conductors. Can you write one last update about the boarder being opened. Thats simply a good time to visit Japan and, hopefully, the country will be open to individual tourists by then. With all of this said, Ill present my revised best, worst, and base-case scenarios for Japans reopening to individual tourists, Lets start with the best-case scenario. Well, I visited only recently but it was one of the (very few) level-headed sites that discussed this topic. Ill never forget this amazing, special blog and the unlikely community of shared pain that flourished here for as long as I live. obsolete information. It is finally over. Japan reopened its borders to holders of long-term visitor, business or student visas on 1 June 2022, as well as to tourists on authorised package tours. Oct 19, 2022 SHARE Not since 1853, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders to trade, has a reopening been so newsworthy. (Updated February 12, 2023.). Thank you, for this wonderful site with its very helpful regular updates! By Lilit Marcus, CNN Published 9:20 PM EDT, Sun July 31, 2022 Link Copied! China reopening most likely late Jan/Feb 2023. In terms of the latest news, the current vaccine and testing policies are likely to end on May 8, 2023. How do you view the news about guided tours? 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. We will review all three restrictions together. Public opinion polls show that most voters have already moved on from COVID to assorted scandals; the minority who still care will see no immediate increase in cases correlating with the border reopening. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is. Recently, Japan reopened to limited numbers of fully vaccinated foreign business travelers and students, and raised its daily limit of these arrivals from 3500 to 5000. As weve stressed repeatedly, Japans populace has been among the most cautious in the world with regard to COVID-19. Most people need months of time between booking and traveling; very few plan and take last-minute tripsespecially international ones. Finally booked my flights, enjoy your trips everyone! More information can be found here . Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. This is a major policy shift and will relaxif not eliminate entirelyJapans intensive COVID-19 countermeasures, including limiting the movements of infected people and their close contacts. The Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) loophole has long been used by foreign teenagers who hope to work in the nation's fast-growing child workforce, jobs . REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon. Here are all the details on visa-free travel, vaccination and Covid test requirements. Who knowsit still may take until early 2023 to fully downgrade the legal status of COVID. 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. Frankly, the miscalculation here by the Kishida administration is thinking that this will have an immediate impact on inbound travel. Tourism is a big industry in Tokyo, as well as in all Japan, so this is the time to greet more foreign tourists by using this advantage of the depreciation of the yen, she said. 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. Lets say that happens in early November. And thank you for providing this space for all of us. Another possibility is that Japan will allow individual foreign tourists to enter the country andexempt them from visas if they have been vaccinated three times or submit a pre-arrival test result. Its thus our view that Japan reopening in some capacity to individual tourists in October is a very realistic scenario. However, Japan remains one of the few major economies with significant restrictions on travel still in place, including a cap on visitor numbers. Japan and South Korea imposed stricter border control on travellers from China after COVID cases surged there when it lifted its strict zero-COVID policy late last year. PP PRITESH C PATEL 10 months ago How about Sept, Oct? ), While presenting the above as a cautionary tale against optimism or over reliance on logic when assessing Japans decisions, thats exactly what Im going to do. At a news conference in New York City, where he was attending the UN General Assembly meeting, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Thats a wild card that could further extend any timeline. But whatever winter wave occurs (and onewillhappen), thats unlikely to be an obstacle to reopening progress, as was the case last year. So you can do more than take in Japans captivating culture, history, nature, and cuisine, we are also working hard on projects for sustainable tourism, adventure travel, and luxury travel. May its borders remain open forevermore. Can I Travel to Japan Now? It now appears that the time is hereor coming very soon. Its entirely possible that Kishida sees this polling and his sagging approval numbers and realizes that its time to move forward. 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. At best, this helps with winter. Visa waiver is back, no daily limit and free individual visits. We have to carry it out in the not-so-distant future, he said. Passengers from Hong Kong and Macau will be exempt from any on-arrival testing or pre-boarding negative test requirements, broadcaster TBS reported earlier on Monday, citing government sources. As frustrating as this whole process has been, Japan is not still (completely) stuck in March 2020. Explore Japan's lesser-known destinations over 13 adventure-packed days, sipping sake in Takayama and marvelling at the iconic floating torii gate . Any questions? In such a scenario, the borders could almost immediately return to their normal pre-closure status in early October. Think the need to adapt and live with the endemic virus will outweigh fear when it comes to Japans reopening plans? The Government of Japan announced a policy of resuming entry by individual travellers for tourism purposes beginning on October 11. Boosting tourism was core to the late former Prime Minister Abes economic revitalization, and both subsequent prime ministers have indicated their intentions to maintain continuity with those plans. In light of the border reopening, Qantas will at last fire up its much-delayed Sydney-Tokyo Haneda service from October 27, with flights from Brisbane also resuming on December 1 and Melbourne primed to join the duo from March 2023.. Qantas International CEO Andrew David says "forward bookings are tracking well, in particular for the upcoming Australian holiday period", which shows how . Be part of our community of seasoned travel and hospitality industry professionals from all over the world. 2023 GPlusMedia Inc. national Japan to increase daily border cap to 5,000 people from Nov 26. P.S. Yuen Bettei Daita ryokan traditional accommodation, illi Shimokitazawa studio apartment rentals and Mustard Hotel affordable (even by the hour) room rates, have made staying in Shimokitazawa more feasible alongside new boutique and food facilities like Bonus Track, Reload, tefu Lounge and Mikan Shimokita. The new Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park opens here with a rooftop infinity pool and views over the park, in 2023. We were wrongthe unguided tours offered two steps forward but one step backwards. Against that economic backdrop, lets take a look at the latest changes to Japans reopening plans. 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. Nevertheless, despite loosening restrictions in September, travelers will still need to . This becomes increasingly true as the yen weakens due to the Bank of Japan continuing to pursue its loose monetary policy while the United States Federal Reserve, European, and other central banks raise interest rates. Summary Since October 2022, Japan is fully open, without the requirement for a visa for most visitors. InUnguided Tours in Japan Reopening Phase Rules, we cover what this entails and the recently-released guidelines and FAQ for these tours. Its possible the country views this as sufficient for tourism businesses to stave off bankruptcy or other financial hardship for another few months. Statements by politicians and medical advisors, gradual border relaxation measures, and other changes could be interpreted as Japan laying thegroundwork for a resumption of normalcy and the countrys eventual reopening. However, as we have seen time and time again, the patently obvious conclusion often is not the outcome reached by Japan. 7:09. 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. Think those will stick around for several months, or are simply theater to shift public opinion? The arrivals cap would also be eliminated in this scenario. Japan is finally reopening its borders to mass tourism on October 11. I have been to Japan many times pre-covid, and I am now going again this year late October. Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) looks forward to welcoming individual inbound travellers back to Japan with the long-awaited lifting of entry restrictions. 2023 Yosemite Firefall Viewing Guide: Best Dates, Reservations Info & Face Masks in Japan: Rules v. Reality (2023), Please subscribe to our FREE email newsletter, Japan Fall Colors Forecast & Autumn Foliage Viewing Guide, Tokyo Disneyland 40th Anniversary 'Dream-Go-Round' Details, New Parade & Japan Reopening Disney Tourist Blog The KKK News. Were preserving this for posterity, but everything that follows is now (thankfully!) These measures are long-awaited news for tourists around the world who have been looking forward to visiting Japan. Speaking of which, check out ourJapan Fall Colors Forecast & Autumn Foliage Viewing Guideto get started on planning your trip to visit Japans popular fall foliage cities, including Kyoto, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Himeji, and Nara. 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. and executives subscribed to our daily newsletter. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Airlines will also be allowed to operate direct flights from China to more Japanese airports, Matsuno said. 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.

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