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. Japan eased its border restrictions last week, raising the daily arrival cap from 20,000 to 50,000 and dropping the requirement for pre-arrival PCR testing for vaccinated travelers. The country sealed its borders to most foreign travelers early in the pandemic and has only recently begun to allow a slow drip of students and business people to return a sharp contrast to. Want to receive free updates on when Japan will reopen for travel? The country's domestic and international business community united on Friday in urging the government to open further, including "rapidly resuming" individual tourist travel and bringing. Japan is a highly attractive country not only for tourism, but also for international conferences and incentive travel. despite protests. Do you or anyone here know if we need this after Oct. 11? It will happen soon. Join over 180,000 travel agents, professionals Ive started to see on JP twitter people asking for No mask in Japan too, so the sentiment is shifting even there. Japan is open to travel. So why aren't tourists coming back? Elsewhere, the star-studded Super Mario movie (name TBC) will be opening in cinemas in April 2023, and a film adaptation of popular video game Ghost of Tsushima is in the works. Critically, this would eliminate the legal requirement of a responsible receiving party for visitors to Japan. TOKYO, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Japan will from Wednesday ease its COVID restrictions on travellers from China, dropping a requirement that everyone take a test for the virus upon arrival, its top government spokesperson said. March 2023 Japan is finally open! As for why Japans border is still closed over a year after most democracies reopened, that can largely be explained by the countrys apprehensiveness of outsiders. Japan border reopening: One of Australia's favourite destinations opens Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Tour groups from 98 countries, including Australia, can now visit the country - but only if they wear masks, have . It is finally over. tomthanks for ALL the help.I was told I need the MYSOS app to enter now, but there is mixed information on JapanWeb. That this would be achieved in such an unexpected setting on the comments section of a single article on a white-and-orange travel blog, which came to accumulate nearly 3,000 comments as though it were a 2000s-era forum feels almost too ridiculous to be true. obsolete information. 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. Even if China begins opening sooner, we forecast China will not fully reopen until at . for individual tourists. From Sept. 22nd, In a Reuters report published on The Japan Times, the government may allow hotels to refuse entry to guests who do not wear masks and follow other anti-virus measures.This new measure is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, despite loosening restrictions in September, travelers will still need to . Japan reopens its borders. Are tourists ready to return? first infection wave in spring 2020, and some closed again during subsequent waves; however, almost all of them are now open again. 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. All of this in the hope for some clarity as to when the country will fully reopen and Japan will begin allowing international tourists to enter once again. The National Museum of Scotland is currently hosting an exhibition on contemporary Japanese design until 5th March 2023, and Stonehenge will host an exhibition on stone circles and the prehistoric sites of Jomon Japan from 30 Sep 2022 until August 2023. Will be heading back again in a couple of weeks. The total of guests at hotels and inns was 315.75 million, down 4.8% from 2020 and 47% from 2019. Its thus our view that Japan reopening in some capacity to individual tourists in October is a very realistic scenario. Subscribe to our email newsletter for the latest news & instant alerts. Your email address will not be published. These leaks came after Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara spoke on Fuji TV over the weekend and stated thatJapan will consider easing all three restrictionsthe daily arrival cap, ban on individual tourists, and visa requirements. Shimokitazawa An ongoing redevelopment around a suburban railway line stretching across three stations (Senrogai), cementing the districts place as a youth culture hub. If you want a copy of thistotally freeeBook and Japan reopening updates, all you need to do issubscribe to our newsletter! Trump promises GOP will never again be led by 'freaks, neocons Intrepid Travel: Japan - Land of the Rising Sun. Of course, things could change between now and then, but its likely the border will revert to late 2019 status as of that date. 2023 GPlusMedia Inc. national Japan to increase daily border cap to 5,000 people from Nov 26. TOKYO: Japan looks like it may finally open its borders and end its splendid isolation. From the beginning this page was the only place I checked (sometimes daily) for hope. Japan's borders finally reopened to independent travelers in October 2022, and visiting Japan now is virtually as easy as it was before the pandemic. Ill be sticking around for the future updates and travel guides. 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. Japan also began allowing unguided tours, meaning ones not accompanied by tour conductors. Im so excited and happy for everyone! Latest Japan Travel Requirements - InsideJapan Tours Except for everyone wearing masks, things seemed mostly back to normal. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reacted with powerful . 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. Is Japan Open to Tourists? (February 2023 Update - Travel Caffeine Japansreclassification of COVID-19 to Class 5 came after a panel of experts under the health ministry agreed on the plan earlier in the day. According to data from the Japan Tourism Agency, stays athotels and other accommodation facilities hit another record low in Japan last yearbreaking the previous record set in 2020. It kind of fell like a little community in here, like I know from Discord groups. The changes were intended to "support smooth international travels, given a low rate of positive test results among entrants", Matsuno said. If/when theres another winter resurgence in cases, the reopening can would effectively be kicked down the road for a few more months. Come see the new Japan. We also recommend consulting ourUltimate Guide to KyotoandUltimate Guide to Tokyoto plan. The infection situation has been stabilizing in Japan and the government will consult with public health experts before reviewing the country's . Japan eased its border restrictionslast week, raising the daily arrival cap from 20,000 to 50,000 and dropping the requirement for pre-arrival PCR testing for vaccinated travelers. Any questions? Along with revelling in the many ways to take in the allures across Japan, now is a time when international visitors can take advantage of shopping opportunities. Frankly, the miscalculation here by the Kishida administration is thinking that this will have an immediate impact on inbound travel. Japan's struggling tourism sector despairs at lack of COVID exit 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. They can be reached by phone from 10:00 to 17:00, Monday through Friday, at 0120-296-004. At best, this helps with winter. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); While the daily number of arrivals was higher pre-closure, we assumed that 50,000 is the level at which this cap becomes immaterial with China still sidelined. 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. Japan Opening Borders 2022 For Tourists Travel Daily - Informing, connecting and developing the worlds travel industry professionals. Did the Visit Japan Web App before arrival and was simple getting through everything at Narita, just had to show them the QR codes, two people traveling, one with the triple vaccination and one just using pre travel PCR test. Hi Tom, Both of these statements are reassuring given the current border closures, and indicate that Japan will unwind its travel ban in months, not years. Finally, Japan will reopen the border. Migrants Walk Through Joe Biden's Open Border Loopholes - breitbart.com China reopening most likely late Jan/Feb 2023 | AGB The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. of course the opposition (not all of it, from what I read) is against this. The recent lockdowns in Shanghai and Guangdong are unmistakable signs that China will not be backing down from its zero-Covid policy, at least for the rest of 2022. 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. From the early days of Covid-19, our team of Japan travel experts has been closely monitoring developments and in constant contact with our network throughout the country. JNTO President SEINO Satoshi commented: The Japanese government has, at last, announced the resumption of individual travel for tourism purposes, visa waivers, and the elimination of the daily arrival cap. We know there are a lot of people overseas who want to come to Japan, Kihara added. Thank you Tom and to everyone for all the insights, info, and updates. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that his top priority was formulating new economic measures and implementing these goals. It was, indeed, a rare bright spot in such a dark, sad time. We were wrongthe unguided tours offered two steps forward but one step backwards. Not so much in the last couple of years, as this has been reflected in policy-making. Its possible the country views this as sufficient for tourism businesses to stave off bankruptcy or other financial hardship for another few months. Japan to maintain strict border restrictions until end of February Bon voyage! Japan opening borders 2022 for tourists. The key question is: Can it learn to love foreign tourists again? I just got back from my first post re-opening trip to Japan, and am open to answering questions. Im inclined to say Spring 2023, but its easy to envision a worst-case that isnt until summer. As COVID Fears Ebb, Japan Readies for Tourists From Abroad Either way, thats something to continue keeping in mind. Japan is now allowing foreign nationals to enter Japan for purposes other than tourism so long as they have a sponsor in the country. Cases are currently in freefall and will continue decreasing next month before bottoming out sometime between late October and early November. Japan House exhibition running until the end of January 2023, opening 29th Sep, focusing on woodwork in Hida, Takayama. On August 23, specifics of the September relaxation measures were leaked to the same media outlets. Prior to those guidelines being released, we speculated on how this would work given basic logic and past precedent with prior groups who had been allowed to enter Japan. . 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. Morgan Stanley Research analysts expect China to broadly reopen in the second half of 2022 and move away from the Zero-COVID policy by the end of this year. Sep 12, 2022 SHARE The government is planning to allow independent tourists to come to Japan and exempt them from visas if they have been vaccinated three times or submit a pre-arrival test. With this, the visa exemption would be reinstated, making that a non-issue. Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Then theres the middle ground or base case. (This number includes hotels used as government quarantine facilities, not just leisure stays.). In response to the announcement, JNTO will be doing everything we can to provide you with the latest information on coming to Japan so that many tourists can visit and journey throughout our country. Thanks for the posts, Tom. Subscribers also receive a totally free copy of ourJapan on a BudgeteBook. 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. Thanks, [] to individual tourists for the duration of the festivities. Rediscover Japan with its Borders Fully Open Be part of our community of seasoned travel and hospitality industry professionals from all over the world. World News Reuters Updated: May 30, 2022 2:06 pm IST You all made the (repeated) cancellations and premature excitement a bit more bearable. It thus stands to reason that opening to individual tourists necessarily needs to occurthat raising the entry cap will do nothing in furtherance of their stated goal. There will be a winter resurgence. =w=)b. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Under the current COVID-19 border restrictions, foreign tourists need to obtain a short-term visa and prepare their flights, itinerary, accommodation, and car rentals ahead of time through a. Two years after their Euro 2008 triumph, Spain went to South Africa determined to make history-but they would have to overcome defensive tactics, lunging tackles and intense media scrutiny. I am incredibly pleased to finally welcome back individual travellers after coping with the pandemic during a wait of two-and-a-half years. 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. Of . Japan has chosen a different course. This is the first step in our gradual easing of the [border] restrictions, Kishida has said. Why You Should Visit Japan in 2023and Where to Go From September 7, 2022, the country plans to drop pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers (including one booster dose). The arrivals cap would also be eliminated in this scenario. Thank you so much for this free and respectful space for everyones opinions that has helped us get through these difficult years. Japan fully reopened its borders to tourists on October 11, 2022. It has been well over two years since coronavirus initially shut down global travel. The next step for Japan, I think, is Corona downgrade and mask usage. After a series of head fake border. If youre planning your trip to Japan, what do you think about these itineraries? 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. Sheesh! It could start as soon as late November, but is more likely in December. I was there for 11 days, mostly in Tokyo, and also to the bullet train to Sanjo (near Niigata) for a couple of days, and also a day trip to Mount Fuji with a driver/guide. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has confirmed "no schedule has been decided" for fully reopening the borders, though members of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party have discussed a potential. A guide to visiting Japan in 2022/23 - Lonely Planet Japan has maintained some of the strictest Do I need to be vaccinated to enter Japan? At a news conference in New York City, where he was attending the UN General Assembly meeting, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs has offered new guidance that were covering inJapan Reopening to Individual Tourists: FAQ, Rules & Guidelines.