Thanks to so many of you regular readers and commenters who made the last couple of years easier, shared articles, optimistic/pessimistic updates, and so much more. Japan border reopening: One of Australia's favourite destinations opens How to Travel to Japan in 2022 as a Tourist | Tokyo Weekender 216. Japan is a highly attractive country not only for tourism, but also for international conferences and incentive travel. sheeesh still cant believe my trip starting october 22nd might actually happen this time (). Quite simply,Japan is inflicting pain on itself by remaining closed. The Tokyo Olympics briefly saw Japan reopen its borders to the world (a year later than planned) in 2021, amid the onset of the pandemic, but just three months after the closing ceremony Prime Minister Fumio Kishida banned all incoming foreign travellers in a bid to prevent the spread of omicron. Japan Disaster Updates and Travel Alerts - Latest news on events The key question is: Can it learn to love foreign tourists again? While the pandemic is still very much a thing, we've largely seen countries start to take the approach of trying to resume "normal" life while living with . I didnt comment here as much as many, but I sure did check this articles comments several times every day for the pastI dont know how long. The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, Wada Kouichi . Do you think Japan will have its "borders opened" by May 2022? Are borders open as normal in 2023? All Rights Reserved. The next step for Japan, I think, is Corona downgrade and mask usage. May its borders remain open forevermore. 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. . Our view is that the worst-case scenario is nowhighlyunlikely. The Japanese government recently eased its COVID-19 entry restrictions, meaning tourists can now visit without being on a guided tour. Hi Tom, Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Will China Fully Reopen in 2023? - Juwai IQI | RE Talk Asia The downgrade would pave the way for a normalization of social and economic activities in Japan, and should mean that non-residents are able to enter the country without PCR tests or additional paperwork. Japan Is Open For Tourism And Had Over 200K Visitors In September Japan slams the borders shut on Omicron - East Asia Forum Thanks again for all the work you put into this. Not sure whether youll ever see this, but just want to let you know that I saw your comment and really appreciate you taking the time to share. Airlines will also be allowed to operate direct flights from China to more Japanese airports, Matsuno said. 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. Shimokitazawa An ongoing redevelopment around a suburban railway line stretching across three stations (Senrogai), cementing the districts place as a youth culture hub. 1. Mount Fuji: One of Japan's three sacred mountains and. 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. 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. 2023 GPlusMedia Inc. national Japan to increase daily border cap to 5,000 people from Nov 26. Yokohama 2023 sees the return of the Yokohama Biennale art festival, timed with the reopening of the Yokohama Museum of Art post-renovation. Spending another night in Okinawa for the 55th stay of my ongoing 87-day adventure across Japan, I absent-mindedly typed the letter J into my web browser, only to have this article come up as the first suggestion. That may soon change. As improbable as it mightve seemed even a week ago, Japan welcoming back international visitors who are not part of tours (guided or unguided) sometime before November is likely. Travel to Japan during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go - CNN Kyodo, Nikkei, and NHK are reporting that this is to be determined, with government officials still deciding whether to proceed with this plan or start with lifting the daily arrival cap. Take a dip in one at the soon-to-open, . From Tuesday, Japan will reinstate visa-free travel to dozens of countries, ending some of world's strictest border controls to slow the spread of COVID-19 . 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. 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. 28 Feb 2023 0. 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. Currently, citizens of 68 countries and regions will be allowed to . We have to carry it out in the not-so-distant future, he said. This will save you significant money on accommodations, attractions, temples, groceries, transportation, and even Michelin-rated restaurants! Tour groups from 98 countries, including Australia, can now visit the country - but only if they wear masks, have . 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. If you want a copy of thistotally freeeBook and Japan reopening updates, all you need to do issubscribe to our newsletter! Prefer a couple of nights in a location rather than one night stays, possibly use a location as a central point for a couple of stays 3. From September 7, 2022, the country plans to drop pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers (including one booster dose). It aint over till its over.pls see my recent post which I HOPE isnt accurate and just some fake news, but Reuters is pretty accurate. Japan has eased travel restrictions, but will tourism bounce back Visa waiver is back, no daily limit and free individual visits. It is available from 10:00 to 17:00, and can be reached at 03-6233-9266. Rediscover Japan with its Borders Fully Open Thank you, for this wonderful site with its very helpful regular updates! 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. China retaliated by suspending the issuing of short-term visas in South Korea and Japan. Fly into one airport and out of another Plan to do 4 nights in Singapore on way back to Australia By contrast,Fuji TV is treating this as a done deal, using less ambiguous language. Who knowsit still may take until early 2023 to fully downgrade the legal status of COVID. despite protests. 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. 'Ghost town': Japan reopens borders, but visitors find hotels short Economic benefits of international tourists is one big reason why Japan is expected to reopen its border. Do you or anyone here know if we need this after Oct. 11? 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. As countries across Asia reopen to international travelers, Japan one of the continent's most popular destinations remains firmly closed. How do you view the news about guided tours? (It took a few more days for the guidelines to be released, and the clarifying FAQ isstillbeing updated. 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. Asia Welcomes Travelers, but Japan Says, Not Yet - The New York Times Updated on Oct 29, 2021 01:32 PM IST While other Asian countries are inching toward reopening, Japan's borders will likely remain shut for some time to come. Japan Set to Welcome Unrestricted Tourism by October InUnguided Tours in Japan Reopening Phase Rules, we cover what this entails and the recently-released guidelines and FAQ for these tours. We typically spend a couple of months in Japan each year, and are ecstatic to be returning after nearly 3 years away. With this, the visa exemption would be reinstated, making that a non-issue. Be part of our community of seasoned travel and hospitality industry professionals from all over the world. 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. Wow, i cant believe it. On August 31, Kishida made an official announcement encompassing all of the rumored changes, including unguided tourists. Beloved for its unique mix of vibrant urban culture and natural beauty, the country is lifting its tight regulations on foreign tourists, according to a tweet Thursday from Taro Kono, Japan's . Were excited about this great (but overdue) news, but also go in knowing that things will be different, in ways both good and bad. "We will lift the ceiling of the number of entrants. Though some things feel different, this nation Ive travelled for the last two months, ing and ing about the forty-seven prefectures as I once did in the 2010s, is certainly the same marvellous place that I fell in love with so long ago. Just booked my accommodation/flights/insurance/rail pass for a 22 day trip to Hiroshima, Fukui, Kanazawa, Nagoya and Osaka! It will happen soon. Japan has been busy over the past two-and-a-half years with preparations to welcome back everyone. As of 2022 it features a recently renovated hotel area and local market, as well as a marine leisure area and an exclusive seafood restaurant located on a long pier into the ocean, flanked by infinity pools. Japan has resumed its visa exemption scheme for short-stay tourism and business travel. Despite the aforementioned numbers, Japan is maintaining its goal of attracting 60 million foreign visitors by 2030. oh wow!! Japan to lift COVID-19 entry ban for 106 countries - RAPPLER Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the news in September at a press conference. What follows is based on that research and fixation with the on-the-ground situation in Japan. We had a nice little community here, and that was greatly appreciated.