Japan To Ease Border Measures In June + Limited Tour Groups From May

Japan’s Prime Minister has been on a world tour and, in London on Thursday, promised to bring the border measures to G7 standards in June. Also, a Japanese news agency is reporting that the country would welcome a small number of groups on tours from May.

Japan has been closed to international visitors since March 2020, and at first, even the foreign residents were not allowed to return. However, the country has recently allowed business visitors and students to enter if granted visas.

Here’s an excerpt from the Japan Times:

Japan will further ease border controls implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and bring them on par with other Group of Seven nations in June, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday.

The infection situation has been stabilizing in Japan and the government will consult with public health experts before reviewing the country’s COVID-19 measures “in stages,” Kishida said at a news conference in London, without giving further details.

Border easing would be welcomed by Japan’s tourism industry, which has been urging the government to allow in more overseas visitors to take advantage of the weakening yen.

I genuinely doubt that Japan would have the G7 “standards” of border measures in place from June as Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union are all open to vaccinated (some even for those who are not) visitors and with or without a covid-test.

Japan recently removed entry bans from most nationals but at the same time removed the visa-free exemption from all. Business travelers with a local “sponsor” can enter, and students with visas. Tourists cannot.

There is still a daily cap of 10,000 international arrivals to the country, including Japanese nationals returning from overseas.

Excerpt from FNN:

It turns out that the government is considering the border measures for the new coronavirus to allow foreigners to enter the country for tourism purposes, which is not currently permitted, as early as May, only for small-group tours. rice field.

According to government officials, the government is targeting foreigners who have completed their third vaccination, and for small-group package tours with a pre-determined itinerary, on a trial basis for tourism purposes. We are considering allowing entry into the country.

I would assume that these small groups would be from neighboring countries like Taiwan and South Korea. I doubt that there is much demand for highly organized tours with no individual roaming around allowed.

Most Recent Japan Entry Developments:

Japan Expands Visa Issuance To Select Foreigners

Japan Lifts Entry Ban On 106 Countries On April 8, 2022

Conclusion

Although the vaccination started very slowly, the rate currently stands at roughly 75% (first and second doses).

There is an issue with Japan when it comes to coronavirus, however.

The population is old, and the coronavirus has not gone through the population as it has in the other G7 countries. Therefore, there will be many hospitalizations and deaths on the horizon that, unfortunately, are unavoidable.

Let’s hope they can figure out a “staged” way of reopening the country, but it won’t for us in a month. I would love to return to Japan in the fall.