Are you traveling, or planning to travel to Japan? Here are a few things you will want to know.
Before we begin it’s important to note that Japan is currently implementing a phased reopening. As each phase is introduced the government will be assessing if or when the next phase will be implemented. If there are any pandemic related issues the country could roll back their reopening.
Japan was one of the last countries to open up to travelers. It was announced back in May that the country would begin a phased reopening. Later in the month a small group of foreign travelers was allowed to enter with a pre-arranged tour group. In June Japan opened up to a larger number of travelers.
Japan is currently limiting arrivals at 20,000 per day, well below pre-pandemic levels. Much of the screenings and paperwork required to enter Japan has been simplified or eliminated to streamline the process of entry.
To more clearly communicate what travel restrictions travelers might face Japan created a color coded system to categorize countries based on COVID risk. The colors of Blue, Yellow and Red were selected. Currently the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe is in the blue group.
There are a few pandemic measures still in place for travelers. All travelers will be required to provide a negative covid test pre-departure. Travelers from blue designated countries will not be required to provide proof of vaccination, test on arrival, or to quarantine. During the phased reopening it’s not looking like leisure travelers from yellow or red countries will be allowed to get a Travel Visa to enter.
Currently travelers can visit Japan if they are part of a government approved packaged tour and have received a Japanese Travel Visa. Each tour will be limited to a small number of travelers, and tour guides will accompany those traveling in Japan at all times. Self guided travel, which is travel outside of a packaged tour, is not currently allowed. There is no date yet on when self guided travel will be allowed, The Japanese Government will be monitoring each phase of the reopening to determine when the next phase will occur.
The most recent phase of the reopening plan was implemented on June 10th. While there is no official word, it’s widely anticipated that the next phase will be announced within the next few weeks. We will release updated videos as new information becomes available
