Japan to ease tourism restrictions and raise daily arrival cap to 50,000

12 comments

1. My non-emotional take: It’s a step in the right direction, but is so bizarre. Like people will have to register their itinerary, but since they aren’t watched–will functionally be able to do whatever they want on a certain path (say the golden route). How is this going to prevent COVID spread any differently?

2. I guess the good news is, it’s starting September 7th, which is relatively soon. It’s clearly an interim step, and a signal that allows the tourism industry to gear up for a proper reopening.

3. Funny that corporate travel never suffered, asy coworker has been there like 4 times this past year and I’m scheduled to go soon

4. “Non guided package tours” (facepalm)

5. hey if you’d like to think on the bright side, Kyodo news is reporting it as

   > The country will also resume accepting foreign tourists not on organized tours, Kishida told a press conference. So far, only those on package tours have been allowed in.

   source: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/08/2936b56f8cf9-urgent-japan-to-increase-covid-entry-cap-on-arrivals-to-50000-from-sept-7.html

6. Meh, I am skeptical. Not sure how the author jumps from “lifting the cap” to “unguided tours”.

   In any case, I am still going to apply for Visitor’s Visa. My girlfriend is Japanese and at least I will have the freedom to move about without a tour guide or having to pay through the roof by booking through an agency

7. “Non-guided Tour packages” this is so confusing, how would this even work? It’s got to be more than just writing an itinerary down, maybe limiting where you can go??? Yes its a step in the right direction but until the country is completely open again without any of this package nonsense than I won’t hold my breath.

8. Anyone know if someone that had the 2 J&J shots would need a 3rd to waive the PCR test?

9. Really sick of hearing this over and over.

10. Anyone want to guess how many years before they accept regular tourism?

11. Are PCR tests still required for children who have not been vaccinated three times? I eyeballed the official announcement (below, Jp only) but I can’t find any mention of exceptions:

    https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000980075.pdf

12. This is comically stupid. Lol. “We’re raising the limit to 50,000!” – but fewer than 1000 came in for tourism purposes for over a month. It’s not even close. The limit is meaningless without restoring visa exemption, and even Japanese media is blasting this stupidity now.