Travel firms thrown in confusion as Japan reopens to foreign tourists

16 comments

1. **im in shock**

2. “The government’s sudden moves”

   Ah yes the Japanese government known for its sudden and unpredictable movement on any policy.

   “During the tour itself, the agencies will also keep records of the participants’ movements, including places they visited and where they sat on public transportation.”

   Sounds liberating

3. A joke, wrapped up in an embarrassment, inside a shitshow.

4. In fairness, this does seem like an ideal opportunity for an immigration-skeptical, inward-looking right-wing government to unilaterally unwind decades of visa-free travel agreements.

5. Wife just told me there is a 40,000 yen surcharge for fuel. Not gonna help tourism. At least a weak yen should help bring people.

6. “but easing border restrictions while rebuilding the country’s hospitality industry will prove to be a challenging task.”

   LOL

7. Now I’m slightly confused over if my mother coming to visit me in August will need a visa or not…

8. 早くボーダーを開いて岸田さま！🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

9. Oh great, all the day-use hotel plans will be canceled as they fill up with regular travelers :/

10. Japanese Government being a news channel and dishing out breaking news seems funny lol.

11. I feel this confusion is going to end up with Japan scrapping the tour groups before the elections. The original intent was to have as many tourists as visas issued to monitor the situation but that’s not happening.

12. IMO part of the challenge is that (IMO at least) most non-Asian gaijins don’t travel in tour groups.

    Since there’s ‘tourists’ and there’s ‘tourists’ I think treating them all as one makes it tricky. I have a separate visa that enables unrestricted access BUT… I’m pretty sure that to your average observer (who doesn’t have access to my private visa status) I’ll be bundled in as a ‘tourist’.

    I’m sorta scared of this because my plan isn’t to go out drinking and being a tourist. I’m gonna go in, mask-up (I’m fully vaxxed and have all the boosters that are possible for me), drive DIRECTLY to my house (I own a house there), see my daughter and visit a few businesses that my friends own.

    This isn’t about me but I think I’m really compliant, I’m not running some campaign about ‘LET US IN!!! IT’S MY RIGHT!!!’ or ‘NO MASKS AND VACCINES!!!’ Rather, I just wanna enjoy a peaceful, court-ordered visitation (in small town Japan) without being stared at and questioned the whole time.

    We’ll see I guess. I don’t wanna pre-judge but I’m worried about people thinking there’s either tourists or people who live/work in Japan. I’m neither! I’m a dad who lives between two countries due to Japan’s policy of facilitating parental child abduction by its citizens. I speak the language fluently, own a house and have a blood connection with the country. I really do hope people don’t start being like ‘HEY… YOU’RE NOT WITH A TOURIST GROUP!!!’ when I try going about my business.

13. Honestly, media outlets and everyone needs to stop saying “Japan is reopening to tourists”. I keep seeing news articles/bloggers/Twitter etc. announcing Japan is open when it’s not.

    This North Korea style mismanaged tours is not “reopened” it’s just as closed as it’s been since 2020.

14. > travel companies have been thrown into confusion over the lack of communication regarding entry procedures and last-minute COVID-19 guidelines

    “Hey Kudo, look at this article on my phone. Didn’t you send the faxes to the travel companies like I asked you to?”

    “I thought you asked Tanaka to send those faxes.”

    “Oh. Uh… let’s get back to the office.”

    *They peel themselves out of the urinal trough where they passed out drunk the previous night*

15. what do people think tourism will open completely in japan?

    not this monitored tour group stuff

16. If i have a long layover in tokyo (on my way to another country) I’m guessing i wont be able to leave the airport ? 🙁