##**Moderator’s Note: As it has been confirmed that International Tourists are not permitted for the Olympic or Paralympic Games, we anticipate there may be no further discussion by the Japanese Government on allowing Tourism and Travel to resume until after the Games have completed, and the 2021 Election has been held to determine the new Prime Minister and ruling party of Japan. We anticipate any news about reopening to International Tourism will not be made public until at least November 2021 at the earliest, if at all this year. This Discussion thread will continue to stay open, and we will update with relevant information as it becomes necessary. Previous iterations of this thread can be found** [**here.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/search?q=Discussion%3A+The+Tokyo+Olympics+%26+The+Future+Of+Travel+To+Japan+In+2021&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all)
##**Previous Tourism News 2021**
>- [**From NHK News WEB via Google Translate – “Tourism White Paper” To recover tourism demand after infection has been resolved “Distributed travel”**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210615/k10013085321000.html)
>- “On the other hand, the resumption of acceptance of foreign tourists will be promoted in stages, such as starting with a small package trip after the infection has subsided. Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism [was quoted as saying] “If the situation calms down due to the expansion of inoculation, we will work to restore domestic tourism” Regarding the White Paper on Tourism, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Akabane said at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on the 15th, “This corona disaster is a very difficult situation for tourism businesses, but it is also an opportunity to stop and look back on the tourism policy so far. As soon as the infection situation has settled down due to the expansion of vaccination, we will first work on the recovery of domestic tourism, and then we will work on the gradual recovery of inbound demand.”
Mod Note: Other users have posted a similar article elsewhere from [Yahoo!Japan](https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2ca0f7ab519a4ab00c279e184ecd179b7e1b11e6), which indicates the concept of “small-group distributed package tour”, beginning in 2021. This has previously been mentioned by The Japan Times in December of 2020 to [include tour groups from Asia, like China and Taiwan](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/06/national/japan-inbound-tourism-coronavirus/), prior to allowing entrants for what would have been the Olympic Games. Note that the time frame expected in December 2020 was for tour groups to be allowed entry in the Spring of 2021 (March/April) or the end of FY 2020. It is now looking like the intention may be to start that program for 2021 into 2022, starting with Domestic tourism as soon as possible then branching out into Asia with focus on booked group tours, and eventually allowing International tourism again. The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Akaba Kazuyoshi, was quoted at a Ministerial Meeting on June 15th, 2021 as saying the following: [**”In the future, as soon as the domestic infection situation has settled down due to the expansion of vaccination, etc., we will first work on a full-scale recovery of domestic tourism demand, and then we will strive for a gradual recovery of inbound demand while assessing the overseas infection situation.”**](https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/interview/daijin210615.html)
>- [**From The Nikkei Asia – Japan looks to debut vaccine passport this summer.**](https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-looks-to-debut-vaccine-passport-this-summer)
>- “Japan intends to issue COVID-19 inoculation certificates this summer to vaccinated residents traveling abroad, hoping to give business travel and other economic activities a boost, Nikkei has learned. […] The passports will be issued by local governments that hold information on residents and are responsible for giving the vaccines. Information such as the person’s name, the vaccine manufacturer and the inoculation date will be listed. Japan’s central government is expected to guarantee accuracy by linking the certificates to a national vaccination records system. Users will present the vaccine passports when taking international flights and entering foreign countries. Foreigners living in Japan who are returning to their home countries are among the anticipated users, in addition to Japanese citizens going abroad to study and for business.”
**Mod Note: Again, this will *initially* pertain to Japanese residents who are looking to travel for business and overseas purposes, this will not extend to tourists and tourism entry for 2021 at this time.**
>- [**From NHK News – US raises warning level against travel to Japan.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210525_06/)
>- [**From Nikkei Asia – Japan to issue vaccine certificates to spur international travel.**](https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-to-issue-vaccine-certificates-to-spur-international-travel)
**Mod Note: Again, this is intended for locals on the ground in Japan who are vaccinated IN Japan to allow for travel. At this time, this will not apply to people entering for tourism.**
##**Previous Olympic News 2021**
>- [**From Kyodo News – Tokyo Olympic spectator cap set at 10,000 people per venue.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/dbafddf34fbf-tokyo-olympic-organizers-to-decide-on-spectator-limits.html) While it is in line with the Japanese government’s policy for large events, the organizers said they will consider the possibility of holding the Olympics without spectators if the infection situation worsens before or after the global sporting event begins on July 23.
>- [**From Kyodo News – Olympic organizers estimate 225,000 fans per day at Tokyo venues.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/6eabf238252f-olympic-organizers-estimate-225000-fans-per-day-at-tokyo-venues.html)
>- [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Sources: No plan yet to inoculate 70% of volunteers for Olympics**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14370996)
>- [**From The Japan Times – How the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is being held during the pandemic: What we know.**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tokyo-2020-games-faq/)
>- [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Chiba governor: No good reason to let spectators attend Olympics.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14367402)
>- [**From Kyodo News – Japan mulls requiring Olympic spectators show negative COVID test.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/05/7e2e4abad04a-urgent-japan-mulls-requiring-olympic-spectators-show-negative-covid-test.html)
>- [**From The Japan Times – Suga eager to hold Tokyo Games with domestic spectators.**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/05/29/national/suga-spectators-olympics-paralympics/)
>- [**From Nikkei Asia – Japan can’t call it quits if IOC says games must go on.**](https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/Japan-can-t-call-it-quits-if-IOC-says-games-must-go-on)
>- [**From The Mainichi – IOC VP gets backlash saying Tokyo Olympics are on, no matter virus.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210523/p2g/00m/0sp/042000c)
>- [**From Kyodo News – Gov’t, organizers inclining to allow spectators at Tokyo Games.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/05/4030d28297c8-govt-organizers-inclining-to-allow-spectators-at-tokyo-games.html)
>- [**From The BBC – Tokyo Olympics: Why doesn’t Japan cancel the Games?**](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57097853)
>- [**From Kyodo News – IOC chief Bach’s Japan visit in May postponed due to virus.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/05/ed992f4ce747-urgent-ioc-chief-bachs-japan-visit-in-may-postponed-due-to-virus.html)
>- [**From Kyodo News – IOC to provide Tokyo Olympic athletes with Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/05/e1435f6911ca-breaking-news-ioc-to-provide-tokyo-olympic-athletes-with-pfizer-covid-19-vaccines.html)
>- [**From Kyodo News – Organizing committee vice president “sure Olympics will go forward”.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/05/d6b63adc5171-organizing-committee-vice-president-sure-olympics-will-go-forward.html)
>- [**From Kyodo News – Tokyo Olympic organizers brace for no spectators**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/04/695a75baa2ec-japan-to-test-all-olympic-athletes-for-covid-on-daily-basis.html)
>- [**From CBC News – Hayley Wickenheiser again sounds alarm, saying wrong people making decision on Olympic Games.**](https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/olympics-hayley-wickenheiser-resounds-olympic-alarm-saying-wrong-people-making-decision-on-games-1.5999462)
>- [**From The Mainichi – Organizers decide to hold Tokyo Olympics without overseas spectators due to pandemic.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210320/p2g/00m/0sp/092000c)
>- [**From Kyodo News – No spectators at opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympic torch relay.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/77ba7e8c23d5-no-spectators-at-opening-ceremony-of-tokyo-olympic-torch-relay.html)
##**Frequently Asked Questions:**
>**”What is going on with entry for Work/School/Permanent Residents/Japanese Nationals/Foreign Nationals/Spouses?”**
>- We do not have any answers here in regards to visas, waivers, or non-tourist entry. Please check /r/movingtojapan or /r/japanlife for information that may apply to your situation specifically.
>**”I have a trip scheduled for September/December 2021. What should I do?”**
>- Nobody knows for sure when the borders will reopen, but as a Mod team we are reasonably sure that it may not be this year. Please start with your airline as they can advise on any refund/rebooking ability you will have for 2022 and beyond.
>**”How can we be sure that 2022 is a go?”**
>- The truth is – we can’t. In all fairness, the factors are numerous: the Japanese Government could easily make fools of us all and refuse to reopen in early 2022, the virus could mutate and spiral out of control again worldwide, a new virus could emerge and begin to spread even among those that are vaccinated. *There are no guarantees for any of us with booked flights right now for the purposes of tourism.* However, for the sake of maintaining some level of optimism and normalcy, we’re going to go along with the idea that this will largely be in hand by early 2022, and countries worldwide will be engaging in tourism of some kind by then. There is no shame in planning your trip, so long as tickets and bookings are refundable or rebookable should circumstances change abruptly – and we firmly advise that you ensure the option is there for you to do so.
>**”Out of curiosity, what are the current requirements for entry? Will they still be in place for tourism?”**
>- Time Out Tokyo has listed the requirements for entry [here,](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/explained-japans-three-different-quarantine-rules-upon-re-entry-052821) based on those who are *currently* permitted entry to the country. A first-hand breakdown of what happens on arrival is located [here,](https://soranews24.com/2021/05/27/everything-you-need-to-know-about-quarantining-in-japan/) and provides some perspective on the process for re-entry.
>- After obtaining documents from the Government permitting entry, you need an approved negative PCR Test within 72 hours of departure from the country. On arrival there is more paperwork to fill out, and mandatory apps to download for tracking and tracing purposes on your phone – or a rental that you have to pay for if your phone cannot download the apps. Then comes the mandatory 3 to 10 day stay in a government approved quarantine hotel (depending on where you arrive from – 3 days is the minimum), where you are tested again at the end of Day 3. If you are negative again, you can move to a secondary location to complete your quarantine but you cannot use public transit of any kind, meaning flying, trains, buses or taxis are out of the question. Many people have to book hotel facilities for the balance of the days remaining, but this comes at their own cost as the secondary location is not covered by the Government.
>- The current expectation is that the borders will not open to tourism until most of the steps involved (3 day quarantine, tracking & tracing entrants for 14 days for instance) are no longer necessary. Given that [“vaccine passports” for declaring vaccination status and providing proof of negative PCR tests are being trialed by both Countries and Airlines for resumption of International Travel](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210527/p2g/00m/0li/036000c), it seems likely that *at minimum* obtaining a negative PCR test from an approved Medical Facility *will* be required for entry to Japan for tourism.
>**”I’m fully vaccinated, would I still need to obtain a PCR test?”**
>- There are no indications that vaccination status will allow you to avoid a PCR test in the future. Current Entrants still need to obtain a test within 72 hours of departure from their home country, regardless of vaccination status. We assume this will not change for tourism, as the Japanese Government has stated that they will not bar entry to those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19; meaning the negative test will be necessary for proof that someone is not carrying the virus on entry to Japan.
>**”What does the Japanese Government Election have to do with reopening for tourism?”**
>- [The Nikkei Asia](https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-election-set-for-fall-as-COVID-and-Olympics-come-first) has some info on the election, and explains a bit about the tangle it is in. In terms of re-starting tourism, I’ll quote a comment I made earlier in this thread about this topic:
>The Japanese Government sets the entry rules and determines who can be allowed in while there are still cases present. Back in October 2020 and running until December of 2020, certain groups were allowed in as long as they met specific criteria like length of stay, type of visa, family or spouse relations and so on.
>The election matters because the Government has to be dissolved by October 21st, 2021, and this brings with it the chance that a new Party will come into power. The Party that wins will be then taking the time to review the risk COVID-19 already poses in Japan, and they will review increasing that risk by allowing tourism by comparing it with the concerns of the Japanese public in terms of re-opening fully, staying closed until more people are fully vaccinated, or until variants are less common overseas. If Japan is in another wave due to the Games, it’s going to be difficult for the Government to win the public over to opening the borders to free flowing travel and tourism in 2021, and no political party would run on the platform of doing so lest they want to commit political suicide. The Japanese public is very much in favour of not opening the borders for the Games already, adding tourism to that list is a pretty clear “No” at this time.
>Prime Minister Suga has noted the election is likely to take place [sometime after September 5th](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14364564), meaning a mid September call is likely. Elections tend to be 12 days long once instigated, and barring another wave from the Games, this could then be completed before the end of September. Even if the LDP wins again, they still have to pick a new cabinet, set new positions, and appoint new Ministers to specific files; so a month post-election to settle the new politicians into their roles is a reasonable amount of time, bringing us to late-October 2021. Therefore, we expect everything to be sorted and hanko’d by early November *if there will be changes made to allow Tourism entry before the end of 2021.* If nothing is publicly stated post-election, we would then see the border closures spill over into 2022.
>We also need to accept the fact that International Tourism isn’t a large source of income for Japan’s overall GDP. Yes, as the numbers have been increasing yearly it is providing a not-insignificant amount to the coffers; however, Domestic Tourism has historically been the moneymaker for the Japanese Government, and any tourism recovery referred to in the media is often talking about locals traveling within the country, and not international tourists entering for vacation. The push to restart local tourism will be immediate and more of a focus as the virus begins to ebb and more people in Japan are vaccinated against it. This can be seen by the Go-To Travel and Go-To Eat campaigns that were running in Japan in 2020 before the surge later in the year, and it has been indicated already that they will restart those programs as soon as is practical.
##**Mod Notes:**
>- **Thread replies are monitored, and off-topic comments will be removed. Please stick to the discussion at-hand. If you have specific questions about your itinerary check the FAQ and search the sub before posting – this is not the place for questions in regards to planning your trip.**
>- **There’s a fine line between being persistent, and being a troll. Comments that attempt to goad users into fights, or devolve into name calling will be removed and/or met with bans at Moderator discretion.**
Thank you!
31 comments
This shit lame af lol, reopen the world already gahdamn
> Your tracked flight to Tokyo is now €3,078 (was €724)
Turns out that was a Google Flights bug, but damn that was a not good thing to read in the morning.
Hello, is this article relevant? [https://twitter.com/StrandedOutJPN/status/1404695165969784835](https://twitter.com/StrandedOutJPN/status/1404695165969784835)
I already responded 2 a comment about this but can anyone explain the deal w the vaccination rate?
Everyone has been talking about a slow vax rate but I checked google yesterday and it seemed to indicate that they r vaxxing over 1% of the total population per day?? Is that real??? That pace seems insanely fast so if its not botched I dont understand why everyone is bemoaning the vax rate.
Wouldn’t that be like one of the most rapid vax rates of any nation close to its size?
I hope it reopens until 13 november. thats our scheduled flight-date. Otherwise we have to change the date for 80€/person. everything is so vague rn 😩
I plant to travel from India to the USA via Tokyo (Haneda Airport; layover time: 4hrs) in August. Are there any restrictions on having layovers in Tokyo for travellers departing from India?
I’m optimistic that Japan will reopen for tourism by late this year. I see a similar pattern in the pace of their vaccination campaign compared to Canada’s.
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So last summer, I booked a round-trip ticket to Tokyo for March of 2021, knowing full well that it could be cancelled and that I could rebook for free. I got an incredible deal — $415 round trip from Columbus, OH. Their policy only allows free rebookings within a 30-day window of the original date; otherwise, you have to pay the difference in fare.
Well, I imagine Air Canada must be annoyed by my persistence at this point, because I’ve pushed the trip back five or six times now. They even offered me a full refund recently, which wasn’t an option previously, but I said no thanks. And yeah, I could just cough up the difference in fare and rebook for, say, March of next year, but the difference in fare would cost more than my original ticket. I’ll call and rebook as many times as it takes, damnit!
I’m currently booked for August 5 – September 16, but I highly doubt this will happen. Assuming my flight is cancelled again, I can push it to September 5, then October 5 if it’s cancelled again, and so on. What I’m worried will happen is that Japan will reopen in December or January, and I’ll be stuck either going in wintertime or paying the fare difference to push it to spring of next year.
So my question is, if you were in my position, would you cough up the fare difference to avoid going in winter? I work remotely, and I plan to bring my work and spend six weeks to two months there, maybe more. I’ve never been to Japan and don’t know how unpleasant the winters are. Any input is appreciated!
LETS GO! Japan about to be open 2022
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Any News or Predictions? Cmon, i need SOMETHING 😂
The quote at the beginning of the OP certainly doesn’t make it sound like international tourism will resume any time soon.
So, ANA sent out a notice that their flight schedule through Oct 30th is finalized.
There doesn’t appear to be many changes flipping through the pages. The odd thing to me is ANA has been doing three month worth of updates during the pandemic. This one is 2 which may be is ANAs way of being conservative with limited year end travel as a possibility.
The odds of travel don’t look good from a flight supply views, however, things could change when we get through the Olympics.
Edit-I miscounted the additional months ANA added.
I have tickets for a flight to Japan in september, but seeing how Japan is closed for tourism I mailed them and asked wether they we’re going to cancel the flight. The response I got was that my flight will continue because “they don’t know the reason I’m traveling”. But I don’t want to go if the country is still closed for tourism. Anyone that can explain the reasoning behind this?
I’ve been looking at the rate of vaccination and while it’s finally started, even at 1 million administered doses per day, by the start of the Olympic Games only about 40% of the population will have one dose and significantly less will have been fully vaccinated (roughly 25%). Am I the only one sitting on the edge of my seat that the Games will go smoothly and not cause a significant 5th wave?
With Israel and Portugal (probably others) reimposing some of their mask and restaurant restrictions in the face of rising cases due to the Delta variant, I am finding it very hard to believe that Japan will be open for tourists at all this year.
So Today I foolishly booked Japan tickets for my first ever out of country trip for end of year. Then I saw this post so I assume I won’t be able to go?
[https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-lobbies-countries-to-accept-its-vaccine-passport](https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-lobbies-countries-to-accept-its-vaccine-passport)
“Japan will ask other countries to ease entry requirements for holders of its COVID-19 vaccination certificate **while exploring reciprocal moves for incoming travelers** as part of a push to revive international travel.”…”Tokyo will need to ease its own entry requirements — proof of negative tests within 72 hours and 14-day quarantines — for such restriction-free travel to take off.”
This is interesting. I’m not sure what their source is for this information, but if true, it’s certainly encouraging.
I visited Japan in 2017, 2018 and 2019. I had flights for trips 4 and 5 booked for November 2020, and February 2021 – which I have since changed to January 2022 and May 2022. Hoping for the best.
I am a foreigner living in Japan. Since Japan has locked down, I stayed in Japan and my family was stuck in home country. We have been separated for more than 1 year…… The longer they cannot enter Japan, the more I miss them…. Luckily Japan has rushed up vaccination rate, less risky general public like those aged less than 64 will start to take vacinnation soon. Hope for the best the world would return to normal soon.
Why does it seem like Japan is particularly strict when it comes to the future of travel? It really seems like relevant factors like vaccinations don’t matter. They seem a bit stubborn.
I have 2 tickets in December, Japan will be vaccinated by October with very very low cases . After 2 weeks ,they will allow entry by December.
I’m a Japanese-American who has dual citizenship. If I decide to travel to Japan next month (to visit some ailing family members) do I still have to quarantine for two weeks if Im fully vaccinated + show a negative covid test?
I live in Tokyo and my friend wants to visit me from Germany. He is fully vaccinated. Do you guys have any idea when he will be able to visit here in the earliest? None of us are in a hurry so whenever is fine.
Edit: formatting
lol I love how y’all are complaining about japan being slow to reopen, but y’all are also the ones that acted like COVID was the deadliest virus in history. The US’s reaction dictates how the rest of the world reacts. You reap what you sow. Get a clue.
With the rising cases in Tokyo, I’m assuming a Christmas trip is off the tables then? 🥲
We just pulled the plug on our November trip, rescheduled from March 2020. At this point even if we were able to go the planning would be so last minute and to be honest, all the joy and fun has been completely sucked out of the process and idea of going. We’ll probably look into a trip in a few years. It’s really disappointing but the emotional roller coaster just isn’t worth it.
How likely would we say a scenario is where Japan is still closed for tourists as of summer 2022?
Hopeful for reopening so we can do the trip we just booked for April 2022.
Fully anticipate fully mandated mask usage for a long long time in all of Japan.
My friend is living in America and has a fiancé in Japan that she has been waiting to marry. She is quite young. He is telling her they will be coming with his family in August after he finishes the “paper work” and he will take her back a month later.
Reading through this I’m wondering if that’s even possible? I feel bad for her because she keeps getting excited thinking she’s going to get married. But with Covid it’s hard to know what’s going on.