Japan Travel, COVID-19, And You: Guidelines On Travel & Pandemic News Update Thread – June 2021

##June 2021 – [**The ban on all New Entries has been confirmed to continue indefinitely,**](https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/) **unless there are special exceptional circumstances – tourism/tourist visas do not fall under this definition.**

**At present, entry is only permitted for Japanese Nationals, Permanent Residents, or Foreign Nationals with current residency IN Japan, or Spouses of those groups. If you need to travel to Japan as a non-resident in special exceptional circumstances, please contact the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate. Please note that to be allowed to board a plane to Japan,** [**you will need to confirm your negative PCR test result on a specific form.**](https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page25e_000334.html) **Ensure you confirm with both airline and Japanese embassy/consulate which testing facilities are recognized by airline in question & Japanese immigration. We strongly urge you to check with the** [**Embassy of Japan in your departure county to confirm your entry**](https://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/over/index.html) **in advance.**

**We are continuing our Discussion Thread this month on International Tourism in 2021. Posts on this topic will be redirected to** [**this thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/n2m8g0/discussion_the_future_of_travel_to_japan_in_2021/) **until there is an official release from the Government on how they will proceed with re-opening. At this time we do not anticipate the borders reopening to International Tourism until Late 2021, if at all this year. Please check** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/search?q=Japan+Travel%2C+COVID-19%2C+And+You%3A+Guidelines+On+Travel+%26+Pandemic+News+Update+Thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all) **for previous Pandemic Megathreads on this topic, dating back to 2020.**

##**Frequently Asked Questions – June 2021**

>- **”Will Japan reopen to those who have already been fully vaccinated against the virus?” According to The Japan Times,** [**Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a news conference on March 19th**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/03/19/national/vaccine-passports/) **that Japan has no plans to ease travel restrictions for travelers with vaccine certificates issued overseas.**

>- [**What about the Vaccine Passport I’m hearing about?**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/03/28/national/science-health/covid-19-vaccine-japan-passports/) **Currently, this passport is only being used for Citizens of Japan in order to speed check-ins for airlines and at hotels that would seek proof of vaccination prior to boarding or entry. For locals who may visit our sub, the Government does not plan to use this app for the Go-To Travel campaign when it restarts.**

>- **If you are looking for more information as a potential New Entrant affected by the ban, please go to** [**/r/movingtojapan’s Megathread for discussion.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/nma3u5/covid_19_entry_restrictions_discussion_thread/)

>- **If you are seeking information on *re-entry with the new restrictions*, [**start with past /r/japanlife Megathreads, especially in regards to quarantine measures.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/search?q=covid-19+discussion+thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all) Questions regarding this topic will be removed and redirected.**

>- **If you are still in Japan and need to renew your Tourist Visa, you will need to contact the Authorities at the** [**Immigration Services Agency Of Japan**](http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/) **to confirm you are still able to renew and continue your stay if necessary. Questions regarding this topic will be removed.**

>- **Are you arriving in Japan for a stopover while on the way to another country? Transit through Japan is ONLY possible through Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, or Kansai Airport. *You cannot depart any airport to catch a flight to your destination without facing quarantine measures. Please review the Updated Quarantine measures noted below from May 2021.* If you are flying on a newly booked or rebooked ticket, please speak to your airline right away if you have concerns. Questions regarding this topic will be removed.**

>- [**Japan-Guide.com is keeping a list of tourist attractions that have been affected by the ongoing pandemic.**](https://www.japan-guide.com/news/alerts.html) This list is kept for closures and re-openings of popular tourist attractions, and is updated as necessary.

##**Confirmed Cases, Vaccinations Administered, News Sources, and Maps – Updated: 06/30**

>**As of this writing, Japan has 800,513 confirmed cases, and 14,756 people have died.**

>- [**Total number of 1st vaccine doses administered as of 06/29 to the general population: 28,913,862**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/vaccine/)

>- [**Total number of 2nd vaccine doses administered as of 06/29 to the general population: 14,591,069**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/vaccine/)

>- [**Inoculation rate for the Elderly for 1st dose as of 06/29: 60.26% – 2nd Dose as of 06/29: 26.46%**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/vaccine/)

>- [**NHK News Japan Prefectural Infection Map.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/data/)

>- [**NHK Japan Prefectural Vaccination Status Map – Tokyo & Prefectures.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/vaccine/pref/tokyo/)

>- [**NHK World Coronavirus Portal – Daily News Update.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/82/)

##**TOURISM NEWS UPDATES – June 2021**

**06/30** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Suga’s promise to vaccinate the elderly by August remains elusive.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14384339) “All elderly people who want to be vaccinated will receive at least the first shot by the end of June,” one aide had said initially. But to meet the government’s end of July deadline, a hefty number of elderly people must receive their first shot by July 10 because the Pfizer vaccine requires a three-week waiting period between administering the first and second shots.

**06/29** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Experts: ‘Fifth wave’ of virus infections likely during Olympics.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14383542) “Looking at the movement of people and the impact of COVID-19 variants, there is no factor in place to reduce the number of new infection cases,” Haruo Ozaki, chief of the Tokyo Medical Association, said. “Considering past infection trends in Tokyo, it is inevitable that a big infection wave will hit during the Olympics.” The Opening Ceremony for the sports extravaganza is scheduled for July 23.

**06/29** – [**From The Japan Times – Japan won’t resume accepting workplace vaccination applications.**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/29/national/coronavirus-workplace-vaccinations-applications/) The move comes after the government determined that the a higher-than-anticipated number of applications for the popular program that would have led to a shortage of the vaccine used, the sources said. The COVID-19 vaccine made by U.S. biotech firm Moderna Inc. is used in vaccination programs at workplaces, universities and large-scale sites run by municipalities. “The government won’t resume accepting applications,” a senior official said. “There isn’t anywhere near enough doses” to meet the level of demand.

**06/28** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan eyes tougher Olympics rules for Delta variant-hit countries.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/d66a7b204f89-suga-visits-haneda-airport-as-japan-readies-olympics-border-measures.html) Athletes and staff will be required to be tested every day for a week before coming to Japan, during which time they are to be isolated, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference. They will also be forbidden from coming into contact with other people for three days after arriving. “We will take the necessary border measures while also ensuring athletes are treated fairly in terms of nutrition, training facilities,” Kato said, adding the government is in talks with the International Olympic Committee and the games organizing committee to finalize the rules. The government’s top COVID-19 adviser, Shigeru Omi, and other infectious disease experts have warned the Delta variant, first detected in India and believed to 1.8-times more transmissible than the original strain of the coronavirus, as well as an increase in the flow of people during the Olympics and Paralympics could lead to surge in infections.

**06/27** – [**From NHK News – Nishimura: Another state of emergency possible.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210627_13/) On an NHK debate program on Sunday, Nishimura referred to signs that the outbreak in Tokyo is on the rebound, and said stronger measures may be considered for bars and restaurants that are now serving alcohol under strict rules. On the situation across the country, he said an increase in young patients with mild to moderate symptoms would put a burden on small to mid-sized hospitals. Nishimura said the government will monitor available hospital beds and consider taking further measures without hesitation, including declaring another state of emergency for prefectures that have shifted to focused restrictions.

**06/25** – [**From The Japan Times – The rules of travel: Japan’s latest quarantine measures.**](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/25/national/japan-quarantine-measures/) In recent weeks, Japan has applied new measures and removed others, with rules varying from country to country. For example, new anti-virus measures range from extended self-isolation periods in government-selected facilities to an entry ban targeting even resident foreign nationals. The country’s quarantine protocol for arrivals depends on the severity of the pandemic situation at their point of departure or in the places they have recently visited.

**06/25** – [**From The Mainichi – Hashimoto: ‘No spectators’ still possible for Tokyo Olympics.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210625/p2g/00m/0sp/105000c) “What I feel is that no spectating should remain an option for us as we look into things,” Hashimoto said at a news conference. “The situation is changing from time to time so that is why we need to remain flexible and prompt in responding to any change. A no-spectator games is one of our options.” Organizers seemed to back down slightly on fans after a COVID-19 panel for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported on Thursday that “there’s a sign of resurgence” of infections in Tokyo.

**06/25** – [**From The Mainichi – 37 ‘Delta Plus’ coronavirus variant infections confirmed in Japan.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210625/p2a/00m/0na/035000c) As of June 21, 37 cases of “Delta Plus” coronavirus variant infections have been confirmed in Japan in tallies from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said in a June 25 news conference.

**06/25** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Ugandan team member arriving in Tokyo had Delta coronavirus variant.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14381042) A coach in the African nation’s delegation tested positive after arriving in Japan on Saturday, while a second member, an athlete, tested positive on Wednesday after arriving in the team’s host city of Izumisano, officials said previously. Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa told a news conference that the person who arrived on Saturday had been found to have the Delta variant, NHK public TV reported, adding that an analysis was also being conducted on the second confirmed case.

**06/25** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan may get herd immunity for COVID-19 by mid-Oct.: study.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/be9c0ce6ab9f-japan-may-get-herd-immunity-for-covid-19-by-mid-oct-study.html) The report estimated that obtaining herd immunity could potentially be pushed back to late February if the pace of inoculation peaks out at 1 million doses per day and quickly drops to around 500,000 per day. The government has temporarily halted company applications for COVID-19 vaccinations at workplaces Friday evening due to concerns it will be unable to distribute doses quickly enough.

**06/24** – [**From NHK News – Analysis: Delta variant nearly twice as contagious.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210624_30/) The analysis shows that the variant is 1.95 times as contagious as the original virus, in terms of the average number of people a carrier will infect. The researchers say that based on the data from Japan, the variant is projected to account for more than half of new cases by July 12. They add that on July 23, when the Tokyo Olympics open, the variant is expected to account for 68.9 percent of daily new cases nationwide.

**06/24** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Health experts warn virus rebound already started in Tokyo**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14380124) By June 21, 433 infections of L452R variants, including the Delta variant discovered in India, had been confirmed around Japan through PCR screening tests. The number doubled from 214 marked a week earlier. “In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the number of new cases has stopped falling, and particularly in Tokyo, the number of new cases has increased by about 10 percent over the past week,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at a June 23 meeting of Cabinet ministers involved in responding to the health crisis. “We need to be strongly vigilant about the rebound.”

**06/23** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan to halt company applications for workplace vaccinations.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/23704de9ea96-japan-to-halt-company-applications-for-workplace-vaccinations.html) The Japanese government said Wednesday it is temporarily halting company applications for COVID-19 vaccinations at workplaces due to concerns it will be unable to distribute doses quickly enough. Applications will be closed off to companies after 5 p.m. Friday, with no timeline set for when they will resume, Taro Kono, the minister in charge of the inoculation effort, told a press conference.

**06/21** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan’s COVID-19 vaccinations for under-65s start at hundreds of sites.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/2a604f8d0710-japans-covid-19-vaccinations-for-under-65s-get-into-full-swing.html) The program is currently limited to companies with large workforces and universities with large student bodies. Further expansion of the vaccination rate will depend on whether the government can expand vaccinations to smaller universities, as well as small and midsized companies.

**06/19** – [**From Kyodo News – 97% of surveyed major Japan firms plan workplace COVID vaccinations**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/6bc94cd55ced-97-of-surveyed-major-japan-firms-plan-workplace-covid-vaccinations.html) The outcome of the Kyodo News survey, released Saturday, also showed that 59 percent of the companies either plan or have already decided to allow employees to have a “vaccination holiday” on the day of inoculation or the following day if they suffer side effects.

**06/17** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Curbs to remain in 7 prefectures after state of emergency lifted.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14375060) Seven of the nine prefectures that will have the emergency declaration end as scheduled will have pre-emergency measures in place from June 21 to July 11 to stave off a possible rebound in new COVID-19 cases. The seven prefectures are Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido Aichi, Hyogo, Kyoto and Fukuoka. Hiroshima and Okayama are the only two prefectures that will not only have the state of emergency lifted but will also be removed from pre-emergency measures.

**06/16** – [**From Kyodo News – COVID-19 state of emergency in Tokyo, 8 other prefectures to end Sun.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/14421a0786f1-covid-19-state-of-emergency-may-be-needed-amid-tokyo-olympics-study.html) The Japanese government plans to end the COVID-19 state of emergency covering Tokyo and eight other prefectures on Sunday as scheduled, while Okinawa will remain under the restrictions until mid-July, sources with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday.

**06/15** – [**From NHK News Web Japan via Google Translate – “Tourism White Paper” To recover tourism demand after infection has been resolved.**](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.”

**06/15** – [**From Kyodo News – Olympians could be kicked out of Japan for violating COVID-19 rules.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/190cef9527b3-urgent-olympians-could-be-kicked-out-of-japan-for-violating-covid-19-rules.html) Athletes, who will be screened for the virus on a daily basis, in principle, need to submit saliva samples either at 9 a.m. or 6 p.m. through COVID-19 liaison officers of their respective national Olympic committees, according to the organizers. If saliva samples come back positive, the organizers will confirm the results with a polymerase chain reaction test using a nasal swab.

**06/14** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan’s Cabinet to face no-confidence motion on June 15.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/ac10e3832d9e-urgent-sugas-cabinet-to-face-no-confidence-motion-on-tuesday.html) The plan to submit the motion Tuesday morning was announced by Yukio Edano, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, after meeting with his counterparts from smaller opposition parties.

**06/14** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan gov’t eyes quasi-state of emergency in Tokyo during Olympics.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/1bdcd00e7575-urgent-japan-govt-eyes-quasi-state-of-emergency-in-tokyo-during-olympics.html) The government is now planning to lift the emergency in most of the prefectures and to shift several of them to a quasi-emergency with smaller fines for noncompliance under which restaurants and bars will still be asked to shorten opening hours but may be allowed to serve alcohol. The government will consider whether to maintain the planned quasi-state of emergency through the Olympics, due to close on Aug. 8, or to lift it and impose it again before the games open, according to the officials.

**06/13** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan PM Suga to decide this week whether to lift COVID-19 emergency.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/8c802aafc6d3-urgent-suga-to-decide-this-week-whether-to-lift-covid-19-emergency.html) Suga reiterated he will prioritize bringing the pandemic under control over dissolving the House of Representatives for a general election, which must take place before the current four-year terms of lower house members end in October.

**06/12** – [**From The Mainichi – Hurdles remain to getting ex-nurses involved in Japan’s vaccine rollout.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210612/p2g/00m/0na/027000c) Expectations are high that licensed nurses currently not employed at medical facilities can help speed up Japan’s coronavirus vaccination rollout, but obstacles including inflexible working hours lie in the way.

**06/11** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Sources: No plan yet to inoculate 70% of volunteers for Olympics**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14370996) The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee has yet to decide on a plan to vaccinate some 70 percent of the 70,000 volunteers for the Games against the novel coronavirus, according to sources. Tamayo Marukawa, minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, previously announced that the organizers are considering inoculating all the volunteers. But Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the organizing committee, admitted on June 10, “It will probably be difficult to (vaccinate) them all.”

**06/09** – [**From The Mainichi – Japan will face 4th virus emergency even if all elderly vaccinated by July’s end: Analysis.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210610/p2a/00m/0na/002000c) According to the model, even if vaccination programs progress, the size of coronavirus outbreaks would be diminished only among older people, with no significant impact on the pace of transmission among those aged 0 to 59. Patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms would primarily comprise middle-aged people, and the number of infections would be about five times that of previous levels if the hospital bed occupancy rate remains about the same. This is because the proportion of patients who do not develop severe symptoms is higher among the middle-age group than the elderly. […] Regarding the potentially more transmissible L452R coronavirus variant initially found in India, Nishiura estimated its infectivity to be 1.78 times that of conventional strains. He forecasts that more than 50% of coronavirus cases in Japan would be attributed to that variant by mid-July.

**06/09** – [**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/)

**06/09** – [**From Nikkei Asia – OPINION – Old-fashioned tourism will never return.**](https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Old-fashioned-tourism-will-never-return) The current crisis teaches us, in particular, that travel of all kinds — especially international travel — will have to be infinitely more regulated in order to avoid the spread of pandemics in the long term, to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and to avoid harming the protection of our heritage and natural areas. For example, it would be reasonable not to increase business travel, not to pile up in low-cost planes, not to see any more low-cost housing on the sea in the Venetian lagoon, nor millions of tourists on Thai beaches or in the streets and temples of Kyoto. Coming from Asia or America to Europe will therefore become more difficult. Conversely, coming to Asia from the rest of the world, for the simple pleasure of tourism, will necessarily be limited.

**06/09** – [**From Nikkei Asia – Japan faces likely fall vote as Suga waits for COVID recovery.**](https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-faces-likely-fall-vote-as-Suga-waits-for-COVID-recovery) Suga’s current term as president of the LDP expires at the end of September. The prime minister has previously said he will hold a general election before then, and looks to gauge the public’s confidence in his pandemic response through the vote. Some in the LDP have floated the idea that if opposition parties submit a motion of no confidence during the current session, the lower house of parliament should be dissolved immediately. But holding an election soon risks spreading the virus, and Suga will not take such action, sources have told Nikkei.

**06/09** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Officials growing confident about letting spectators attend Olympics.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14368925) An official decision on spectators is expected around June 20, when the current state of emergency for the novel coronavirus pandemic is set to expire in Tokyo. […] Experts on infectious diseases have consistently raised concerns about allowing in too many people to Olympic events. Shigeru Omi, chairman of the government panel of experts dealing with the novel coronavirus, has called for reducing the scale of the Olympics and to also consider allowing in only a minimum number of spectators. Many health experts also say the Olympics cannot be compared with professional baseball and soccer games. They say that a much wider spectrum of fans will attend the Olympics, and if they all start moving about because of the various events, the risk of outbreaks would increase.

**06/09** – [**From Kyodo News – Olympic body says visitors will not be tracked real time by GPS.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/2c63d36ec0a4-olympic-body-says-visitors-will-not-be-tracked-real-time-by-gps.html) Toshiro Muto told reporters that everyone entering Japan from abroad, including athletes, officials and media members, will be required to submit plans of their first 14 days in the country and turn on the GPS function on their smartphones. “If we have to monitor the movements all the time, it would require manpower…when there are problems, I think it is important to have the GPS function to allow visitors to make sure they did not do anything wrong,” Muto said. He said use of the system, already agreed on by Olympic officials around the world, will allow the organizers to confirm afterward that the visitors followed the plans they submitted.

**06/09** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan to lift COVID-19 quasi-emergency in 3 prefectures.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/b04c0ab18a41-japan-to-lift-covid-19-quasi-emergency-in-3-prefectures.html) “We will consult with experts and make a decision regarding Gunma, Ishikawa and Kumamoto as early as tomorrow as we continue to watch the situation with a strong sense of caution,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Manabu Sakai told a press conference.

**06/09** – [**From Kyodo News – Suga vows to finish vaccinating Japan’s population by November.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/71bca85c4b65-japan-pm-aims-to-cut-olympic-visitors-finish-vaccination-by-nov.html) Japan has a population of roughly 126 million, less than 4 percent of which had been fully inoculated as of Tuesday, a pace that is gradually picking up but still much slower than other industrialized nations including Britain and the United States. The actual number of people eligible for shots in Japan is smaller, as Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use on people aged 12 and older, while Moderna Inc.’s has been cleared for ages 18 and up.

**06/08** – [**From NHK News – Companies, colleges to help in vaccine rollout.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210608_33/) The government will allow companies to inoculate their employees starting on June 21st. More than 400 firms have applied.

**06/08** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan mulls vaccinating all 70,000 Tokyo Games volunteers.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/ed6c449d74e2-breaking-news-japan-mulls-vaccinating-all-tokyo-games-volunteers-minister.html) Japan is considering vaccinating about 70,000 volunteers for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, while thousands of media members will be tracked by a global positioning system when they are under mandatory quarantine after entering the country to improve the safety of the major event amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Tuesday.

**06/07** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Chiba governor: No good reason to let spectators attend Olympics.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14367402) In what is believed to be his first public opinion on the issue, Kumagai, who took office in April, said on his blog that if spectators are allowed, he “will not be able to ask residents to refrain from crossing prefectural borders and to avoid nonessential outings during the Summer Games.” He asked the central government and Olympic organizing officials to explicitly recognize this point.

**06/04** – [**From Kyodo News – Japan to extend quarantine for travelers from Britain to 6 days.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/91303a7801e3-japan-to-extend-quarantine-for-travelers-from-britain-to-6-days.html)

**06/03** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Suga expected to take shot at election based on vaccine success.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14364564) **Suga has said he would dissolve the Lower House before his term as LDP president ends on Sept. 30. That has led to speculation that a dissolution would happen soon after the Paralympics close on Sept. 5.** Those close to Suga have said that if the LDP emerges victorious in the Lower House election, Suga would likely win a second term as LDP president in an uncontested election. But other party sources noted that the general public has become fed up with the repeated state of emergency declarations to deal with COVID-19, and that a successful Olympics and expanded vaccine program may not be enough to ensure an LDP electoral victory.

**06/02** – [**From NHK News – EU agrees to allow non-essential travel from Japan.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210603_05/) European Union member nations have agreed to re-add Japan to their list of countries from which non-essential travel is allowed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The current list includes seven countries, including Australia and South Korea. Japan was removed in January following a surge in cases.

**06/02** – [**From Kyodo News – COVID-19 vaccine shots given to over 10 million, or 8%, in Japan.**](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/32f7a04fe9c6-more-than-10-million-in-japan-received-covid-19-vaccinations.html) A total of 4,653,566 medical personnel and 5,734,023 people aged 65 and over had received at least one shot of vaccine as of Tuesday, equivalent to 8 percent of the country’s population of 126 million. Of them, around 3.6 million people, equivalent to roughly 3 percent of the population, were fully vaccinated after receiving a second shot. The figure includes 3.13 million medical personnel and around 470,000 senior citizens.

**06/02** – [**From NHK News – 10,000 people withdraw as Olympic volunteers.**](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210602_29/) The withdrawal of volunteers began in February after then organizing committee chairman Mori Yoshiro came under criticism for his remarks taken as derogatory to women. Even after Mori resigned from the post to take responsibility for his remarks, more volunteers continued to withdraw, citing other factors such as fears of infection or changes in their own working environment

**06/01** – [**From The Asahi Shimbun – Spectators may need negative COVID-19 test to enter venues.**](http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14362919) The plan would obligate spectators to undergo PCR tests in advance and show the certificates obtained within one week of entry to an Olympic venue. People who received vaccine shots will be exempted from the requirement, but they will need to show their vaccination certificates instead, according to the officials.

**06/01** – [**From The Mainichi – Japan to start COVID-19 vaccinations at workplaces on June 21.**](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210601/p2g/00m/0na/035000c) The move comes at a time when Japan has been lagging behind other developed countries in its inoculation program partly due to the difficulty in securing venues for vaccinations and failure to procure enough doses from abroad.