First tourists on Japan trial trips face tests, chaperones and little free time

19 comments

1. > Every morning, local tour staff check their temperatures and health status. Each time they get on the bus, someone is at the door to spray their hands with sanitizer. The small group has been asked to keep their masks on as much as possible, and refrain from eating on the bus. Talking in restaurants should be kept at a minimum.

   Meanwhile, returning Japanese citizens are not subject to any special measures once they’ve left the airport (and no arrival testing, not even a vaccine requirement from June onwards from many countries).

2. So basically like domestic tour packages

3. Looks like hell.

4. They also have to ring a bell and shout “UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!”.

5. You know, I was holding onto four weeks of holiday to see friends in Tokyo later this year. I’m seriously considering just going to Thailand instead because this is just insulting verging on racism and I’m kind of tired of waiting. Maybe we’ll see next year.

6. Be careful Japan, Kim will be jealous.

7. That doesn’t sound fun. I will visit when I can do as I want, by myself. I’ll go spending my money somewhere else (or I’ll just stay home and save it).

8. Yeah no. I’d rather wait another year to go on my own where I want to go than having my hand held with other people.

9. No offense to people who enjoy this, but [this looks so fucking boring.](https://twitter.com/Quicktake/status/1530024915000246285) You’ll never see a young person on these tours if a highlight is a fucking bridge. Being constantly monitored while at the same time feeling pressured to not break rules or accidently sneeze is not vacation. I can’t believe they’re only allowing this shit in June.

10. Mets say other countries thought the same way and were excluding them. They sure wouldn’t like it but it’s alright when they do it. That’s what I’m getting from this

11. What happens if one of the tourists just decides to go off and book a hotel somewhere else? I imagine deportation? It’s frankly rediculous that citizens are able to enter back into the country and be business as usual but tourists can’t.

12. good, fuck these North Korea style Monitor tours

13. Now that’s gonna boost tourism big time. – Greetings from Thailand

14. Please visit Japan! Where you will be micromanaged to within an inch of your life.

15. And some of them are Japanese Americans 😂

16. The pandemic really brought out the crazy in east Asian countries. Thailand has been the same; but at least tried to get tourists in early and never did this guided tour nonsense.

17. I’m hoping these tours are a box checking exercise so after the elections they can go “See – tourists aren’t causing a spike, we can open without restrictions by X”.

    But I’m not booking airline tickets just yet

18. The sooner Japan ends this complete embarrassment, the better.

    This insanity is a new level for Japan and I hope the Japanese have the sense to stand up to their government before they take it even further.

19. _