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Japan to increase daily border cap to 5,000 people from Nov 26

48 Comments

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48 Comments
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Tourists don’t want to be controlled and monitored. If they did they’d go to North Korea.

39 ( +47 / -8 )

Just open the borders already. Japan is always one decade lagging behind the developed world.

If the developed world has controlled the infection well enough, Japan will have no problem opening the borders.

-7 ( +20 / -27 )

Just open the borders already. Japan is always one decade lagging behind the developed world.

Correct,and let me add that this government being ultra conservative is doing this face service just for showing to the international partners that they’re not completely closing.

But truth is that they would love to have a Sekaku 2.0.

13 ( +23 / -10 )

@R.T.

“Japan is always one decade lagging behind the developed world “

The virus is still raging in the developed world.

-2 ( +20 / -22 )

The infections in Japan were enormous just a few weeks ago even though the borders are tightly controlled.

And the logical next step according to you is open the borders.

Genius

-9 ( +14 / -23 )

Tourists don’t want to be controlled and monitored. If they did they’d go to North Korea.

We're slowly getting there. At least getting closer to a Chinese style surveilance state

8 ( +18 / -10 )

No tourists but business people are fine? Kind of ironic considering how much money Japan pumped into the tourism industry pre- pandemic. Either open up for all or don't let anyone in!

23 ( +27 / -4 )

activities can be controlled and monitored

It has always been about that, not health. Unfortunately, most people are brainwashed by governments and msm.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

It will be ok for a group of Chinese tourists with no connection to japan to enter the country, but if your son or daughter is married to a Japanese national and you have grand children here, you’re not allowed into the country? Your priorities Mr Kishida are tax payers not tourists..

25 ( +28 / -3 )

This is basically aimed to increase arrivals for those under "trainee visa" from Asians countries, Japan needs cheap labor.

25 ( +27 / -2 )

"And the logical next step according to you is open the borders."

Non sequitur.

This was to show that closing the border didn't help. The current rules are nonsensical. You have to take a PCR before and after boarding, you're vaccinated, and you still have to quarantine for two weeks and take a third PCR test after that. Does not make any sense.

Closing the border didn't help?

Another amazing idea

-11 ( +5 / -16 )

A slew of issues are is play if foreign tourists start fanning out to all corners of the country in an unrestricted way regarding the reality of covid and Japan's arguably responsible approach to the virus.

First, if a tourist feels sick and/or fears they may have been exposed to the virus, how do they even get tested?

If they are in the countryside, where even Japanese people who are sick/exposed have a hard time getting a test, it would at best be at a hospital, which can be rather far from any tourist site like a mountain onsen. And even in a city, can a non-Japanese speaker even be managed, let alone in the countryside? Perhaps with some rudimentary English (perhaps...), but what about someone who only speaks Spanish, or Thai, or Polish?

Then what happens if a tourist does tests positive while traveling around Japan? Send them "home" for quarantine, as they do with a Japanese person? Obviously not, and the hotel they are currently staying probably won't want them either if only for the fact that the night or two the tourist booked would need to be extended for a couple weeks, which would be a major issue for the hotel and the people booked next, not to mention all the quarantine needs and potential medical issues the hotel would need to manage.

Therefore they shall need dedicated quarantine facilities spread all around the country for any infected tourist, hundreds of them (which remember, the government here couldn't even do for its own citizens), but how does this infected tourist now get there (Japan is pretty big, you know)? Well, it won't be via public transport... and what about their baggage still back at the hotel...

And again, if a tourist is sick, what about the language barrier for treatment? And who pays for all of this... the testing, the treatment, the quarantine, the sequestered transport? Travel insurance is not required to visit Japan. Sure, that can change, but a law will need to be enacted for it, and we know how quick that all goes...

10 ( +14 / -4 )

"...after reviewing how their activities can be controlled and monitored.

Controlled and Monitored The new favorite words of Governments worldwide.

Big Brother will never stop watching you now...because "science".

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Just open the borders already. Japan is always one decade lagging behind the developed world.

Demand vaccine certificates or PCR testing, and give people the freedom of movement.

I support, would benefit from the revised entry process. But I also understand, share the Japanese residents'concern about a possible new wave coming from overseas. In fact, many "developed" countries are now suffering the resurge following reopenings, some worse overwhelming local healthcare services (again).

Earlier Japan did make a mishap when it continued to host Chinese visitors, cotributing to a surge and subsequent nationwide restrictions. As evidenced, Japan's early case was not homegrown. One should learn a lesson from past experience or failures.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

About time.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Get rid of this stupid rule that bans people from taking public transport from the airport even if have tested negative twice. I'd rather travel with them than with locals who have not even been tested once. These car rental companies and limousine driver companies are making a killing - most probably colluding with the government.

16 ( +19 / -3 )

Even if the borders are opened up to tour groups, there won’t be tons of Chinese coming over because when they go back to China they have to quarantine for between one and two months, and that is a hard quarantine in monitored hotels. Doubt many people can do that. My Chinese friends have no chance to go home to visit family even though they can get back to Japan as residents here.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

I booked to come back in February but I can understand their action. There is still a high percent of children to get the jab. The Japan Government did a great job with get the population quickly vaccinated but not a great job on obtaining of the vaccines. So I assume those children not vaccinated will soon be quickly fully vaccinated. So I considered by February Japan should be fully open to tourist with on quarantine for those tourist fully vaccinated.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I feel that value of life in some countries is very low. They may not mind a lot of deaths from the Covid-19 everyday. Opening the border should be careful. Step by step is better.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Demand vaccine certificates or PCR testing, and give people the freedom of movement.

?

I think freedom of movement looks a bit different...

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

i see no hurry top open borders right now.just see what is happening say in Europe at this very moment.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

"Zero corona" draconian policy cannot reconcile with full border reopening. It is inconsistent and irresponsible to demand both at the same time. If you're reopening proponents, don't panic, don't try to stir doomsday propaganda & conspiracy despite a minimal resurgence. I'm fed up of it.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

That’s irresponsible, because the majority will quite probably be from severe hotspots , at least infection spots with much higher numbers than in Japan. We surely don’t debate here about some 5000 daily tourists from Palau or other small virus-free islands in the South Pacific, right?

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

So will a You Tuber be considered a business ????

4 ( +4 / -0 )

So, does a fully vaccinated tourist still have to quarantine? How about a vaccinated returning Japanese national? The details are pretty unclear from this article.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@John-San

I booked to come back in February... ...So I considered by February Japan should be fully open to tourist with on quarantine for those tourist fully vaccinated.

Hope you meant February 2023, not next year.

Because next February the gov plans to re-start the Go To Travel program for domestic tourists, and it would be highly unlikely they will do this while also having foreign tourists fully allowed in an unrestricted way (maybe for pre-booked packaged group tours, but not regular tourists).

Seriously, its unimaginable that non-resident foreign tourists would be available for the Go To discounts (the Go To program does not stipulate "Japanese only" or "resident only").

And this Go To stuff is expected to last till the end of May at least.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

How?

They are gonna do a daily count of every single ticket sold from incoming countries, not including transfers?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Remove the restrictions please

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Divinda : Well, I am going to claim that I am a You Tuber business if that happens. Ha Ha. hoping they fall for it.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

There's no right answer on how to open.

Open too fast and you may have an overloaded healthcare system, too slowly and you suffer economic consequences.

Easy for normal people to just scream at the Government when they don't have to be responsible for the economy or human lives.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

There are already aslew of restrictions on Japanese and non Japanese entering Japan.

Imposing the requirement to have sufficient health insurance should not be difficult…

0 ( +1 / -1 )

With the increase in Corona Virus in Europe, the wainning protection of the vaccine, with out other treatments. Unless you want another outbreak of this virus that could spiral out of control and face a backlash keep the boarders closed for a few more months.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

藤原

With the increase in Corona Virus in Europe, the wainning protection of the vaccine, with out other treatments.

Did you miss that both Pfizer and Merck have now come out with antiviral drugs? And Novovax is on track to deliver a real vaccine next year. Fundamentally, the reasoning for the EUA for the experimental mRNA shots is gone.

Unless you want another outbreak of this virus that could spiral out of control and face a backlash keep the boarders closed for a few more months.

There will always be new outbreaks, but since the population has ever more natural immunity (by now, most people have been exposed to the virus), and Japans population is healthier than the European ones, they will be nothing like your dystopian image of "spiraling out of control".

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It's time to let Asian tourists in. But keep the restrictions on the so called developed world until they prove they can get it together

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Did you miss that both Pfizer and Merck have now come out with antiviral drugs? And Novovax is on track to deliver a real vaccine next year. Fundamentally, the reasoning for the EUA for the experimental mRNA shots is gone.

mRNA vaccines are real vaccines according to every medical and scientific institution of the planet, and you got the EUA backwards, as long as the vaccines are considered safe and effective they are allowed to keep that distinction (up to the point where more permanent forms of approval come), if you can't prove the vaccines are not justified then you have no point, newer vaccines will also have to get an EUA (with the added hurdle that they would need to prove to be at least as safe and effective than the actual options) or wait until the normal approval process lets them be used in the general population

There will always be new outbreaks, but since the population has ever more natural immunity (by now, most people have been exposed to the virus), and Japans population is healthier than the European ones, they will be nothing like your dystopian image of "spiraling out of control".

Naturally adquired immunity is not perfect either, and people get reinfected (and sometimes develop more serious disease the second time), specially with variants. It can't be assumed that people are sufficiently protected by asymptomatic infections, or that such limited exposure can be long lasting, reports indicate the contrary.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

More to the point, it is time to let current residents of Japan OUT! It is ridiculous that vaccinated and tested residents and citizens need to quarantine for 10 days upon re-entering the country. Particularly when the time is only 3 days for certain non-residents.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Bad news.

China is locking down their borders right now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't see things getting back to how they were until 2023 or later.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So a lone traveller (such as myself... double vaccinated and scheduled for a booster in December), would still be barred but a mob of tourists would be okay? I really hope they think again by the end of April.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Japanese value reciprocity in customs highly. But how do they feel when visiting e.g. France now, knowing they would never be able to repay the gift of the visit as no French is able to visit Japan.

A moral dilemma indeed.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I will immediately proceed to the closest onsen to Kyushu Airport (from Florida); hurry up already.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Unrestricted tourism won't be allowed before 2024, I'd be willing to bet.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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