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A look at what quarantine is like in Japan

46 Comments
By MAYUKO ONO

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So, no public transportation from the airport hotel, after three days of quarantine, and testing negative? No cabs, no buses, no trains? Okay. Travel very, very lightly, with the smallest of carry-on shoulder bags and jog to where you're going, in the nude. NHK coverage (pardon the pun) should be fun.

18 ( +27 / -9 )

Many things will have to change Trevor it's a Pandemic. I know it's inconvenient, but life will be different in the near term and maybe long term. Japan is not the only country having to adapt.

0 ( +15 / -15 )

Great Job! to the writers. “Informative”. These types of articles are needed. Not misdirection & misinformation. Thank you I.

14 ( +19 / -5 )

What possibles reasons are there to travel?

Either personally or from a business prepestive?

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

If I had enough time and money to spend, away from infection risks, I'd be willing to experience a 14-day self-quarantine. I wonder if they offer more bento options than one for vegetarians shown in the photo above :)

0 ( +7 / -7 )

What reason is there to tell someone in quarantine whos tested negative twice that they can’t have some wine with dinner at the end of a long cooped up day?

That will kill Olympic Travel! lol

18 ( +20 / -2 )

NIHONGO Lesson:

"Bejitarian bento iya! Oniku chodai!"

-15 ( +5 / -20 )

At last an article of interest. Thank you

12 ( +14 / -2 )

You learn the location of your quarantine while waiting for the test results. It is usually a hotel relatively close to the airport where you land. The cost, including meals and transport, is covered by the Japanese government.

Homelessness, which is a specter creating fear in many people due to pandemic era economic policies is not due to lack of housing it is a choice. A choice made by society, the economy and government to use this fear to create incentives to work at substandard labor condition jobs. It is a matter of priorities: Luxury hotels and condos going empty or a better social safety net and fewer people living rough on the street.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

That vegetarian option looks so appetizing! hahaha

4 ( +8 / -4 )

All athletes are being asked to arrive only five days before their first competition and leave two days after. They are being told there will be no tourism and little social contact — even in the Athletes' Village.

Geez, whats the point of even having an Athlete's Village? Just put them in hotels. Sad, I've heard the Olympics tend to be a romp fest for the athletes.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Trevorpeace

So, no public transportation from the airport hotel, after three days of quarantine, and testing negative? No cabs, no buses, no trains?

Oh, the article forgot to mention: at the end of the quarantine you will be welcomed by three Akihabara maids, providing free shoulder massages and taking care of your every needs. Then the chauffeured limousine will wait for you right next to Narita terminal's main exit, ready to take you to your complimentary hotel suite of your choice..

0 ( +5 / -5 )

What about after the lifting of the state of emergency? Is there any guideline so far.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

All athletes are being asked to arrive only five days before their first competition and leave two days after. They are being told there will be no tourism and little social contact — even in the Athletes' Village.

So, there’ll be exercising whilst jet lagged and prone to injuries-not a smart move!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I'm sure the food will be pretty good and room nice and clean, but tiny. However, this article created more questions for me. Lol.

No public transportation. So are you supposed to walk to your next destination in a hazmat suit?

How is Olympic village a bubble? Impossible to keep non-virus bubble. Staff will be coming and going all the time.

What about foreigners that are not competing in Olympics? What is the protocol.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Good point, @dagon 7:58a JST “...A choice made by the gov’t to use fear to create incentives to work at substandard labor condition jobs. It is a matter of priorities.”

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Looking at the photo, this is exactly why uninformed people think that vegetarians eat 'rabbit food'. The lack of imagination is astounding. It's lucky I brought my own food. The vegan food on JAL was wonderful, on the other hand. I suppose we should be grateful all expenses are paid, but I was not pleased to spend so much money on a private limousine service. At least I got a view of the airport runway! I hear others opened their windows to a brick wall.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

I would hope they put bigger fridges in those two mat rooms

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Japanese quarantine does not work. This is a documented fact because there are now many cases of the UK variant community spread in various places in Japan with NO connection to overseas travel. ( Tokyo, Hyogo, Shizouka, Saitama) This means it got into the community from Travellers who became positive after the 3 day hotel quarantine and negative tests and didn't do home quarantine adequately. Or it could be from exempt travellers to the quarantine, businessman, Olympic officials, aircrew or whoever.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210211/p2a/00m/0na/025000c

18 ( +18 / -0 )

Japanese quarantine does not work. This is a documented fact because there are now many cases of the UK variant community spread in various places in Japan with NO connection to overseas travel. ( Tokyo, Hyogo, Shizouka, Saitama) This means it got into the community from Travellers who became positive after the 3 day hotel quarantine and negative tests and didn't do home quarantine adequately. Or it could be from exempt travellers to the quarantine, businessman, Olympic officials, aircrew or whoever.

The UK variant was brought in by a Japanese pilot.

18 ( +18 / -0 )

I thought the UK variant was brought in by that Japanese guy who decided he didn't need to quarantine and went out to have dinner with friends? Or was he the pilot? The point is, you can't blame foreigners for every single problem.

18 ( +19 / -1 )

So people are saying it is just the one pilot or is it the one Japanese guy who ignored home quarantine who are responsible for the multiple cases all over the country of community spread of the UK variant. It is spreading much faster than I thought possible. Or more likely there are multiple cases of people ignoring home quarantine spreading it, which is why I said Japanese quarantine does not work. And I certainly dont think it is just foreigners who are the ones breaking the home quarantine. Japanese probably make up the bulk of travellers. It could be any nationality.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

A fish head soup may be added to the meal in the picture.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

A: A staff worker will check if you have installed a COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application designated by the government on an online messenger application to report your health condition. You must allow your location to be accessible on your smartphone.

This is mazed.

COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application must by COCOA (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10900000/000647649.pdf). Officially it does not report user's location or health condition anywhere. And it's stand alone, not on a messenger.

Otherwise, what are they talking about?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

COVID-19, its variants, the potential dangers, the likelihood of severe illness in the midst of managing the arrival of "Tens of thousands" of athletes, and coaching staff.   

COVID-19, is a danger, any subsequent evaluation of risk to Tokyo’s population is incalculable. I would suggest that no quarantine or prevention will be able to secure a measured risk prevention strategy to contain a potential outbreak. COVID-19 is unseen.

The Olympic motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius. (faster, higher, stronger)

The Olympic values, friendship, excellence, respect, courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

COVID-19, has rendered Olympic Games an unacceptable hazard, and the continuation is contrary to a number if not all of the above Olympic motto and values.

Yesterday Saburo Kawabuchi, 84 the former head of the Japan Football Association (JFA), was touted to take over president of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The role required a number of candidates, all with a solid proven track record in global scale project management, contractual negotiation tactics.

Add the leadership/communication experience to build trust, to forge teams of skilled staff dedicated to produce results under extreme pressure.

I believe these games could ultimately be facing cancellation. Could be when, not if.

So, it would be smart to focusing on damage limitation on the potential financial fallout.   

There is no reason to travel abroad at this time.

Governments never foot the bill, that is left to the hard pressed tax payers.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I thought the UK variant was brought in by that Japanese guy who decided he didn't need to quarantine and went out to have dinner with friends? Or was he the pilot? The point is, you can't blame foreigners for every single problem.

Agreed, and it's likely that the UK variant was brought in by dozens of Japanese from the UK. Even today they are pinning the blame on us expats, and we nod and accept it meekly. What a shame

9 ( +12 / -3 )

I do not know a single foreigner who has entered Japan and followed the 14 day quarantine procedure properly. It's like letting a dog off a leash, only a rare few can be trusted.

-15 ( +4 / -19 )

Those single hotel in Japan are like prison cells. Depressing AF

12 ( +15 / -3 )

I do not know a single foreigner who has entered Japan and followed the 14 day quarantine procedure properly. It's like letting a dog off a leash, only a rare few can be trusted.

There are infinitely more Japanese returnees than foreigners who have not followed quarantine. I guess only "a rare few Japanese can be trusted" too?

9 ( +10 / -1 )

I am sure there are Japanese who break quarantine rules too, I just don't know them personally. However, every single foreigner I know who came in to Japan within 2 weeks is skiing or other activity. Not saying every foreigner does it, just every one that I know.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Plans now call for the athletes to be tested 72 hours before they leave home; then again when they arrive, and then frequently when they are closed off in a "bubble” in the Athletes' Village alongside Tokyo Bay.

You can get a variety of the SARS-CoV-19 virus 1 minute before boarding or on the plane. Tests are not accurate. My cousins family tested negative before boarding in India. Positive in NZ.

”bubble” translates to what happened on cruise boats. It will spread to a large amount of people with many different strains.

Tokyo 2024!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Zichi indeed if I was to fly to UK Brighton, to carry out auditing, executive work, in person sign off safety procedures,

I was informed 10 hotel isolation/quarantine £1750, so many tests I lost count. Any deviation from the rules and a possible £10,000 fine.

Knowingly tell a fib, risk a ten year prison sentence.

Media are report a person convicted of manslaughter could theoretically be released on parole whilst I was still under lock and key.

On return another 10 days, more tests, and how I would return to Kochi?

So after careful consideration, less than 5 seconds, I thought I would pass on travelling to UK,

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I went through this back in October after returning from US. Went through all the testing at the airport in Haneda, did the 72hr PCR prior to leaving the US, passed everything and then had a friend pick me up and drive me to my house. Quarantined at home for 14 days and I think we got called 2x only. Overall wasn't too bad honestly, just do what they require and you should be ok. With the new variants I guess certain countries there are some newer measures here you must take upon arrival but overall nothing too ridiculous from what I read here.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

And we still get people posting here saying the government is doing nothing

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

That's a horrible breakfast. What is that?

A dressingless salad and rice? What kind of torture is that?

Give them some meat. Or some cereal. Some eggs, something. Are they trying to starve them?

What's the dinner like? Two pieces of untoasted white bread, rice and a potato?

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

As for the hotel room, so any other Toyoko INN stay? At least they save 6500 yen, right? Or do they pay per night?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Staying in an APA ‘hotel room’ is akin to being imprisoned - those teensy, tiny rooms.

Oh, and don’t forget the revisionist propaganda reading material!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Wouldn't it be easier to start vaccinating people, and to insist that incoming travelers be vaccinated?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The Olympics during the pandemic shouldn’t be going ahead, who are they kidding!

Not to have it is the sensible thing to do. Athletes aren’t going to feel comfortable under strict controlled conditions. This is looking bad, and seems like a knee jerking response from Japanese officials just to save face. Millions of yen has been lost in the preparation of these games and now even more will be lost as sponsors drop out!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

shogun36:

That's a horrible breakfast. What is that?

A dressingless salad and rice? What kind of torture is that?

Give them some meat. Or some cereal. Some eggs, something. Are they trying to starve them?

What's the dinner like? Two pieces of untoasted white bread, rice and a potato?

The default obento has meat or fish. You have to specifically request for the vegetarian obento. I saw what was on offer, and I can tell you the meat and fish were completely cold and as hard as rock. Enough to turn anyone vegetarian, you might say!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Are taxis included in the public transport category? So how are they supposed to get to their next place of quarantine after three days and haven tested negative? Walk?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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