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Japan seeks to further ease border controls as COVID 6th wave wanes

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The current three-day isolation period at designated facilities will be lifted for travelers who test negative for COVID-19 upon their arrival in Japan from countries such as Australia, Spain, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States.

Is this official? Travelers from the US won't have to stay at the quarantine hotel for three days? I've been trying to follow this topic closely, and I think this is the first that I've seen this.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Arrrgh-TypeToday  07:00 am JST

Is this official? 

i think it's as official as the mawashi paper it's printed on, meaning it can change at any time. but like you, i've been following this topic intensely and find this to be awesome news. can't wait to go back to cali in may now.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

How were these countries that do not need to quarantine decided? I noticed that Canada is not on the list, but we have one of the highest rates of vaccines in the world! Whereas Denmark, which has given up on all Covid restrictions is again seeing huge spikes of Omicron 2.0. Good job Japan!

3 ( +10 / -7 )

A complete list of the countries would be appreciated, instead of just saying "countries such as..."

19 ( +20 / -1 )

Woah!Slow down there,chaps.

Everyone knows that the seventh wave is the biggest.

Pfft.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

Probably is true.

Vaccinated people from all over have been comjng into Japan all month without quarantine.

I personally know of a couple people.

Whats stated as rules in the news and whats reality don’t always sync.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

So how did the new variants enter Japan when the borders opened?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

dont need be hurry at all.

better be safe than sorry as this country health system in case of catastrophy will collapse fast.

more meetings more faxes and more public anouncements to follow.

reality of so called normal travel may come in life after GW or so if nothing will dramatically changed to bad-just my opinion.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

@Elvis. Easy to find a testing location. Just google or ask in the Facebook group “Return to Japan support group”. They are very helpful and have tons of people who have travelled back and forth during the pandemic

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Always to late always behind the others.

Kishida’s propaganda is doing this face lip service just to show to the international community how permissive he is.

Pure hypocrisy.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

How were these countries that do not need to quarantine decided? I noticed that Canada is not on the list, but we have one of the highest rates of vaccines in the world! Whereas Denmark, which has given up on all Covid restrictions is again seeing huge spikes of Omicron 2.0. Good job Japan!

I think Canada is still on the list. Denmark too. But don't take my word on this.

This article gives very little info.

So I checked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs English site for the full breakdown, and it is full of superfluous wording which makes it extremely hard to get a basic "list" of exactly what the status is for where.

See for yourself:

https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

(Canada, under section 2 and 3, is not specifically removed as others on, as of Dec 24)

Good luck figuring it out!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@Elvis

You will also need an official MOFA testing form filled out by a medical professional.

A friend who went to Canada said the PCR testing facility there had a stack of such forms for various countries, including Japan. Wasn't a problem, he said.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Take it slowly Japan.

But speed up the process at the airport so we can get out of there in under 4 hours.

The three day hotel quarantine was not bad at all. Nice view.

Food was a miss. So, brought my own, along with a panini grill, and coffee maker.

The good 'ole days.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

@Doolittle

Take it slowly Japan.

Like they're not already? If they take it any slower they'll be going in reverse.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

I did a PCR test on 31 December, with a 2 January departure to Haneda. The problem was the test cost $299 to get a same day result (needed that because of the holidays). And did the 15 days of quarantine in Japan before going to Okinawa. The only positive of the quarantine was being able to play golf twice.

A three day quarantine is not horrible.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

A three day quarantine is not horrible

As a business traveler that goes for less than a week at a time, ANY quarantine is a non-starter. Glad that Japan is seemingly going to do it the right way!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Just want to stress, the worst thing about the quarantine was the food. Three times a day, cold bento. Half of which was rice. The rest, sometimes unidentifiable. I opened one, ate the finger sized piece of salmon, and from therein fired up my panini grill and cooked my tuna, Italian cold cuts, and other sandwiches, without with which I would have willingly starved.

Then, after reporting my health condition daily, and answering most of the automated phone calls, the Ministry of Silliness sent someone to my house. I answered from behind a closed door, and told the man I need to see his identification (which he showed me through my peephole---he was not a govt. worker, but a contractor from a security company!), and also a recent Covid test. He kept asking my name, and if someone with my name was present. I told him for confidential reasons that information cannot be disclosed, and told him to come back with a negative Covid test before my door would open.

He left a paper in my mailbox, saying I was not home, and I might be violating my pledge.

So, good to see Japan move past this wasting of resources.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Sounds unbelievable no quarantine .

The pcr test for entry to Japan isn't that difficult.

Just download the paperwork from the embassy and make doctors appointment for the test and doctors signature of a negative test 24hrs before departure.

If you research well there are places that offer free pcr test certificates.

Pcr test on arrival to Japan.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

), and also a recent Covid test. He kept asking my name, and if someone with my name was present. I told him for confidential reasons that information cannot be disclosed, and told him to come back with a negative Covid test before my door would open.

He left a paper in my mailbox, saying I was not home, and I might be violating my pledge.

Hahahaha thanks man posts like yours are what these forums need.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Like they're not already? If they take it any slower they'll be going in reverse.

Yeah!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What does nationality has to do with health which is strictly personal? Why US citizens for example shouldn't quarantine while a german have to stay 3 days isolated if both had the same protection/vaccinations?

If from a country where covid is raging presumably higher risk. Maybe

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Take it slowly Japan.

But speed up the process at the airport so we can get out of there in under 4 hours.

The three day hotel quarantine was not bad at all. Nice view.

Food was a miss. So, brought my own, along with a panini grill, and coffee maker.

The good 'ole days.

-7( +0 / -7 )

Seems nobody likes someone actually making the best out of the situation and having an optimistic outlook.

Just the attitude for these times I would say

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yeah I reckon that's what you were trying to say first post.

Haven't checked any info lately so I can't really add anything more helpful

0 ( +0 / -0 )

When I re-entered Japan last month, I asked them if they want to know my vaccination status, but they said no.

And suddenly it matters!

Credit goes to the quarantine staff at my hotel though, because my panini grill electrical cord is three pronged, and naturally the hotel electric outlet is only two pronged, so after I made the inquiry to the staff my first morning, someone came up with an adapter before lunch---and I was heating up tuna and provolone cheese in a bulkie roll. I had brought my coffee maker with me from Japan, so that got me through the morning. Made my partial view of Rainbow Bridge even brighter.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Pardon my incredulity but who travels with an electric grill and a coffee maker?

My suitcases are usually full of Mac ‘n Cheese-no room for anything else.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

kurisupisu--I didn't travel with it per se. I purchased it before coming back to Japan. Two large check-in suitcases, so no problem. And it is big too---can grill 3 at a time. Made by Cooks.

After reading about people stuck in quarantine in dorms, and hotels here---from Japanese blogs, I figured, if they can't stomach the bento, I will not have to.

I also brought homemade oatmeal cookies, banana bread, protein bars, baby food (vegetables) in rwtort packages---I went all out to make sure I did not suffer from lack of food, and it was well worth it. Even stuffed cherry coke in a can, and a bottle of Johnnie Walker I picked up at duty free.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

My daughter returned from the US on Wednesday.

She is currently enjoying her 3-day stay at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel.

However,she must go back to Narita Airport to have another PCR test tomorrow before she is 'released.'

Some weird red tape in play.

I also hear the Prince hotels in Japan are in danger of going under so I guess the government decided to support them by shoving returnees in them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As a fully vaccinated Canadian who's visited Japan almost every year since the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami (personally witnessed) and who's made many friends there over the years, I read this story as a bad joke. A really bad joke. In fact, it's an insult, and the primary reason I've given up on seeing my friends and their young children. Japan's government is a disgrace and a laughing-stock, as far as I'm concerned. But, it's been that way for decades. Unfortunately the people of Japan are still sheep. No offence intended, but sometimes the truth hurts.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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