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© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Japan suspends new reservations on all incoming flights
By MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
65 Comments
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therougou
Already retracted to allow Japanese to get home. No mention of foreign residents. I dislike this guy already.
「国土交通省において、新規予約の一律受け付け停止の要請を取りやめ、邦人の帰国需要について十分配慮するよう航空会社へ改めて通知した」と述べた。
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a346e206ea44dedfd46f6c07f817544e6993792f
Robert Cikki
And that's the stumbling block. Imagine a situation - a Japanese citizen and a citizen of a foreign country go on a trip together. To any place. They'll be together the whole time, one room in a hotel, not a step apart. Then they want to return to Japan (citizen of a foreign country on a trip here, not a visa holder, etc). The citizen is allowed in, the foreigner is not. Even though they both meet the same criteria. Few of the geniuses give it a second thought. That the virus will just keep on spreading and it won't care what citizenship someone has. And now it doesn't matter that a foreigner just won't look here. It's the principle - that ignores the fact that a citizen can bring the contamination here.
I see it more as a populist gesture and a symbolic washing of their hands over the whole situation.
And perhaps also as a distraction from the core of the situation to something secondary - "newcomers, especially tourists and foreigners. After all, we let our citizens in!"
RegBilk
dmhondzToday 11:40 am JST
Thanks for the update; valuable and timely information.
stormcrow
Over 75% of Japanese have been vaccinated and the COVID cases have dropped like a stone. The holidays are fast approaching and Japan deserves to pat itself on the back. Good job, Japan!
dmhondz
Update 12/02 11:40AM JST
JGov just cancelled this ridiculous order.
Hito Bito
...Until the end of December.
Don't the VAST majority of Japanese travelers who leave for international destinations over the New Year's break leave in December but...come back in January? Hmm...
Still, I would definitely hesitate to make any international plans for travel now, especially since Kishida has shown he will not be seen as weak on COVID like his limp predecessor...
wtfjapan
Why would airlines listen to a request? Their job is to make money, not do what the Japanese government wants
because its a mandate, if a company knowing imports or infects people with variants then theyre liable for their actions. If governments shut down the airports what are airlines going to do!?
wtfjapan
It's a known risk to fly internationally in a pandemic.
exactly if you want to travel during a pandemic and your livelihood is in the country or origin,
then you take that gamble.
Hiro
Time to forget about traveling abroad and instead think where to spend the holidays within japan. All this gloom is pointless anyway. Might as well just enjoy the holidays here. Ginzan Onsen might sound nice. Shame i couldn't go to the kitami festival this year. Too busy and way too cold for me.
ycgdude
Why would airlines listen to a request? Their job is to make money, not do what the Japanese government wants.
purple_depressed_bacon
first if you left the country during the middle of a pandemic then thats on you.
Wow, do you lack a soul. First of all, some people HAD to leave due to family emergencies, commitments etc. Second of all, no, you should not have to continue paying rent and contributing the social and pension program when the Japanese government has forcibly kept you out of the country and stranded for months on end and your livelihood is in Japan but you can't go to work because you're stuck outside the country. Show a little empathy; expats have lives and commitments in both their current place of residence and their country of birth and even during a pandemic, sometimes you need to go home to see out these commitments in-person.
GenHXZ
This actually might be good in a way - as they are also banning Japanese people from getting in, there should be a huge outcry and this over the top 'measure' might cause them to back pedalon a nother dumb decision (and not for the 100th time either) But if no outcry, or it is muted, then things could only get worse with how they are isolating the entire country, following CH basically.
wtfjapan
I’ve mentioned this before, those travel plans would and have been short lived. Keep complying I guess
if you dont comply you dont get to travel, simple as that. traveling , unmasked, unvaccinated, with no testing and no quarantine period is something only an antivaxxer would dream of during a pandemic
2020hindsights
Monty
Shouldn't your expectation be based in reality though? I would advise against having unrealistic expectations.
wtfjapan
What happens to a foreigner who rents an apartment here and now can’t get back into the country? Will the Japanese government help pay for that persons rent since they can’t enter the country?
first if you left the country during the middle of a pandemic then thats on you.
second there is a thing called international Telegraphic / Bank transfer to the landlord, if your J landlord wont accept that,then you can do a transfer to your own bank account in Japan and then transfer it online domestically to your landlord. Just because youre not in Japan doesnt mean you dont need to pay your rent.
justasking
@Monty
This is exactly what’s NOT happening.
GenHXZ
Typical Japan gov, telling one glimmer of hope thing and then passivley cancelling it out in the same freakin sentence - 'Oh, residents and citizens who have a reservation in Dec can come back' ... 'Airlines might cancel the flight though' They are basically saying they have influence to 'urge' the Airlines to cancel the flights. Hideous and downright sinister.
noriahojanen
I think such cases are qualified for state-sponsored corona relief fund programmes regardless of applicants' nationality or legal status. Besides, landowners are entitled to the subsidy for the sake of covering undue/overdue rents (but it could be possible for some landowners to cheat on the relief program not notifying to tenants under crisis). Better check things out.
purple_depressed_bacon
@Tequa Sunrise - it happened to two coworkers of mine, one of whom was stuck outside of Japan for almost 6months but still had to pay her rent, bills, social insurance etc. It was galling, ths situation Japan put her in so I wasn't at all surprised that when she finally was able to return, she made the right decision to pack up and go home. If this is how J-gov treats its expat residents, then why bother contributing to the Japanese economy and society?
purple_depressed_bacon
First of all, love The Lion King reference. Secondly, while the internet is great to stay in touch, it doesn't recreate that feeling and atmosphere of actually being home for the holidays. You can't exactly eat Christmas dinner through your computer screen. Japan closing its borders had dashed any and all chances of a getting together with family for the hols.
Eastman
I am just saying that if fully vaccinated people are getting sick now from the new strain, even they are fully vaccinated, many people will question the sense of taking the current available vaccine.
I guess, that if more news are coming out, that fully vaccinated people are getting sick by the new strain, more and more people will refuse the current available vaccine.
As long as the current vaccine protects you of getting sick from the new strain, everything is fine.
But so far it doesn't look like that.
We have to wait another few weeks, to see how strong is the current available vaccine against the new strain.
And until then I 100% support Japan's decision to close its borders.
man i gave you my siganture.101% agree.
gogogo
@Ellone - Call the embassy, Japan has actually thought about this for once and it seems they are not spliting up families at the border - As long as you are married, not sure about defacto with kids.... but I could see someone doing their job too well and only allowing spouse visa's as well - just call and find out.
vic.M
Not what the health experts are saying in South Africa. Gotta keep the fear going.
Bob Fosse
I’m not upset at all. You mentioned you were a psychology and sociology major. Interesting projection, worth looking into perhaps.
Not necessary.
Peter Neil
After all this time and the information for a year, people still don’t understand that the vaccines prevent severe symptoms, reduce hospitalizations and reduce deaths?
We’re doomed as species.
Dirk T
The Japanese government doesn't do what it does out of "racism" (as has been mentioned) but out of a sense of being uniquely different in such a way that its people and culture must be protected. The odd gaijin who makes it big in Japan is beloved because it makes the Japanese feel good about themselves, but an entire class of immigrants will never be allowed to be successful in such a way that threatens the power structure.
noriahojanen
It's excessive, arbitrary and not legally grounded. The government is just again "asking" airline companies for cooperation without any emergency laws, without compensations for business loss. if sued for trial over damages, the government would easily lose the case.
Ellone
@gogogo
And what if you have a long-term work visa (5 years), but you're a spouse is Japanese international? Can't find any information on this... I really wish they made this clear.
diobrando
"all NEW NEW NEW foreigners" is that si much difficult to write?
Japan is on the blacklist from countries such as Switzerland with 10 days quarantine.
gogogo
Borders are only closed to tourists, if you have a PR, spouse visa or Japanese kids (and not from a handful of countries) you can still get in.
I praise Japan for the common sence in not spliting up international families at the border in this case.
Bob Fosse
Someone who likes to worry a lot apparently. Fear as you know causes anxiety which in turn can have a detrimental effect on the the body.
Jbigs
Who resides in Japan and has a rental apartment, then leaves with no return flight booked?
Seems like a lot of unprepared people trying to push the blame onto others.
factchecker
Overreacting is what Japan does best.
Mickelicious
Something deliciously oxymoronic here (if only we could be @rsed).
William77
If some expats still have a chance to go back to their countries for good now could be the time.
The situation in Japan was already fragile for the foreign community with so little rights and many duties.
Japan became in the last years neither a suitable or good choice to live due to a huge variants of discrimination and violations of human rights.
Even long term residents feels no more save about their visas or rights.
The Avenger
Wise move.
Now you have to fly to Taiwan and take a cab to Japan.
Iron Lad
Good, good Japan!
purple_depressed_bacon
Wait, back up. What exactly do they mean by "most of them"?? I sincerely hope this is a typo and that ALL of the passengers on that flight were quarantined with no exceptions.
Bob Fosse
That’s basically it yes.
Because they have been getting not enough or the wrong information.
Mat
Developed a fever and sore throat huh? Nasty stuff that.
At some point, don't we have to say 'screw it' and just let people have a little time off from work instead of crippling the world economy?
Monty
Another point Bob is, what do you expect from an effective vaccine?
Just not to die?
I mean if you are hospitalized with serious symptoms even you are fully vaccinated, is that Ok for you?
Or if you go out to your normal life and you get infected, even you are fully vaccinated, but just some mild symptoms like fever or cough came out. Is that OK for you?
Or do you want to stay complete safe and healthy after you got fully vaccinated?
I guess each single person has a different expectation from being fully vaccinated.
Mine is to stay safe and healthy, which means even mild symptoms are not Ok for me if I am fully vaccinated.
Of course, better than dying or getting hospitalized, but not OK.
Tora
Not to worry! The EU could make vaccines mandatory. And Austria has already announced it. We're saved!
Bob Fosse
Fully vaccinated people have been getting sick from Covid symptoms since there were fully vaccinated people. This is not due to any new variant.
Creating a drama out of it now is disingenuous.
Also, as you have been told, “getting sick” for the fully vaccinated generally means mild flu like symptoms. As all recent reports on Omicron have stated, including the one above I presume you read before commenting on.
TokyoJoe
The others were Japnese nationals so don't pose a virus risk, they are already on the rush hour trains, in pointless 2 hour long teeth sucking meetings and unwinding over a few highballs with their colleagues in cramped Karaoke rooms. What could go wrong?
Monty
@Bob
We were talking in the past about being fully vaccinated and get infected and spread the virus.
We did not talk about being fully vaccinated and getting sick.
That is a big difference!
Monty
@newgirlintown
I know that.
I am just saying that if fully vaccinated people are getting sick now from the new strain, even they are fully vaccinated, many people will question the sense of taking the current available vaccine.
I guess, that if more news are coming out, that fully vaccinated people are getting sick by the new strain, more and more people will refuse the current available vaccine.
As long as the current vaccine protects you of getting sick from the new strain, everything is fine.
But so far it doesn't look like that.
We have to wait another few weeks, to see how strong is the current available vaccine against the new strain.
And until then I 100% support Japan's decision to close its borders.
sakurasuki
Same thing happened when there was covid outbreak in 2020, will Japan do the same thing for any new variant that show up in the future?
David Brent
Who flies from Peru to Japan, via Doha?!! Huh?
Newgirlintown
Monty misunderstanding the point of vaccinations there. Monty, they don’t necessarily stop you getting coronavirus, but they will almost certainly stop you dying or having severe symptoms.
Monty
The second patient, who was fully vaccinated, tested positive for the coronavirus
but has since developed a fever and sore throat
Fully vaccinated and showed symptoms...
With such news, more and more people will get suspicious if it makes sense to take this vaccine.
diagonalslip
"All the remaining 114 passengers on the flight tested negative and are being monitored by health authorities, most of them at a government-designated facility."
and the others?
diagonalslip
"Japan banned all foreign visitors starting Tuesday" yet "Those who have already made reservations are not affected" えっ?