Japan to let in 250 foreigners per day from Australia, NZ, Thailand, Vietnam under eased travel curbs

Too soon

Can't see there being many people willing to undertake a 2 week quarantine at both ends just to attend a business meeting. I guess the J-gov hasn't heard of Zoom.

Despite a compulsory quarantine, it is better than a full entry ban to all foreign arrivals. Hope the travel bubble is going to grow covering more countries.

I wonder what is going on in US military bases across the country.

They should also conduct PCR tests on the incoming ones if they have no proof of negative result from country of origin. Or require it before coming in like other countries.

What?! Only 250 safe destination travelers per day?? For the whole summer? What about those Japan residents with non Japan passports stuck abroad?

This government is killing the travel industry and thousands will or already have lost their livelihoods.

So it was fine to keep the pachinko open during the spike and the host clubs have created a second wave and Japanese from Wuhan could go straight home but we have stringent blocks on anyone with a non Japan passport..

Yep scratching my head

Depending on the situation, the government will expand the list later to other countries, including China, South Korea and the United States.

China??? Are you kidding me?

Its so ridiculous. Are they going to count to 250 every day then close the windows.?! Don't base it on a number base it on whether someone tests negative from a safe country.

How can you judge the 250 cap? And this is 250 for the whole of Japan including Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Nagoya, Naha, and Sapporo.

They are killing one of the biggest industries in Japan. Test people at the airports and get them to provide test certificates. Instead of this stupid 250 cap.

The United States??? Are you kidding me?

MontyToday  04:28 pm JST

Depending on the situation, the government will expand the list later to other countries, including China, South Korea and the United States.

China??? Are you kidding me?

The Vietnamese and Thai arrivals are very important to Japan, as they provide the slave labor, sorry I mean paid internees, that do a lot of menial jobs here in Japan.

You are correct. However, there are many Vietnamese arrivals who work in white-collar jobs or positions as equal as Japanese citizens. Vietnamese nurses now score higher than Japanese natives in the hospital entrance test exams, and almost all Japanese hospitals have Vietnamese presence anywhere. There are also Vietnamese engineers and IT experts who work for Japanese companies and factories as well. There are a lot of Vietnamese doing menial jobs, while there are a lot of Vietnamese doing not-menial jobs.

Fortunately, Japan and South Korea have become unattractive for Vietnamese workers in recent years due to the dire economic situations of both nations. Most Vietnamese workers are looking for a new frontier, Europe. Vietnamese syndicates have emerged to become the most important player of European narcotics and drugs market, while Vietnamese people in EU have thrived in recent years. Vietnamese workers are cheap, so the Vietnamese syndicates and business owners in EU employ their own compatriots more. Of course, staying in EU long enough will give you a permanent residency, much better than in Japan or South Korea. With the EVFTA at hand, Vietnamese people will gain easier path of working in the EU more.

This is pure silliness. Makes no sense on many levels.

The government backed big players are cornering the market. All competition will go under.

The likes of JAL, ANA, JTB, and HIS will sit this out in the knowledge that the Japanese government will never let them go bankrupt. So they are putting no pressure on the government as they watch those zero sales figures for months.

When they return all of their competition will have gone under and they will have cornered the market, courtesy of their friends in government.

Does everyone here realise that JAL and ANA are continuing to fly Japanese in to the country with no quarantine whilst non-Japanese residents are barred.

I believe this is including people moving to Japan for new job employment with a valid CoE

I want to get out-I don’t care about getting back in.,.,

I can’t see Aussies and New Zealanders rushing to come to Japan because they’ll have to spend two weeks in quarantine when they return from Japan.

Absolutely absurd. What about permanent residents, long term visa holders etc. who have been living in Japan for many many years, paid their taxes, own houses, have (Japanese) spouses/kids? They should have priority in being allowed to come back not business people from some selected countries, coming in for just a couple of days!

And JGov is even considering to include China and US at a later stage?? What are they thinking? Apparently not!

NO to USA, China and Korea. Full Stop.

Japan only wants foreigners who don't settle here spending money as tourists. You wait and see, there will be a huge push on internal domestic-only travel. Until the Olympics rears its head again.

Why would anyone from a safe country, like New Zealand, want to come to a place where testing and information about the actual amount of infected is so unavailable?

Is that a plane from Thailand on Monday? A plane from New Zealand on Tuesday? From Australia on a Wednesday? Or just just 4 or 5 planes a day from various countries - with no more than 40 or 50 passengers?

OMG... i hope i don't have to wear these crazy tools when i go back to work --"

I highly doubt that this will be a mutual deal with Australia and New Zealand! The latest local news here down under mentions travel between Australia and New Zealand only and Australian borders to remain closed to foreign nationals at least until summer ( December ). Japan might allow Australians in but Australia won’t allow Japanese in! Of course diplomats are exceptions already.

@Paul Laimal ... got to agree with you! Australia and New Zealand not so likely! Thailand and Vietnam probably will head to Japan the minute the borders open!

Dont see the viability for the airlines especially NZ and Aus to start reinstating flights. i suspect this hasn't been thought through on all levels...

@Reckless

I need to get back to the States by late July and I am getting worried now that I may not be able to return. That has both positive and negative dimensions.

+

@Frans

Absolutely absurd. What about permanent residents, long term visa holders etc. who have been living in Japan for many many years, paid their taxes, own houses, have (Japanese) spouses/kids? They should have priority in being allowed to come back not business people from some selected countries, coming in for just a couple of days!

Yes, exactly this. I'm in the same boat too. Have a long term visa, Japanese spouse and a job here. I also have a flight ticket back home in summer, for a couple of weeks to see my family (which I haven't seen for a year) and organise some important things there. My flight company refuses to change the date on the ticket as it was bought nearly a year ago. Can't get my money back either. But as there's no way of knowing will I be able to come back, it's a pickle.

a) stay in Japan: miss seeing the family, loose the flight (= loose money), but keep your job (and your spouse!)

b) temporarily leave Japan: see the family, keep the flight, buy a new ticket to fly back to Japan - to possibly just be turned back at the border, resulting in loosing more money and loosing the job (but hopefully not the spouse).

"What about those Japan residents with non Japan passports stuck abroad?

They are learning the true worth of Japanese permanent residency"

Are some people ever going to understand that there's a big difference between a national and a foreigner who is a permanent resident?

Lord have mercy on some.

The PR in Japan has no meaning. It has the same status as a Tourist Visa. Basically you have to get Japanese Nationality or consider yourself as a temporary tourist and then get out.

@ Vinke

Yes, exactly this. I'm in the same boat too. Have a long term visa, Japanese spouse and a job here. I also have a flight ticket back home in summer, for a couple of weeks to see my family (which I haven't seen for a year) and organise some important things there. My flight company refuses to change the date on the ticket as it was bought nearly a year ago. Can't get my money back either. But as there's no way of knowing will I be able to come back, it's a pickle.

a) stay in Japan: miss seeing the family, loose the flight (= loose money), but keep your job (and your spouse!)

b) temporarily leave Japan: see the family, keep the flight, buy a new ticket to fly back to Japan - to possibly just be turned back at the border, resulting in loosing more money and loosing the job (but hopefully not the spouse).

I feel you and the situation and decisions in this country are getting more ridiculous by the day.

I'm currently in Japan but need to go back home to sort out some important issues. Whilst I can leave Japan, as it stands now I'm not allowed back in, in spite of having a long term visa. My wife, who is 30+ years PR here, is undergoing chemo treatment and needs care and as a result I'm in an impossible situation. I know foreigners could be allowed to re-enter Japan based on "humanitarian grounds" and the advise is to check with the Immigration Office if you qualify for humanitarian grounds. But even if it's confirmed by the Immigration Office that you do, the final decision lays with the Immigration Officer at your port of entry and he could put you on the first flight back.

Still no news for foreign residents stuck abroad, or those who need to go home urgently.

and refrain from using public transportation, 

Virtually impossible to do that for the average tourist.

Australians are currently not allowed to leave Australia without special permission. (Not sure about New Zealanders). Compulsory strict quarantine in a hotel ( not at home) for 14 days on return to Australia.

Sure people will want to come to Japan where they can't even use public transport!

Anyhow why would those countries allow people to visit Japan where there is more chance of catching the virus as it i is circulating (to what extent is unknown due to lowest testing in the developed world,)

At least Australia will allow permanent residents to return unlike Japan where if you leave that is it goodbye!

If those countries are so safe why can't the permanent residents from those countries be allowed to return from there(just like the Japanese who visit there ( if they were allowed in)

The priority should first be to allow foreign permanent residents in exactly the same process as for Japanese nationals. These are the ones with strong ties and existing commitment to Japan, who are paying taxes.

Then they might consider tourism if there could be a safe way to manage it while the virus is still circulating.

At least its progress.

My parents are desperate to see their grandkids.

Does the ban include those connecting to flights to other destinations? Asking for a friend.

Interesting short list. Aussie, sheep lovers, thais and our new accepted workforce, Vietnam. Made a good impression apparently. Like everything in the post Wuhan Virus world , it’s a start, Let’s see where this one goes ,

@tigerstokyodome I don’t think that this 250 person restriction is that for the entire summer. I think that this is the initial amount that they allow, and over the course of the summer, assuming that things go well of course, they’ll allow more and more people overtime.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/japan-entry-ban-list/?fbclid=IwAR33BJS9nHjS1uQlfqyVysutDEOBCu7ggeD4jcF5vlgx5AQpKOqjUFVAz_M

reentrant with these visa status can come back to japan anytime ;

Permanent residents and spouses and children of permanent residents

Spouses and children of Japanese nationals

Long-term resident visa holders

Yes, having left before the pandemic sometime in April or before,but to presently go and come back at present is not possible for the majority of foreigners.

250 per day? Thats one fairly small plane load a day! Obviously not viable for the airlines.

FransJune 11  05:39 pm JST

Absolutely absurd. What about permanent residents, long term visa holders etc. who have been living in Japan for many many years, paid their taxes, own houses, have (Japanese) spouses/kids? They should have priority in being allowed to come back not business people from some selected countries, coming in for just a couple of days! 

And JGov is even considering to include China and US at a later stage?? What are they thinking? Apparently not

residents and Japanese can return. They just have to lock it down for 2 weeks once returned. No one said they couldn’t. This post is for gaijjins who will be on a business or tourist visa.

The easing of travel restrictions is expected to be mutual, and discussions are being held with these countries on how to do so without risking the spread of COVID-19.

Many of those countries are far further ahead with controlling Covid-19 than Japan, so that's going to be a hard sell.

Hey Japan, *h*ow about working on allowing ex-pats and Permanent Residents back into the country first? Many are stranded in other countries, away from their families in Japan, long term homes and jobs in Japan waiting for Japan to be sensible about people who have a long term commitment to the country.

If someone arrives today and are deemed to be number 251 do they get sent straight back or do they have to wait and then go to the front of the queue tomorrow?

tinky1June 11  07:10 pm JST

i suspect this hasn't been thought through on all levels...

It's not like Japan to implement processes without thinking through all the details

Harry_GattoToday  09:12 am JST

If someone arrives today and are deemed to be number 251 do they get sent straight back or do they have to wait and then go to the front of the queue tomorrow?

Hold tight for further announcements. This is Japan after all, it's not like they will leave this kind of stuff vague.

@noriahojanen

"I wonder what is going on in US military bases across the country."

Documentation and guidance have been sent out to all personnel and it applies to everyone. If you access an installation in any way, shape or form, the rules apply to you. Full stop, no exceptions.

Completely idiotic. 

Why don’t they have these people hose themselves down with Lysol every 2 hours and wear spacesuits too! 

In a population of 125 million less than 1000 in Japan have died. There are now a trickle of new cases daily. There are no deaths in Vietnam in over 300 cases and no new cases for over 40 days. The virus worldwide has killed about as many as the 2018. Estimates based on antibody tests and other case studies show an overall real fatality rate of less than 0.5% to 0.2%. The original estimates from people like Niel Furgeson who made totally incorrect assumptions in his models (that were not peer reviewed, or had made one accurate prediction) were off by a factor of 10 or more. 90% of the fatalities are over 65 and 95% plus have pre-existing health conditions. This is not the plague.  People have been scared to death by faulty modeling and sensationalist media. When is intelligence and rationality going to return?