national

Gov't to shorten quarantine period for vaccinated travelers

68 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© KYODO

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

68 Comments

Comments have been disabled You can no longer respond to this thread.

So what's the point of vaccination if you still need to quarantine? Looks like there won't be any traveling till at least the end of the year

22 ( +33 / -11 )

Only shots developed by Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca are eligible, and a "vaccine passport" either issued in or recognized by Japan is required.

Vaccine alone is not enough you need, vaccine passport that recognized by Japan.

vaccinated against COVID-19 starting Oct 1, shortening the required period for self-isolating at home from 14 days to 10 days.

Vaccinated people only will get 4 days shorter? That's how Japan handle covid.

12 ( +17 / -5 )

Now that I'm fully vaccinated I've booked a trip for the New Years holiday back home to the States.

I'll be more than happy to quarantine even for 2 weeks as long as I can see friends and family (and renew my drivers license that's been expired for 3 years now).

4 ( +13 / -9 )

To enter France on September 16: download one application (1), show one proof of vaccination (1), give one paper saying you were not sick in the last 14 days. No quarantine, no limitation of transportation, proof of vaccination is accepted at any venue requiring a pass. Airplane to luggage: 23 minutes. Normal work and life for 10 days with fully vaccinated people (over 80% of the population is), test before coming back to Japan: negative. Risks: close to zero.

To enter back Japan on September 26: download three applications (3), provide a negative pcr test before departure, get a negative pcr test on arrival, go through 12 paper checks stations with over 75 staff whose sole purpose is to verify a single line of a single paper or a single document, get nineteen (19!) mini-hankos to acknowledge all the checks were done, hire a private car to go home, stay home 14 days with video verification by AI. Airplane to luggage: 1 hour and 53 minutes. Use of being fully vaccinated with the Japanese vaccine passport: zero. Risks in the train after going out after quarantine: who knows.

Hopefully the shorter quarantine is the first step only, because it’s not possible that Japan becomes a real life Kafka novel. The current measures are way beyond the principle of precaution, especially since in the meantime within the country none of this is applied. Having traveled twice for work, I am the only person among my family and work people who has actually taken a pcr test (I have taken 7), and fully vaccinated. I am also the only person I know actually staying home the full 14 days, but I am a foreigner and I am not gonna risk my resident permit to make the boss happy.

24 ( +28 / -4 )

There’s no point in easing the quarantine rules when the fully vaccinated are getting infected and are in need of booster shots.

-22 ( +9 / -31 )

meaningless reflecting again the super stupid Japanese bureaucrats...on week would have been at least something.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

meanwhile, friends in France are flying all over Europe for holidays.... unvaccinated! just a pcr test.

7 ( +15 / -8 )

Right, and let's not forget that all the Olympic athletes and staff never had to follow these quarantine rules.

10 ( +17 / -7 )

Is the PCR still mandatory?

4 days better than nothing but it is more a PR than anything. We understand that Japan wants people to avoid traveling and keep that hurdles.

Went overseas this summer, then back here.

Sama as @louisferdinandc

Had to complete my quarantine at home after 3 consecutive negative tests and a infection risk of zero.

And in addition, as Cocoa app could not be downloaded on my phone, had to spent 15000 yens for renting a phone just for this useless app.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Such a waste of time but I’ll be doing it in a few weeks…

1 ( +7 / -6 )

People who have been fully vaccinated will be able to go outside as long as they test negative for the virus after 10 days following their arrival

Ok , got it. 10 days but still to do a test to prove negative. Well. a big hassle in fact.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

People who have been fully vaccinated will be able to go outside as long as they test negative for the virus after 10 days following their arrival

Yeah I'm guessing the PCR test would be self-sponsored after 10 days?

Thanks but I'd rather do two weeks of quarantine than add another item to the travel spending list, starting from the ridiculous negative PCR ~English~ certificate to private taxi fares.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I just don't understand why people who have been tested multiple times and have been vaccinated are not allowed on public transport with a mask, while any local Taro or Hanako can do so, despite not having been tested, just because they haven't gone abroad. In case the government doesn't know, the virus is going around the local population. I am sick and tired of paying 25,000 yen just to ride a car for less than an hour. Are these limousine companies paying off some politicians?

9 ( +14 / -5 )

Government seems to have pulled the rug from underneath many who expected travel restrictions to be eased after vaccinations.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Pukey2.......

I am sick and tired of paying 25,000 yen just to ride a car for less than an hour. Are these limousine companies paying off some politicians?

I hear from "a friend" that after time spent in airport quarantine, you are released at the airport. Nobody checks how you return home after that. "My friend" sent his bag by courier and boarded the train as per normal. "My friend" is not usually a rule breaker but make exceptions for illogical, pointless rules like this one.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Sigh.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This is what happens when hysteria rules rather than rationality and science. We end up in grotesque situations or worse in hygienist tyrannies like China, Australia or New Zealand.

The change from 14 days to 10 days is peanuts, this is pathetic. It's insane that vaccinated people must be isolated for so long with severe penalties against foreigners if they don't. What the f.. point to be vaccinated if at least it does not help to not to have to go through that silly mess. In fact vaccinated people should not be imposed any restrictions any more. From being quarantined to wearing a mask. That's enough now with this ridiculous sh.. show, it has to stop.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

so proof of vaccination in Japan is not enough - you need to have a vaccine passport as well?

what is the point in that? - utterly ridiculous!!!

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Reversed omotenashi.

It seems I won't be going to Japan for a while.

I will be patient as a Japanese before returning, I promise.

Of course it is ludicrous, there is no science giving credential to that type of hurdles to life.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You're vaccinated. One test before you leave. When you arrive in Japan, another test and negative again. But you still have to quarantine yourself. Everybody has to. Most will still be negative within 10 days.

The result? It cost a lot of money, but you've isolated yourself for nothing. If they did a new test every few days and in the case of a second negative test, simply end the isolation, a huge amount of money would be saved and this could be put into speeding up vaccination, for example. But no, here you have to do everything your own way and as complicated as possible.

But what can I know if my country is being led by dinosaurs who admire pagers, fax and think of hanko as the only way of life.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Awaiting protests from Japanese public.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Very small step in the right direction but doesn't help much. Eventually we have to continue our lives. Covid is not going anywhere. In my opinion all restrictions should lifted after everyone has had the opportunity to get two doses of vaccination

2 ( +6 / -4 )

So that basically means they don't believe in the vaccines. Consequently, free travel to Japan becomes impossible for ever, given that Corona will stay and not disappear.

I bet this is going on as long as they recognize other countries have opened up and make money of tourism again.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

The word passport is wording created by the media. What this so called passport will be will a original document of your country with a government watermark a lot like a birth certificate. Immigration know most of these offical watermark documents of other countries and will except them as valid.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

strange rules. I will continue monthly trips around Japan, because it sure seems that the dinosaur club wants to keep out foreign tourists.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

“First step in a series of steps” don’t panic it’ll change for the better.I looking forward to travelling like everyone else.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I think at this point, they should just open things up for everyone, no restrictions. Back to normal should be the new normal. Hospitals should adjust to dealing with more Covid-19 patients. That can be their "new normal".

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

When traveling with children from Britain you still need to quarantine in the house for 14 days upon arrival. I don't think I'm that desperate to travel to Japan with the family. My kids aren't going to like being trapped in doors for even one day. Maybe next year they will ease the rules further.

Plus the cost of PCR tests at both ends add extra cost and hurdles.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Japan will be the very last country on earth to reopen its borders to tourists ! If you're surprised by that, then you don't understand yet how things work and how these 'rulers' interpret the art of government. The only positive out of this news is that they, at least, haven't forgotten about the matter. Four days they view the difference between a vaccinated and non vaccinated person, clearly disregarding science. As for PCR tests, in Japan we will not see the end of it, as well as people wearing masks.Give it at least a few years for PCR and forever, regarding masks. I left as couldn't take the no sense and discrimination any longer and as soon as I landed in Europe, my mental state improved, instantly. It was as if I had entered a purifying shower and exiting it, left behind all the scores accumulated in 15 months during which I was, literally at times, prevented to move freely in and out of the country. As said many times before Japan is a place good only for your holidays, but with this new, clearly disruptive policy, aimed at keeping people still, even the tourist status will become meaningless.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Still not worth it. Gonna wait until there is zero quarantine for those who are vaccinated. Not going to waste any of my vacation days sitting in a room.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

So, what’s the point with this? My oldest daughter ( a minor) is studying in the US. If she comes back to Japan, she still has to be self quarantined and won’t be able to take a connecting flight when she arrives in Tokyo. This doesn’t do much IMO.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

So what's the point of vaccination if you still need to quarantine? 

Japan has managed to convince vaccine passport holders to be exempted from quarantine in 34 regions and countries.

Hopefully they can convince themselves and include Japan in the list soon

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Haven't been home (such as it is) in 2 years. Will try this winter while half dreading what the US has turned into.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@foreigner nope as a responsible father of a Japanese citizen growing up in this country I am not free to leave, despite the fact that indeed Japanese fathers in the same situation probably would’ve done that long ago. As a family member of Japanese citizens, local resident and tax payer, I can point out the surreal regulations of my hosting country, even more so when they stop me and my son from having a decent relationship with the rest of the family abroad by imposing discriminatory restrictions. Moreover, exactly because I care about the country and the people that live in it, I believe engaging a discussion can contribute to long term change; and pointing out the fact that multinational companies based in Japan are changing their headquarters because their vaccinated, tested shareholders simply cannot meet here is also a way of supporting Japan long term. Japan is not only the 80yo conservative papi afraid of foreigners and tattoo, but people need to talk about the issues because most Japanese are not exposed to these problems and do have a strong opinion on them once informed.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

So what's the point of vaccination if you still need to quarantine?

It's because vaccines are not 100% effective, you are at risk of being infected and or transmiting to others even if you had taken the 2 doses

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

How about ending it altogether for fully vaxed residents and citizens? 4 days won't make one iota of difference.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

How is it even possible to enforce this unless they put ankle bracelets on everyone entering? As soon as people leave the airport they can basically go anywhere they want. Seems kind of pointless unless they're gonna lock them up under guard and key for ten days.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@Gaijinjland there is a hand device called smartphone that you are obliged to utilize for the 14 (or 10 now) days: two of the persons at one of the 12 check stations at the airport have the sole mission to verify that the geolocation functions of the applications you have to download are switched on, and you have to report your position twice or three times per day at random times, with all your movements history accessible to the people responsible to check. Once or more a day you receive a 30 seconds videocall from a AI that verifies your face and environment, possibly followed up by a human call if anything seems wrong. Do they actually make full use of it? Unlikely. Will they privilege checking on foreigners ? Absolutely certain. Given how easy it is to lose your residence rights, I do not think foreigners will break the rule. Japanese, that’s another story, but anyway we know from the first year of pandemic that the government didn’t think they can bring back the virus, and we know from the last months of pandemic that they don’t think Japanese can spread it within the country either or, say, to foreign athletes at a Olympics village for instance. The rules are for foreigners.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Why would vaccinated people come to Japan to spend most or 3/4 of their vacation isolated in a hotel? Not me.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What kind of restrictions are required for the 10 days of isolation? Is a person required to stay in a hotel room and subsist on room service for all meals? Are people allowed to use the hotel amenities, such as an exercise room or dining area? Does the Japanese government cover the cost of this incarceration? I would hope so, because it's hard to imagine that very many tourists would find these requirements appealing.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

So, you get inoculated with vaccines that don't prevent infection or transmission and you still have to quarantine for 10 days.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So if you still have to quarantine, what's the point of getting jabbed?

"So, you get inoculated with vaccines that don't prevent infection or transmission and you still have to quarantine for 10 days."

Precisely

"Is Japan intentionally trying to kill their tourism industry? Let the double vaxxed in with a test already"

Because as it's already been pointed out - you can still get and transmit the virus after being jabbed. The logical thing to do at this point would be to build up natural immunity and live with the virus.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"Not until that vaccine passport is launched domestically."

Legalised discrimination? No thanks

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Today is my last day of Quarantine! 14 Days, that is.

I am fully vaxxed, but NEVER, not once, did anyone ask me if I were or not. Not in LA when I checked in (providing ticket, passport, and negative $150 PCR results - nothing more), nor when I checked in at the gate and they took everyone's picture with a special Panasonic bio-metric camera prior to boarding.

They never asked "Are you vaccinated?" when I arrived at Haneda, when I took a second, government-funded PCR test (the plane's services were severely curtailed, so I was very, very thirsty upon arrival...but straight into the testing center for a spit-based test...I didn't have enough spit! So I had to get my nose jabbed yet again...)

Once "negative" (I mean twice negative, in 72 hours, if we're really counting!) I was forced to download two government Apps into my smartphone (if you cannot do this on your phone, the government will FORCE you to "rent" a phone from a concession to keep with you for your Q-tine), then a confirmation of how I was to return home on a Wednesday morning at 6 am without using public transportation (because they can already watch your phone, tied to Google Maps, speed around Tokyo transport if you cheat.) Finally, I had to sign a PROMISE that I would faithfully follow ALL the quarantine rules and always answer my phone, or else face "possible publication of your name for violating the rules...or even expulsion from Japan")

Back at home, every day, the Government does three checks during Quarantine: Require a Daily Health Update (do you have a temp? thank you for your time!), a response confirmation using the App to respond by pushing the "I'm Here" button so Government can see where you phone is (they calibrated where Home is when I got Home). Also, everyday an AI service "calls" me with Video Call, to which I must respond to by showing my face for 30 seconds.

Here's the thing...they never once, not once, checked in with me after 6 pm? All the checks were before then? So I guess someone could "theoretically" leave their phone at home and go out after 6, once the Three Checks have been satisfied for that day? Weird!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

“No, that is not logical. Vaccines do work, the number of hospitalizations and ICU patients is majority unvaxxed. “

Thats bs, given that Israel is facing huge numbers of breakthrough cases. And doctors and nurses who say otherwise are being censored on social media. There’s more to it.

Preach brother! That there fake Trump vaccine is nothing but a Lib plot to implant microchips in everyone....so Bill Gates, Obama, and Hugo Chavez can track your every move - think of that, they'll know when you go to Walmart, White Castle or the corner adult book store...

I don't take any vaccines - smallpox. polio, tuberculosis, they all make your testicles shrink...and make your voice sound like Leslie Jordan....

That's not a problem for me though since I'm blind, paralyzed, and in an iron lung....

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So, you get inoculated with vaccines that don't prevent infection or transmission and you still have to quarantine for 10 days.

Yes that's why there's still a need for quarantine

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The only thing being shortened is the Japanese people's patience and their income and healthcare.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites