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Japan to trial small group tours from 4 countries

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What an absolute joke - just get on and open up the border. Japan seems intent on killing its tourism industry.

40 ( +58 / -18 )

This month ? Does that mean May? Seems a little misleading considering the Govt said from June…Have they brought it forward?

21 ( +27 / -6 )

“ strong public support for the current restrictions.” Except for the domestic foreigners that keep whining about it. Most of which are probably also in the anti everything as related to Covid mitigation minority.

-49 ( +8 / -57 )

Trial? What is it a trial of?

30 ( +34 / -4 )

Slowly but surely, it has to happen. This is at least the start of a plan. That's progress in J land.

11 ( +18 / -7 )

Participants will have to be triple-vaccinated against COVID and have private medical insurance.

great, seems like the antivaxxer will have to wait while others that followed the science get pushed to the front of the line. triggered in 3 2 1

16 ( +28 / -12 )

I'd love to join the bus tours right but I'm currently waiting for my visa to North Korea to come through. I wish Marshal Kim utmost success in destroying devil virus so I can visit glorious country soon

-1 ( +22 / -23 )

I now have a bad feeling about this - I don't see Japan allowing unsupervised tourists from the UK in before my arrival date in October. I know they have to ensure things are safe... but this is going to be moving at the speed of an ice age glacier.

17 ( +31 / -14 )

will people from those countries, especially Oz and the U.S., be interested in 'if it's Tuesday this must be Kyōto' type tours I wonder....

8 ( +16 / -8 )

Classic, 4 countries?. And on supervised visits only? Sounds like a fun visit. I Imagine glow stick old men waving people aside yelling “foreigners coming, foreigners coming” shop shutters down and road cones marking the route. “ foreigners coming, foreigners coming.

13 ( +33 / -20 )

Keeping our Chinese friends at bay then….

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Oh, and the massive floating danchis.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

"Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he wants to ease border control measures, but moves are expected to proceed slowly, with strong public support for the current restrictions."

If there is strong public support for the current restrictions then why open the borders. I don't think the rest of the world really cares much about Japan anymore. Just keep the borders closed indefinitely or review the situation in 2024/25 at the earliest.

-14 ( +10 / -24 )

Oh the speed! I feel giddy.

That said, if they are prioritising public health, the US is an odd choice to get first dibs.

Anyway, let's see if the world has moved on from Japan during Sakoku II.

-1 ( +16 / -17 )

And then they will fax their findings to Dentsu and JTB...

-5 ( +12 / -17 )

I don't think that it would be very appealing to tourists to be escorted everywhere, and have to follow draconian rules. It was like that in Berlin just before the WW2.

-1 ( +19 / -20 )

Too much work with no science involved. Just random things to do to show that they are at least doing "something". Also overtime.

6 ( +15 / -9 )

supervised tours uh? reminds me of my trip to NK a few years ago

-3 ( +18 / -21 )

What a disgrace. This is utterly ridiculous and hypocrite. Japan is playing this ridiculous hypocrite game while Japanese are free to go and come and visit many foreign countries without any limitation (including being vaccinated) ) to enter those countries. A lot of them are being seen in Europe. But the sick thinking among the Japanese leaders and the population itself that somehow there is a difference between a Japanese and a foreigner regarding a COVID infection is driving this xenophobic attitude.

12 ( +33 / -21 )

Don't care at all. Keep the borders closed to tourism forever if you wish.

-28 ( +9 / -37 )

Do you think they’ll have to wear masks?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Cultural exceptionalism dating back centuries is still at the heart of policy making in Japan. Irony is, this is why the nation (which I love) is destined to disppear up its own arse.

-2 ( +16 / -18 )

Lousy way to see Japan. Makes the country a laughing-stock.

9 ( +19 / -10 )

tourists won't come to a place where they have to be escorted everywhere and follow strict guidelines, and knowing the Japanese spirit it will be like a prison.

You bet. For the japanese its either black or white. Reminds me of when I was escorting a group of VIPs to the canoe course during the Olympics and one of the guests lost it when the staff came running toward us while we were getting off the car (didnt take 10 seconds) to redirect our vehicle to the exact square we should have stopped, this in a huge empty field in this undeveloped artificial island in the middle of the ocean, only grass and sand to see, it was a very hot day and it was probably the 5th time we got someone running frantically toward us for absolutely nothing. Hope these tourists don't get pestered every 10 secs during their tour.

7 ( +15 / -8 )

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he wants to ease border control measures, but moves are expected to proceed slowly, with strong public support for the current restrictions.

I have lived here since 1993 and always felt the majority of people don’t want foreigners here.

5 ( +22 / -17 )

Just move on and open up to tripple vaccinated travellers. It's not going to change the dynamics of the spread within Japan.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Just forget about vaccines and testing and everything - we probably had 1/3rd of the population infected here in the past 3 months alone, just like they did in Korea. None of it is going to make the slightest bit of difference whatsoever.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

I can just imagine the tour to Hiroshima. This really is a great chance to dictate how to be a victim.

-7 ( +11 / -18 )

How hypocritical of Japan, allowing their own citizens to jet off to other countries freely but only allowing certain "tourists" to come in on a trial basis and basically forcing them to the same restrictions and confinements as you would get if you visited North Korea. Other countries should ban Japan tourists from going in until Japan lets go of this farce of "trial tour groups" and opens fully with no restrictions.

3 ( +20 / -17 )

Just forget about vaccines and testing and everything - we probably had 1/3rd of the population infected here in the past 3 months alone, just like they did in Korea. None of it is going to make the slightest bit of difference whatsoever.

All this is surreal, remember when the chinese populace started shunning and blaming foreigners in China for covid in early 2020? Like, wat. Chinese people avoiding contact with foreigners in fear of getting a disease created by chinese people in the middle of China. Sometimes they look exactly the same no matter how hard the japanese try to deny it.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

As long as the police don’t try to detain me thinking that I have escaped my tour group then I am fine with the Japanese government showing their true colors to the world…

-8 ( +8 / -16 )

Japan will trial small group tours with travelers

Is that even still a thing? when I travel I dont do "group tours". I plan where I go and stay and what I do when I am there. It's all part of the fun. Doing "group touristy" stuff ensures you pay premium prices and dont necessarily get premium products. Doing everything by someone else's timelines is not my idea of a good holiday.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

Funny that because most locals I speak to, when they think about, think the current border restrictions are excessive.

As if they will tell a foreigner to their face that they don't want them there.

-4 ( +10 / -14 )

Meanwhile Japanese tourists come and go when and wherever they please. Only foreigners can carry the virus in Japan I guess. Interesting mutation....

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

Curious how this one will go

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Be treated as guinea pigs, no thanks.

Omotenashi at its best.

-4 ( +9 / -13 )

No doubt, tourists will be met with smiling faces wherever they are taken to. If there's one thing I learned many many years ago about J-psyche. If a person smiles too much, don't trust what they are thinking or saying.

-11 ( +5 / -16 )

And beware the thin grin.

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

I bet it's fully booked. But they should just reopen and stop taking their leads from China.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

After July elections! This has nothing to do with Covid! The politicians don’t care about the public until it comes to being re-elected!

5 ( +8 / -3 )

If the borders open this year I will share my dogs dinner with him amd upload it!! to me the gov doesn’t like forieners and wants them out period.

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

What a joke! And why not allow countries that better responded to COVID? Like the Europeans, NZ, Singapore, and some S/E Asians who did better than the USA? I just returned from a trip to California on Sunday. The outbound trip from Japan, no one wears mask, including crew. Yet, Japan's masters are in the trial.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

If the Japanese government is having this done on a trial basis, there's a good chance the accompanied tours are what Japanese call "monitor" tours that are subsidized by the Japanese taxpayer. So you might think, "who wants to go to Japan and be stuck in a group?" but there's a good chance the tours will involve lots of big hitter sites and accommodation in really high end places at a fraction of their actual cost. If the Japanese taxpayer is footing half the bill or more for a pampered tour, they'll have no problem finding people to go on them.

If you keep your ears open, inaka governments frequently do monitor tours to local tourism sites that may be free to Japan-based foreigners. All you may have to do is fill in a questionnaire or the like at the end. Tell them what they want to hear and they'll love you.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Hyper racism, just travel to USA from Japan. People so friendly to me!

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

Japan will be the LAST asian country to fully open...the idea of compulsory Medical insurance, is one turn-off, you would NOT be free to tour anyplace you wanted, ONLY where the tour company/Gov has set for you..MORE important,,a Japanese National can travel to the USA and all they need to do is get a PCR test 48 hours prior to departure,,NOTHING ELSE..go in USA and go where you damn please...What a backward country Japan is....get with the program and open up..

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Just when you think JGov cant get more silly they go ahead and pull this out of the hat. Wow just wow

3 ( +8 / -5 )

absolutely shocking and racist announcement. it simply shows how arrogant Japan is towards the world. I am from the European Union and I have a partner in Japan and I have not seen him for more than two years. I am very disappointed with what Japan is doing and I hope the EU will ban the arrival of Japanese citizens

0 ( +15 / -15 )

"The agency is currently discussing the plan with regions that are expected to be of interest to foreign tourists, the official said."

Great... so regions Japanese officials think we should be interested in, rather than what people are ACTUALLY interested in. An old colleague of mine told me I should be interested in spending ¥80000 to stay at her old home in rural Shikoku, pick chestnuts, and have a BBQ with her neighbors who want to practice English. I told her I wasn't, and certainly not for that price, and she said I was wrong. I wonder if the government also expects they will want to eat Fukushima produce or some equally silly nonsense. They should ask what we think, not tell us what we should.

2 ( +12 / -10 )

No thanks. I'll get another contract and go back to Qatar first.

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

Looking forward to being stopped by the police wondering where my tour guide is.

2 ( +12 / -10 )

What a joke, you gotta be kidding me trial small group tours is like dog sitting and walking the dogs especially if you are going to be monitored!

0 ( +10 / -10 )

@Yotomaya

Trial ? What is it a trial of ?

Perhaps you might remember an announcement a few months ago about the new AI facial recognition systems being put in place at designated popular tourist sites to track covid infections of tourists ?

Or so they said !

This is what they are testing in the trial.

Their so called emergency response and tracking system for tourists.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Japan always been a 2 face …when they need something from any country they are angels but after they get what they want the bad side comes and yes they are racist

1 ( +16 / -15 )

Many very accurate descriptions of the Japanese Mentality note here, well done people, you Have Learned Much.

-10 ( +6 / -16 )

There are no plans to lift border restrictions fully

I think many people were under the false assumption that Japan would be allowing tourists to start coming in June because that "is" what they previously said last month.

And iam not referring to the tour groups they said would possibly happen the end of this month.

This flip flop - dithering- sidestepping whoopie cushion announcement nonsense has gotten real tedious !

Dang freak show !

-8 ( +8 / -16 )

As much as I long for travelling to Japan for religious reasons: I am triple vaccinated, always wear a mask and adher to all statutory provisions to 100%. But letting in people from the USA and three other countries but not from Europe and then only "Nanny State Tours"? Thank you. I think I might have to stay away then......... Isn't this a very two-faced point of view? The Japanese government will do more harm than good!

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

I really don’t understand the point. If I have a son working in Japan since 2017, when will

I be allowed to see him ?

Allowed now, to second degree

4 ( +5 / -1 )

no one is going to be interested in over priced boring tours ….

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Japan inbound tourism has been my career for the past 12 years - this is the most stupid thingi I have seen - which takes some beating,

This 'trial' period, lasting through to October, is just utterly stupid / riduclous. It is ALL a massive saving face exercise so that the govt. can tell the people "See? We protected and did everything cautiously."

They know there's no science behind it; just like there was no science back in August 2020 when they were requring non-JP returnees to take a PCR, but not the Japanese national returnees.

Nothing to add to the above comments - cartels, racism, and dragging feet.

0 ( +12 / -12 )

Maybe this is what one would call "Qusai-Tourism".

-4 ( +11 / -15 )

Japanese travel companies will organize the tours and local guides will accompany them

Just like North Korea!

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

Brought to you by: JTB / JAL / ANA

1 ( +6 / -5 )

This might be a thing for first time visitors but not for someone who already has seen most of the tourist stuff.

They should make the tourists wear bells , ( like lepers) so locals will be able to flee in time .

0 ( +8 / -8 )

ridiculous!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

People who take up on this offer must be idiots! There are better countries to visit in a more free way than this crap! Never really understood the desperation of people wanting to visit Japan…yes it’s a great country but there are many other countries which are better to visit especially with these restrictions! Oh and yes, don’t forget the mask even outdoors during the hot humid summer or you’ll be frowned upon by the Japanese and some might even mumble swears at you in Japanese for not wearing a mask!

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

@Jan

Travelers are only allowed entry with guides and tripple vaccinated?

Meanwhile Japanese can travel as they like and don't have to be vaccinated at all.

It's really astounding. Also, I'm not going to get a third vaccination after getting 2x Pfizer + being infected 2x and being a fit, 30-year-old, just so I can travel to Japan.

My bank account is very happy with Japan's decision. For the money that I spend on flights&rail&hotel in Japan, I'll be treated like a god in a 5* Ritz Carlton resort on the Canary Islands. It's a good perspective. They also have a Japanese restaurant there, lol.

Great comment… loved the last paragraph as it’s absolutely true that you can get so much better options than Japan!

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

Tourism North Korean style, hopefully in June they don’t just expand this model to more countries abut have a true opening up, so far this doesn’t sound like bring Japan to the same standard as G7 countries.

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

Hilarious. Chinese style tourism, with no Chinese people, because they are all locked inside China.

As an aside, if the restrictions on the restaurant trade are deemed illegal by the courts, the government's restrictions on tourism certainly are.

But governments make the rules. Japan is effectively off the tourist map for the foreseeable future. No more cool Japan vlogs from Japanophiles now locked out. All that free PR and revenue flushed away.

Japan's enormous sack of tourist income is up for grabs. SE Asian countries should make their pitch.

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

Weird decision that doesn't make sense.Japanese nationals have been visiting my country and others for business with no restrictions.

Infact one Japanese girl who is visiting right now sent me her picture with no mask and was telling me she feels so free and is dreading coming back to Japan because of the many unnecessary restrictions.

Meanwhile,I'm in Japan with my mask on everyday despite the gvt saying people it's not a must to wear mask outside.But when I try that,people stare at me with murderous faces.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

The theory goes the virus was introduced in Japan by a Chinese group of tourists at Ginza 9 bus stop and passed to a taxi driver - so someone thought it was ok to have a group of tourists first over individual tourists?

Wow

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Weird decision that doesn't make sense.Japanese nationals have been visiting my country and others for business with no restrictions.

Are you thinking they should have let in absolutely anybody, or absolutely nobody? Or are you just complaining that it didn't go your way this time?

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

looks like a trial of 50 (yes that's correct fifty!) tourists...

Such racist bunk! So all the Japanese nationals that were encouraged to travel overseas during golden week and no doubt return with some dreaded foreign strain are OK...vaccinated or not but the evil foreigners are to be segregated and limited to 50 for May??? They'll probably have to pay the evil 50 foreigners to come in the first place as no real tourist from these countries would be interested! Probably double that quota to 100 for June. Such disgusting racism it is absurd it can still happen in the 21st century!

0 ( +9 / -9 )

The theory goes the virus was introduced in Japan by a Chinese group of tourists at Ginza 9 bus stop and passed to a taxi driver - so someone thought it was ok to have a group of tourists first over individual tourists?

Ohh a conspiracy, how salacious!

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

So all the Japanese nationals that were encouraged to travel overseas during golden week and no doubt return with some dreaded foreign strain are OK...vaccinated or not but the evil foreigners are to be segregated and limited to 50 for May???

So are you saying they should not let in any foreigners, or they should not let out any Japanese people? Which extreme are you advocating for?

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Who would pay money to do this? Not to mention having a full time babysitter with you at all times.

The kind of people who are triple vaccinated, have private insurance, won’t mind being tested 72 hours before they come and again when they arrive and don’t mind strict guided “on the leash” tours.

and weirdly, they will love it.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Actually no, most foreigners from free thinking democracies won’t be setting foot in Japan on some overpriced,stuffy tour

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

Actually no, most foreigners from free thinking democracies won’t be setting foot in Japan on some overpriced,stuffy tour

I can't speak of 'most' or not, but I can tell you that ridiculous numbers are waiting for the opportunity to visit. Pretty much every person I see here in Canada tells me that.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

YATTA!! It's happeningu! Japan is finally opening up again! #WEEBUANIMU

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

StrangerlandToday  06:54 am JST

So are you saying they should not let in any foreigners, or they should not let out any Japanese people? Which extreme are you advocating for?

Well I would have thought that was obvious....but obviously not....

The double standards are abhorent and about as unscientific as you can get so I am advocating for one in all in!

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Actually no, most foreigners from free thinking democracies won’t be setting foot in Japan on some overpriced,stuffy tour

freethinking democracies do not exist anymore. They are just illusions.

however, “some” freethinking people do exist though. They are few in numbers though these days…

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

The double standards are abhorent and about as unscientific as you can get so I am advocating for one in all in!

So, you believe in extremes. Got it. Extremes usually work out well.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

We might have to find somewhere else to explore, but think of those who stand to lose much more. There is still a tourist industry in Japan that was hoping to see it reopen the way the rest of the G7 has. Japanese folk who spent money on facilities and invested in their careers. Who learned a foreign language, did courses, passed exams, and have put their lives and careers on hold for two years. Now, to bury Abe's legacy and do the populist thing, Kishida has thrown them under the bus implementing Sakoku 2.0

And some Westerners may have spent the pandemic learning Japanese in the hope of a reopening. Ouch.

For many of us it's an annoyance and an opportunity to spread our wings and explore another culture. Others must be in bits.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

In the U.S., the CDC estimates 75% of kids and 60% of everyone else had COVID by February. I'm sure the numbers are higher now and Japan is probably in a similar situation. Not sure what good requiring triple vaxxed tourists, twice tested, is going to do.

Japan can keep its borders restricted as long as it wants, but they look silly tying it to health concerns when the rest of the world is wide open.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

In the U.S., the CDC estimates 75% of kids and 60% of everyone else had COVID by February. I'm sure the numbers are higher now and Japan is probably in a similar situation. Not sure what good requiring triple vaxxed tourists, twice tested, is going to do.

Japan can keep its borders restricted as long as it wants, but they look silly tying it to health concerns when the rest of the world is wide open.

Absolutely spot on.

You only have to look at the country next door, Korea, where they had even better vaccination and booster rates, similar mask wearing, more restrictions generally and managed to control the virus generally better than Japan did. Until omicron hit and within the space of three months, about 1/3 rd of the population tested positive - even there, it is unlikely they caught all or even most of the cases. We saw a similar rise in cases here when omicron hit, but after a week or two, they said they would have to restrict testing as they didn’t have enough tests to cope, so for the next two months the cases leveled off at around 50,000 per day. In reality of course, it probably reached 10 or even 20 times that number. The simple fact is that a large swathe of the population here, even perhaps, the majority, have already had COVID and have absolutely nothing to worry about.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I think what needs to happen is that other countries needs to return the favor, be it trade or or tourism if this was happening anywhere else there would be a strong response for xenophobic non scientific rules like this.

At this point this is all about the large majority of LDP voters being misinformed/xenophobic/racist and the LDP is fully ready to sacrifice the Japanese tourism industry to get their votes. This is basically a way to test how many foreigners they can let in before they lose the vote from racist grandpa.

What's with the recent influx of negative post reviewers on this site, LDP been setting up bot farms or just foreign weebs protecting Japan at any cost?

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

I can't speak of 'most' or not, but I can tell you that ridiculous numbers are waiting for the opportunity to visit. Pretty much every person I see here in Canada tells me that.

Well, I hope they have good connections or they are good at waiting in line because…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/05/17/japan-tourism-test-reopening/

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Well, I hope they have good connections or they are good at waiting in line because…

Well, they're waiting for the borders to re-open. That's not physically a line mate.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

At this point this is all about the large majority of LDP voters being misinformed/xenophobic/racist and the LDP is fully ready to sacrifice the Japanese tourism industry to get their votes. 

I think this is about right - a combination of people being misinformed/xenophobic and even racist. I'm not sure how many Japanese actively dislike foreigners, but I do think there are an awful lot that just think Japanese and Japanese culture are somehow superior to foreigners and foreign cultures. We get this in other countries of course, but here it seem to be actively encouraged from the very top, as exemplified by Finance minister, Taro Aso, stating that he thinks Japan's success in controlling the early stages of the pandemic was due to "mindo".

These rules are not just affecting tourism. We who live here are basically separated form our families. I can't easily travel, taking my small children and risking having to go through all the nonsense of testing multiple times, form filling and possibly ending up quarantined in a hotel for days on end with my kids like happened to a friend of mine. My father has yet to meet his grandchildren, and my mother has yet to meet one of them, still with no end of it all in sight - all with no real scientific justification whatsoever. I'm sure the Japanese xenophobes will no doubt say something along the lines of "well if you don't like it, go home!". Well that's not so easy, our jobs and careers are here and many of us have been here for a long time - this is home for us. It's not a simple thing to just go back to where we are from.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

@ Strangerland

There are plenty of lines to join coming back to Japan-I’ve been in quite a few of them this year and last.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

small group tours?!?! LMAO!! Most tourists don't come over on tours....they come over and do their own thing. Only Japanese people seem to be stuck in the 70's n 80's and go on tours when they go abroad. I remember going to Langkawi through H.I.S and to tell the on site rep to do one in very strong language after him badgering us to take those crappy local tours on buses that they so love.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Oh and yes, don’t forget the mask even outdoors during the hot humid summer or you’ll be frowned upon by the Japanese and some might even mumble swears at you in Japanese for not wearing a mask!

WGAF about passive aggressive garbage from people. I don't wear a mask now on trains or buses and I certainly don't wear one outside in the sunshine.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Wait... I can't believe it didn't hit me until now!!!! Covid is being used to reverse the Perry Black ships opening Japan up to the world by force! What an elegant solution!!!!! ;-) Just kidding. I visit have visited Japan about every 2 years since 2003. I really really miss it and it's people. :-(

Though, I can't imagine having to try and keep up with am escorted tour. I'm not a tourist, I'm a vacationer.

When I go on vacation, I go on VACATION! [rest, relaxation... Bars, restaurants, temples, long walks though the city looking at and visiting shops.. Matsuri!!!! how can you do an escorted tour and go to a Festival!!! ]

I go to see the REAL Japan!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Prepare yourselves for the smell of diesel idling tour buses and tiny flags parting crowds in the streets of Ginza….

They are coming…

0 ( +0 / -0 )

True, unrestricted tourism in Japan no sooner than mid-2023.

Mark my words.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

kurisupisu -- As long as the police don’t try to detain me thinking that I have escaped my tour group then I am fine with the Japanese government showing their true colors to the world…

I was just thinking about how interesting it would be to be on a short, group tour to Japan.

Is that even still a thing? when I travel I dont do "group tours". I plan where I go and stay and what I do when I am there. It's all part of the fun. Doing "group touristy" stuff ensures you pay premium prices and dont necessarily get premium products. Doing everything by someone else's timelines is not my idea of a good holiday.

Actually, I was wondering what it would be like to be on the short, group tour to Japan and then, on the last day, skip the tour and take off on my own - as a trial. How long would it take the tour group to find out that I was missing? How long would it take for it to make the national news? If I stopped at a Hard-Off and bought a tent and sleeping bag, and went camping, would I be able to avoid any video cameras and facial recognition? Would kurisupisu and all other gaikokujin-looking people be stopped repeatedly, and put under surveillance to see if some unknown and suspicious-looking person came to visit? It might make a good short story.

Alas, after being caught, I would either be banned from ever returning to Japan again, or put in prison so that I would never be able to leave Japan again. But it would be a nice challenge and would be fun to see what happened until I got caught. Where would I go that would be easiest to stay at without standing out too much? Near a military base? Near a university? In a small town? Out in the wilderness?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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