Abe says Japan to ease travel curbs on Australia, NZ, Thailand, Vietnam

Even Japanese people aren’t able to get tested.

How does one, being asymptomatic, get a test in Japan as a foreigner?

Only time will tell whether this means including permanent residents from these four countries

Only time will tell whether this means including permanent residents from these four countries

@mbuhlayaw - PRs from here (and elsewhere) can return to Japan, but only "may" have an issue if they left Japan and traveled there within the quarentine period for that specific country. For these 4 countries it means since April 3rd.

PRs from here (and elsewhere) can return to Japan, but only "may" have an issue if they left Japan and traveled there within the quarentine period for that specific country. For these 4 countries it means since April 3rd.

@divinda - I'm a permanent resident from Australia, and currently I have a Certificate of Eligibility to work in Japan. This article a bit vague when it says only citizens of the four countries. I suppose better to wait to find out more details

They are not able to use public transportation? How they hell do you get around Tokyo/Japan if you can't use public transportation!

They are not able to use public transportation? How they hell do you get around Tokyo/Japan if you can't use public transportation!

Taxis and/or rental cars.

My boss wants to send me already on business trip to Europe, but I refused, because I can not come back.

He was surprised, because he said he didnt know that rule.

My boss said, he doesnt believe what I am saying, so I said OK, lets do it, but then you have to pay me a hotel in Europe for probably many months, until Japan will change that rule.

Many japanese companies dont understand the current situation for foreigners.

They are not able to use public transport? How they hell do you get around Tokyo/Japan if you can't use public transport!

Haven't you seen all those buildings with helicopter pads? That's who they're thinking of not the plebs who take public transport.

I'm a permanent resident from Australia

@mbuhlayaw - Sorry, I misunderstood your situation. I thought you were a PR of Japan.

currently I have a Certificate of Eligibility to work in Japan.

The CoE can be a confusing thing. It essentially gives approval to allow immigration to issue a work visa. So this means you already have a job sponsor? You should go to the Japan embassy in Australia to see if they can issue the visa there, and ask if an Australian PR will be allowed. However I doubt they will give any solid, helpful and concrete information because...

This article a bit vague

...welcome to Japan!!

The CoE can be a confusing thing. It essentially gives approval to allow immigration to issue a work visa. So this means you already have a job sponsor? You should go to the Japan embassy in Australia to see if they can issue the visa there, and ask if an Australian PR will be allowed. However I doubt they will give any solid, helpful and concrete information because...

@divinda - Yes I have a job sponsor. That's what I'm planning to do once this has become official, at this stage it's too early to ask Consulate General of Japan and they wouldn't have a clue either.

Wow... announced, then retracted, now announced again!

Wasnt it just a couple of days ago the foreign minister was flatly denying Japan planned to reduce travel restrictions? Doesn’t anybody know what’s going on?

Not much money coming from those citizens.

Money is not really the issue, international business has been ticking along through this disaster. Labor is the issue. Japan is in need of hundreds of thousands of workers in factories, farms and construction. That's where the technical internees come in - particularly from Vietnam. Until AI and robots are fully implemented to perform these jobs within a decade.

The Thais will allow the Chinese back into Thailand and there will be an uptick in cases

Japanese businessmen will be off to Thaniya Road with no social distancing and it will. be Covid round 2!

mbuhlayawToday  07:14 am JST

"...a bit vague..."

Welcome to Japan.

How about letting Japanese permanent residents back in first? They will be intending to stay long term. Why can't they have the 14 day quarantine like returning Japanese?

Meanwhile Australians cannot even leave Australia and in the few cases when they do, they have to do compulsory 14day strict quarantine at hotel ( not home). Sure business people are going to rush to Japan for a meeting with all the strict conditions whilst in Japan and the quarantine on return. Anyhow heard of zoom or Skype?

anon99999Today 

How about letting Japanese permanent residents back in first? 

Again, PRs from ANYWHERE can return to Japan. But they "may" have an issue if they left Japan and traveled to there within the quarentine period for that specific country. 

Meanwhile Australians cannot even leave Australia

So, Japan's immigration policies of allowing someone of any status to come in is inconsequential if they aren't allowed to leave to come to Japan.

Seems a little paranoid since 90% of corona cases in Japan have been resolved. This week, a grand total of 12 people have died from it. Time to get on with life, people, and stop being paranoid.

Doesn’t anybody know what’s going on?

No.

MarkX:

They are not able to use public transportation? How they hell do you get around Tokyo/Japan if you can't use public transportation!

Walk!

And why are there still flights to USA and Mexico? I'm checking the Narita flight website.

And why are there flights to New Caledonia? NC has no known cases for over a month. If I were a New Caledonian, I sure as hell wouldn't want flights from a country like Japan where there are lots of new cases everyday.

Also, nobody from HK and Taiwan willing to work for a pittance in Japan, hence no flights from those places, right? (Despite the extremely low number of cases there).

As a New Zealand businessman and heading back to Japan this is good news but I wonder how I cant get from the airport to the city without public transport. It will probably cost be $600 NZD for a taxi???

kurispi what do you know about bangkok? Thaniya is not the place they will go to, they will go to nana plaza or soi cowboy.

What I still don't get is that there are already non-Japanese arrivals (who often test positive at airport). I thought that full entry ban has been imposed except for Japanese nationals. On what ground did they get permission for entry?

Three foreign visitors flying from India and Pakistan tested positive (asymptomatic)

成田空港の検疫で外国人3人が感染　いずれも無症状

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN6L6KS8N6LULBJ01F.html

I heard NZ is free from Corona virus, let's all go there !..... eh... right!

Total respect to the way NZ has handled the outbreak, and how their Citizens co-operated.

However, accepting flights from Japan, at this stage, would I think be, a little bit on the Risky side of things - particularly given the current lack of testing here.

kurispi what do you know about bangkok? Thaniya is not the place they will go to, they will go to nana plaza or soi cowboy.

They might go to those places too...