Japan to scrap pre-entry COVID test for triple-vaccinated travelers; cap on entrants remains

Nothing really has changed. Still the same controls on foreigners traveling to Japan. I'll just have to visit somewhere else.

Where is the logic that the test is not necessary only for triple vaccinated people. It has no logical or scientific basis. Just dogmatic fixation on following the herd.

That hopefully should read "at least 3 times" and not just 3 times? I've had 4.

Meaningless in terms of potential infection spreading prevention. Should just scrap all restrictions to let it run wild.

Where is the logic that the test is not necessary only for triple vaccinated people. It has no logical or scientific basis. Just dogmatic fixation on following the herd.

If vaccinated people are less likely to end up in hospital in intensive care, there is "scientific basis". Science says it is "at least five times more likely".

https://www.science.org.au/curious/people-medicine/not-vaccinated-these-are-your-odds-needing-intensive-care

They really need to get rid of that "only group tours" nonsense and visa requirements.

Great. So, full return to pre covid days for me. Tough luck anti-vaxxers.

So now it’s cheaper to come back into Japan from abroad. That’s something.

Hallelujah!

Everything just seems a bit too mendokusai for Japan. Maybe it is in everyone's best interests to keep individual inbound travelers banned until 2024 or 2025.

@Lamilly: No one has fleeced me mate - taxpayer funded vaccination. 3 times, suits me down to the ground!

Why are only Triple vaccinated travelers exempt? Why does it not take place until September 7th instead of immediately? Why do tourists still require a visa (and for now a tour group) to come here? Why did it take this long for them to do so little?

This country has become a clown show. A total CIRCUS. They make decisions that are not rooted in logic, and when they loosen a policy, they always have to attach some stupid caveat to it.

"Hmm... this is an ambitious suggestion. Though perhaps 'effective immediately' would be perceived as coming off a bit rash?... Oh, I know! We'll announce the policy change now but have it start in two weeks! Yeh, September 7th, that has a nice ring to it. I'm sure they'll think we are acting mindfully and vigilant."

How can people defend this? Why do people defend this?

Nothing really has changed. Still the same controls on foreigners traveling to Japan. I'll just have to visit somewhere else.

My recommendation is London. Easiest immigration and customs process I have ever dealt with. It's a city with great bars, clubs, shopping, museums, and a population of people that actually know how to let loose and have fun. The birthplace of British Invasion rock, Punk, and UK garage. Not like Tokyo and their totally astroturf'd, corporate compliant, soulless idol garbage.

@wolfshine: I agree - that's where I'm going next! From here, hassle free both ways!

Having to download and use that awful My SOS ap should also be scrapped. If you are triple vaxxed and don’t need a PCR no need to use the ap.

If vaccinated people are less likely to end up in hospital in intensive care, there is "scientific basis". Science says it is "at least five times more likely".

And what age demographic are most likely to travel to Japan?... Oh, that's right. Gen Xers and millennials. So, the group with the lowest Covid hospitalization rates (virtually zero), aside from literal children.

Very disappointed. The international standard is 2 shots not 3, 4 or 10. Canada which has some very strict restrictions including installing an app before entry, random testing etc. requires only 2 shots. I have the Japan vaccine app installed and everything is in order with 2 shots.

Triple vaccinated are less likely to be infected and therefore less likely to spread it. They are also much less likely to be hospitalized.

Get vaxxed, get a PCR, or don't travel internationally. Those are the available choices and I don't really care which you choose.

This will make it much easier for us PRs to travel overseas and back. Cheaper and quicker re-entry and more tourists (although I second Speed's hope that this stupid tour restriction is eliminated soon.)

Great, I won't have to keep changing the date on that test report I got in 2020.

What he needs to do is honor the visa waiver program.

Choosing to allow people who have had three -- or more -- shots, shows the character of said person. It demonstrates their approach to C19 and how they behave. That'll be a reason as to why this criteria has been chosen.

By that logic places like Europe with no travel restrictions should be overrun with hospitalized non triple + vaxxed travellers , yet it isn't.

Logic flawed, they don't have to be overrun.

Totally ridiculous. Japan has higher infection rates than most other countries and yet they still do this. Shutting borders and all in our DNA....

Good! I'm triple vaccinated. Will be returning to my home country in August next year. Don't have to worry about getting a pre-departure negative covid test now.

The current 20,000 cap on new arrivals was set in June, having been raised from 10,000. The limit includes Japanese citizens returning from overseas.

So what happens if the cap is exceeded? Even their own citizens are barred from coming into the country? How does that work with the rescheduling of flights and stuff? Doing away with the compulsory pre-flight PCR test is great but I'm confused about how this cap works.

"provided they have been vaccinated three times", because we ALL know that having had three jabs is a sure thing....

Really don't get all the whingeing. This website is called Japan Today - so most of us here are residents. For the sensible ones that kept up with the vaccine schedule, life is a lot easier from Sep 7th. I honestly couldn't care less about those who after all this time choose to make like difficult or restrictive for themselves. Who cares about the 'flawed logic' or who can or cannot transmit the virus.

Wanna travel freely without pre departure tests and the extra cost and possible costs of getting stuck abroad until you get a negative test? Have your 3 jabs. Easy.

Still not very sincere to welcome back foreigners ! The visa application is still pain in the ass, in my country you need to wait 6 weeks for an appointment to apply for visa, and the visa processing take another week.

Private tour is allowed but still need to book through a travel agent. The travel agent in Japan start to abusive the system by charging exorbitant price.!!!

Like it. Don’t like it. It doesn’t matter. Most responsible members of society who do not subscribe to nutty conspiracy theories are long 3x vaccinated .

Once again: Get vaxxed, get a PCR, or don't travel internationally to or from Japan. Those are the available choices and I don't really care which you choose.

I honestly couldn't care less about those who after all this time choose to make like difficult or restrictive for themselves. Who cares about the 'flawed logic' or who can or cannot transmit the virus.

Imagine explaining why the policy is irrational, only to baselessly attack the people criticizing the policy for being irrational in the same sentence.

‘Provided they’ve been vaccinated three times’…..we are leaving Japan to visit my parents in a few months. My 10yo has had (only been offered) two jabs as recommended by the government but he’s going to be the only one in the family that’ll have to provide a PCR when we come home? Ridiculous once again!

@purple depressed bacon:

Airline reservations are linked by 4 GDS providers- across all airlines. It's a simple process to cap incoming reservations. The websites will simply show 'no flights' should it be breached. The current 20,000 doesn't include transit passengers which the Japanese airlines have capitalized on as its been hard to use the Chinese airports and even HK to transit.

Why are only Triple vaccinated travelers exempt?

Maybe they feel that triple vaxxed people are more likely to be wealthy, healthy, educated and considerate travellers. Just the sort of people they want coming here.

@Gazman : I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure as long as your child is with you upon re entry he/she will be exempt...thats if the rule is even still in place 'in a few months'

Yes, we all know what the choices are....we,re pointing out how out of touch J- govt. policy is in comparison to the rest of the advanced world. Simples.

I call that whining.

Gasman,

Some wards offer expedited vaccination to kids getting ready to travel. You might consider contacting your kuyakusho.

I was going to do that for my daughter back when things were bad and one needed to be vaccinated to attend University in the states.

@Nemo :, I agree with you. It's just whining at this point. All moving in the right direction for those that choose to comply with social norms in Japan. It really is that simple.

I wonder if the lifting of the cap will result in lower airfares. They're still pretty steep.

Great news.!. A big bold move by the jgov .!.

Vaccinated three times means nothing as 3x and 4x vaxxed people are still getting COVID, sometimes more than once.

The drug company vaccines are usually two shots. Then every six months to one year you must pay them for a booster. Both the vaccine and boosters don’t stop infection or transmission. So if you have the vaccine and a booster, three shots, you still need a new one as the booster runs out. So with this logic there must be a time limit from the first booster. If you had three injections over one year ago, then you must have a forth experimental vaccine booster.

Yes @Blacklabel, as you remind us constantly. Along with your promise of natural and herd immunity.

Vaxxed / Unvaxxed are all contracting multiple times in some cases, but these are the conditions to travel, and that's that. This is the topic.

If vaccinated people are less likely to end up in hospital in intensive care, there is "scientific basis". Science says it is "at least five times more likely".

no you should throw facts at antivaxxers, just hurts their feelings.

next up covid is just the flu lol

gintonic

And you have to book your flights & hotel through a travel agency ? If you book directly on airline / hotel website you will be denied entry. Do these fossil " decision makers" realize that most people book directly in the age of smartphones and not through a JTB office equivalent?

Wow! I didn't know that. I haven't traveled since 2019. After September 7 will you be able to book directly on an airline/hotel website or do you still have to go through a travel agency? I don't need a hotel, I have somewhere to stay, just need to book a flight.

Why is Japan 2,3,4 steps behind the rest of the world in terms of border reopening? Ths Kushida fellow keeps on saying he wants to align the border with the rest of the G7 but things are moving at a glacial pace.

Yes @Blacklabel, as you remind us constantly. 

do I? Havent posted about this in weeks or months. I also haven’t heard or seen any non vaccinated people get COVID in months.

so you support bring COVID into Japan from overseas by a lax entry policy? Just Cause someone wants to hang out and chase Pokémon?

According to recent data from Qatar published in Nature, the effectiveness against symptomatic COVID infection after 2nd dose of either Pfizer or Moderna falls, within 3 months, from 46.6% to below 10%. After 6 months, effectiveness was actually negative, meaning the unvaccinated would be better protected at this time!

However, a 3rd dose (ie first booster) raises effectiveness to 59.9%, but within 1 month falls to 40.5%, and within 2-3 months is back to zero again.  

The take home message is: a 3rd dose, while quite effective against symptomatic COVID, provides only short lived protection. Ideally, government policy would reflect this.

Please see: Chemaitelly, H., Ayoub, H.H., AlMukdad, S. et al. Duration of mRNA vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants in Qatar. Nat Commun 13, 3082 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30895-3

The test is just a nonsense really- not required by the airline and who is to say that people won’t catch the virus in the 72 hours following the test? In any case the 72 hours is extended to 96 hours if the flights are rearranged!

@151E

Excellent comment - that paper should be required reading for many people in this comments section.

Notably, the rapid waning in vaccine effectiveness against Omicron infections contrasts with the more durable protection for prior infection against Omicron reinfection

It's a shame that paper doesn't delve any further into protection from vanilla Covid booster versus past protection from omicron. If they're going to create entry restrictions, then both vaccine and previous infection should absolutely be part of any eligibility criteria for entry.

After 6 months, effectiveness was actually negative, meaning the unvaccinated would be better protected at this time!

I'm not quite sure about this part. Possibly it means more unvaccinated in the general population already got the virus without the vaccine and are thus better protected?

What happens to toddlers and babies?!

they are not vaccinated 3 times.

Japan to scrap pre-entry COVID test for triple-vaccinated travelers; cap on entrants remains

Maybe Japan can hand out stamp books to visitors so if you visit a different prefecture, you get a vaccination and get a stamp. Win win

@三九

Sorry, you’re right to call out the distinction. I should have been more clear. The unvaccinated group had all recovered from prior infection - naturally developed protection being longer lived vaccine induced protection.

Also worth noting is the relatively young age of the population in Qatar. An older demographic like Japan’s might see different results.

Indeed @Bronco, as this is essentially aimed at Japanese Citizens and Residents then 80% at present can hardly be defined as a tiny majority.

I do agree that it will change, and soon, but probably not until next Spring.

I'm good to go. Hassle free travel. Are you?

I’ll go with the PCR test as I have had done numerous times now.

There is no way that I will ever have an experimental procedure (not a vaccine) that has no effect on contracting Covid.

My immune system is strong enough to

cope and if it isn’t then, it isn’t!

All three times vaccinated loose their immunity as time goes. This is proven and said by scientists also here in Japan.

The rule is just arbitrary and do not follow any medical and scientific advice

I was hoping they would abolish the restrictions entirely as has most of the world. But no, to appease the voting masses (i.e. the older generation) in Japan they keep the restriction of 3 does of vaccine or go get a test. I love many things about Japan but not how their politics work.

I am triple vaxxed with Pfizer and still caught Omicron BA.5 and was sick for 8-9 days. I weirdly the so-called new and improved vaccines due for Fall do NOT target Omicron BA.5 (which accounts for 90% of cases worldwide) so what's the point? The antibodies are match for original Wuhan variant + original Omicron so they will NOT stop you from getting infected. I am grateful for the original vaccine which did save lot of lives but at this point it is completely pointless until they figure out a way to target other parts of the virus (apart from spike protein which continues to mutate). Omicron BA.5 has specifically mutated to evade antibodies generated from vaccine and even previous infection so honestly there is absolutely no need to get the shot again and again it's absolutely pointless. Also the mask hysteria unless you are wearing FFP2/N95 you are not doing much to stop BA.5 as it is as virulent as a virus gets. The proof is Japan itself despite universal mask wearing it suffered some of the highest infection rates anywhere in the world during BA.5 wave so either we learn and adapt or repeat the same mistake and hope for different result (which is btw the definition of insanity according to Einstein).

Please see: Chemaitelly, H., Ayoub, H.H., AlMukdad, S. et al. Duration of mRNA vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants in Qatar.

Those variants are already over

"Please remove personal protective clothing before security screening."

Great photo for the headline!

Whew! Good thing I got my negative PCR 71 hours ago, otherwise I would be taking a huge risk going through security! Good thing I'm septuple vaxxed, I can take off ALL my clothing before security!...except of course...my mask!

Great news.

Great idea to ensure only intelligent, responsible people travel to Japan.

Eventually, Japan will have to follow the rest of the world:UK no restrictions,Thailand proof of a x2 shots or a negative PCR test etc.

If a 65 year can give a speech, on national television 3-4 days after contracting the present variant of the virus, what are all the rules for?

It will be interesting to monitor the data on the number of infections from September 7 onwards. Yayk Spike.

Oh, I'm sorry @Bronco, but 82 million people have had 3 shots which is far higher than 60% of the eligible population to have had 3 shots. It's 65% of the entire population to start with. I think you'll find the triple Vax entry rule will apply onto those over 16 ( possibly 18) so, you wrong on this.

Where does it state anywhere that 'fully vaccinated' is 3 shots? There is no longer a definition of 'fully vaccinated' and there no longer will be. 3 shots is just the minimum requirement to enter Japan without a pre departure PCR for the moment.

Assuming that all of your 24 million 'refused' a third shot is also a completely false statement. 'chose', 'busy' , 'not bothered' 'disliked the sore arm after the first two' could also be reasons. They did not all 'refuse'

Good! I'm triple vaccinated. Will be returning to my home country in August next year. Don't have to worry about getting a pre-departure negative covid test now.

Now all you have to worry about is the spiking non-covid excess death rate in heavily vaccinated countries.

Don't buy those tix just yet...

Vaccinated people less cautious? Absolute poppycock. The majority of anti vaxxers on this website are also anti mask/anti lockdown /anti mandate. Apparently all we need is Vitamin D, fresh Veg and a PMA and we'll be fine.

Scrapping the PCR test requirement won't do anything if the cap remains and all tourists need to be on package tours.

It's just another publicity stunt. After testing the waters of how much dangerous foreign influx the J public can take, Kishida has decided to make himself look good. Also, he announced if from his living room (?), which made him look like "one of the people". Just like with many things, nothing but PR.

Moving forward, infection trends will be monitored by reporting only those hospitalized or at high risk, with doctors no longer required to log patients who are young and at low risk of developing severe symptoms.

Love how this is thrown in at the end. Couldn't handle leading in something we can't brag about, could we J Gov?

On behalf of permanent foreign residents who have been patiently waiting for restriction-free travel so they could attend to family matters in their country of birth I thank the Japanese government. They 'locked the door' before in April 2020 and the PR community will never forget that we were 'thrown under the bus' at that time.

Aside from that, I believe Japan's preventative measures have worked - I believe the 'math': UK population 67m, total deaths from Covid-19 170,000. Japan population 125m, deaths from Covid-19 38,000.

Give me the PCR test any day, being a part of the mass drug (not a vaccine btw) experiment is far too potentially risky and does nothing to prevent infection or transmission.

There have historically never been successful vaccines against coronaviruses and there have never been successful mRNA vaccines.

Now all you have to worry about is the spiking non-covid excess death rate in heavily vaccinated countries.

Don't buy those tix just yet...

How are those deaths related to the tickets?

Give me the PCR test any day, being a part of the mass drug (not a vaccine btw) experiment is far too potentially risky and does nothing to prevent infection or transmission.

Hahahaha

BIG DEAL....NO one from USA can visit Japan as a tourist, alone or with anyone else...the VISA FREE ENTRY is still CANCELLED...ONLY the stupid, crazy tour groups, totally controlled by the govt agencies is in effect...They must OPEN up totally,,,re-instate the visa free 90 day stay entry....So very very backward of a country..The Japanese can go to USA with NO restrictions what-so-ever.....Ridiculous..

@denny. and?

Why would the US turn away tourist $? Every country has the right to set their own restrictions as they see fit. When the Pandemic began, the US barred al EU and UK tourists, but the ban was not the other way. Ridiculous!

On behalf of permanent foreign residents who have been patiently waiting for restriction-free travel so they could attend to family matters in their country of birth I thank the Japanese government. 

Nope. No one elected you. Sit down. You don't speak for the PR community at all.

YongYangAug. 24  05:32 pm JST

Choosing to allow people who have had three -- or more -- shots, shows the character of said person. It demonstrates their approach to C19 and how they behave. That'll be a reason as to why this criteria has been chosen.

If you mean it shows that they'll unquestioningly comply with mainly political directives that say they need to get three shots of a substance of questionable safety and effectiveness in order to participate in society, then you're probably right. These are the kind of people governments love, especially Japan's. That's why this criterion has been chosen.

Exactly, governments want unquestioning subjects and the Covid circus has been the training ground for it.

One has to wonder, how much of that stuff you have to pump into your veins before you become either invincible or... susceptible....

Keep it coming. I do NOT want to end up in hospital or have the hassle of extra paperwork for travel.

I'm 50...it ain't gonna do nothing to me I haven't done to myself already.

One has to wonder, how much of that stuff you have to pump into your veins before you become either invincible or... susceptible....

Interesting, so that's what's running in your mind.

First you have to check is if it's pumped into the veins

First you have to check is if it's pumped into the veins

It goes in the muscle but the delivery mechanism goes throughout the body including crossing the blood/brain barrier.

I feel that being tripple vaccinated is a bit of an overkill, if anything this should be targeted towards the one who are more suseptable to getting the virus ie the elderly and those who are imunocompremised with poor auto immune system, not the ones who are not.

I feel that being tripple vaccinated is a bit of an overkill, 

Ask your doctor

antivaxxers are losing again lol

I feel that being tripple vaccinated is a bit of an overkill, 

multiple studies in multiple different countries show that unvaxxed individuals are 7-8 times more likely to end up in ICU compared to vaxxed. yes vaxxed still end up in hospital in similar numbers as unvaxxed, thats only because far more people are vaxxed than not in most 1st world countries.

Science for the win again, here come the antiscience downvotes LOL

antivaxxers are losing again lol

wow really?

It goes in the muscle but the delivery mechanism goes throughout the body including crossing the blood/brain barrier.

its called the cardiovascular system, how most vaccines are administered, its also how your body feeds itself with food and oxygen

The Japanese can go to USA with NO restrictions what-so-ever.....Ridiculous..

last I checked US still requires foreigner vaccination status to enter the US