Coffee comments

Glad to see Thiem finally win a grand slam! I left the house this morning and he was down two sets to zero and thought he was about to go 0 and 4 in grand slam finals. Zverev is making a name for himself this year too. Youth his on his side.

Logically, in terms of controlling the virus it doesn't make any sense to go ahead and allow the business track (business trips, no quarantine) but still block the residence track (long-term workers, with quarantine). According to a person in Singapore waiting to process her CoE, though, apparently Singapore is already letting in new work visa holders, so this announcement is really only benefiting Japanese short-term business travelers. For every 10 Japanese travelling to Singapore I wonder if there is even 1 Singaporean traveling to Japan for business. Completely one-sided arrangement.

I just got my CoE and waiting for Hong Kong-Japan travel bubble to be announced so I can officially process my work visa. I am an internal transfer and can sit on my hands for the next year if needed, but thousands of CoE holders were supposed to start new jobs from April and they are still waiting in limbo. Many of them have had to cut their losses and just get on with life.

As an American working in China, on my way back to Japan where I lived for a decade, I really hope that cooler heads on all sides will prevail. However, if the headline is accurate, then China's arrogance is on full display. Japan does not need to bow to China. This is the same country and government that in 2012 openly endorsed nationwide protesting and rioting against Japanese businesses. My company at that time had a ban on Japanese travel to China for safety reasons and I had to visit suppliers for my coworkers and remember flying from Haneda to Shanghai on a 777 with only 3 other passengers.

Just yesterday the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said sports and politics should be separated, in response to calls to rescind the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. If sports and politics should be separated then why hold the NBA hostage over one individual's personal opinion? The direction of wind in China changes very quickly.

I'd say everything should be postponed until 2024

Postpone them or cancel 2020 games outright and move on directly to Paris?

Testing figures in Tokyo are abysmal. We are testing more than 1 million people here in Hong Kong this week. I just got tested and saw at least several hundred others come and go in a span of 15 minutes at my neighborhood testing center.

@Reckless

Completely agree that the Japan housing market is cheap. You can buy a brand new 4LDK in suburban Tokyo for the cost of the deposit of 30+ year old cramped housing estate in Hong Kong. Not to mention the favorable loan conditions.

I am a former 10 year plus resident of Japan, now living in Hong Kong, but currently processing my visa paperwork to move back. Admittedly I should be last in line to enter Japan, but it is welcoming news that restrictions are finally starting to be eased. My company asked me several times to relocate to Tokyo HQ, and at first I was hesitant to go back to Japan, but with the escalations in Hong Kong and a relocation package on the table, the writing is on the wall for me to return. With the handling of COVID-19, I can understand why many long-term residents are considering leaving. I made that same decision to leave Japan several years ago but now find myself circling back.

Several people have asked about whether or not returning Japanese nationals are required to quarantine at designated hotels. I know two Japanese nationals who have returned in the last few weeks and this is their experience. No health certificate is needed pre-departure, and upon arrival they must take a simple swab test (not the invasive one up the nose...not looking forward...). After a few hours the results were released and they could then travel on freely. Technically they are advised to self-quarantine at home, but this is not compulsory. One of my friends did say he received a phone call from the authorities calling to check-in, and they left a message along the lines of try to limit time spent outside. Foreigners, however, must present a health certificate issued within the last 3 days prior to boarding, take a PCR test upon arrival, and then quarantine at government designated facility. NHK reported that they both Japanese and foreigners are being processed the same but clearly that is not the case.

Anyways, the situation is what it is. I do hope that those stuck outside ultimately get some kind of tax break or something to offset the loses. That being said, Japan is a great country with plenty of other redeeming qualities. It's a once in a lifetime pandemic that hopefully never happens again.