Rob comments

@kumagaijin

At this point, they must not be worried about foreigners bringing in Omicron or Delta, but a new variant and so 5000 is the maximum amount they can test and quarantine.

Why would they be worried about something that doesn't exist? The simple reason they're opening at such a glacial pace is that it might further expose the flaws in the Japanese health system - a system they've failed to expedite (despite promises to do so last year). Not to mention of course there are undeniable examples of xenophobia at play here. If you're still going to test people before and after arrival - open the doors to the world. It makes no difference who's coming in.

@Stickman

60-plus people in a city of 15 million seriously Ill. Do the math then decide if you want to hide at home for the rest of your life.

No one's suggesting such a ridiculous thing anyway.

These measures are not based in science in the slightest. Truly pathetic. As mentioned by others, it's merely to look like the government's actions are having a result on case numbers, when in actuality they know they're going down naturally. Of course they'll still crow that because you didn't have a beer at your local at 9pm last Tuesday they saved the day.

@Doolittle

Take it slowly Japan.

Like they're not already? If they take it any slower they'll be going in reverse.

Perfect time for Japan to grab the Kurils while Russia's not looking?

@Northernlife

The real number of infections would be scary....

Not if they don't result in severe disease or death.

I've considered thinking about the idea of considering the steps necessary to take before taking time to consider the eventual chance that perhaps we'll think about quasi-measures which I think, when the time is right, will possibly be implemented.

It really is like Japan's living in a time warp. While reading the article I was repeatedly struck by deja vu. These are measures countless other countries were discussing and dealing with literally last year - countries whose Omicron wave hit at the same time too, so that's not an excuse.

As for his plan to ease some border control measures in March, 45.7 percent believe the decision was too early, with 34.9 percent seeing it appropriate and 16.3 percent too late.

As I see it, 51.2 percent are for the easing of border measures compared with 45.7 percent. This is hopefully good news the population is finally realising foreigners aren't the virus-carrying bad guys they've been depicted as for so long.

@Paul

Why is it necessary to accommodate unnatural partnerships???

I'm sure your same-sex family or friends appreciate you calling them "unnatural".

@TokyoJoe

Kishida said Japan will decide on a further easing of border controls based on a scientific assessment of the Omicron variant,

First time for everything I suppose.

And it's still a lie.

@Sanji

By the time the boosters are available the wave will have passed and cases will be non existent.

Covid-19 will never be 'non existent'. Surely you know this by now.

Predictable Sunday dip. Back around 20K by the second half of this week.

With boosters still way off for the majority of the population despite today's announcement, we'll likely see the numbers remain high for at least a couple more weeks.

@snowy

Cut back on all the formalities, Japan and just focused on getting the job done quickly & efficiently.

lol, when it comes to the pandemic response those two words aren't in the JGov vocabulary. In fact, it's almost as if they try ro do the exact opposite.

My two personal favourite sentences from this article:

The ratio of such hospital beds in the capital hit 48.5 percent Sunday, nearing the 50-percent threshold for the metropolitan government to consider requesting a state of emergency

Ah yes, the good old 'we're thinking about asking'. Nothing like strong leadership when times are tough.

And...

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the top government spokesman, said at a news conference last Tuesday that careful consideration would be necessary as an emergency declaration "involves severe restrictions on personal rights."

Excuse me, but, what? When has either a quasi or even a full-blown SoE imposed severe restrictions on anyone's life in Japan? They're all just recommendations not built into law. They can literally be broken without consequence. To refer to what Japan implements when cases rise as severe is beyond a joke.

@Foreigner In Tokyo

It just appears to be rising slowly in Japan do to their hopelessly inadequate testing regime. There's without a doubt at least three time as many cases in reality. The slow, protracted rise we see is due to poor record keeping.

Omicron has well and truly arrived in Japan, and is now widely circulating amongst Japanese people.

Continuing to ban foreigners entry to the country (who must test negative both before and after arrival, mind you) is no longer based on health advice but pure xenophobia and fearmongering.

With Omicron now widely circulating throughout Japan, the continuation of preventing foreigners from entering the country is no longer a health measure, but clearly political point-scoring. Kishida and the LDP punishing foreign students, workers and family of Japanese nationals for popularity's sake is a disgrace, but sadly not a surprise.

@Paul

Tax payers funding of a country club for the dunce kids of the super-rich?

That already exists. It's called the LDP.

This building also hosts an English Conversation School at a lower floor.

What does this piece of information have to do with anything?

If Omicron is here it increases exponentially.

Here's hoping. With one death so far, it's safe to say that Omicron is not a major threat to society. The sooner it spreads throughout the population and pointless measures such as border closures are eliminated, the better.

I concur.

Also, with another recent article stating how Japanese have evolved to have a superior tolerance to coronaviruses. Why are they worried at all about opening their borders to the world?

@Reckless

Omicron has already entered Japan. Several times.

Omicron is already here, there and everywhere. If a country's hospital network is not stretched, they should be letting in anyone who is vaccinated and has tested negative.

So it's pretty widely established now that while highly transmissible, and more evasive of vaccines, Omicron is not as deadly as previous variants.

The world, and particularly Japan, must continue to move forward and open up.

They cannot stay closed forever, and if they're now as prepared as they say they are with hospital capacity, it should be sooner rather than later. There is no rhyme or reason behind continuing to delay.

Like as if that’s a big big problem in Japan right now and should be on national news.

Yeah, this does reek of the LNP thinking: 'Just in case Japanese citizens were getting wind that our current practice of locking out students is inhumane, here, look at the kind of shady stuff they've been up to. Don't feel bad for them.'

Japan must be loving this new variant. The perfect excuse to stay nice and insular.

I do look forward to travelling there again though when they finally open the border in a decade from now.

This will just act as an excuse for Japan to prolong the reopening of their borders more broadly.

The US military has a history of treating foreign soil as their dumping grounds.

Jeez, you feel if they don't have a look at opening the border with these numbers then they never will.

@Vreth

You've been able to visit Australia since November 1st.