Japan Confirms Plan to Start Its Travel Reopening This Month
byDaniel McCarthy/
Japan will test a limited reopening to some tourists from Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States this month, the first time the country welcomed tourists since the pandemic began.
While the update is good news for Americans wanting to get to Japan, do not pack your bags just yet.
The opening is just a test trial before a later full reopening—according to the Japan Tourism Agency, the goal is to “verify compliance and emergency responses for infection prevention and formulate guidelines for travel agencies and accommodation operators to keep in mind.”
The plan, according to a government spokesperson, is to start with just 50 tourists at fist and to allow those groups to travel in tour groups, put together with the Japan Tourism Agency, on a fixed travel itinerary. The government then plans to monitor COVID-19 infections and test its response to infections, which it expects to be critical when it does fully reopen.
Should all go well, a further reopening could happen as soon as June.
All tourists must be fully vaccinated including a booster shot, have travel insurance, and also be able to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure and then to test again upon arrival to Japan.
目前,日本每天接受约10,000人,其中大多数是“在接收组织的监督下进入日本”,而不是为了“出于旅游目的”而进入日本。政府还考虑将上限提高到6月的20,000。
Japan Tourism Minister Tetsuo Saito recently said in a press conference that “international travel is extremely important for economic activities and regional revitalization” in Japan.
日本目前处于疾病控制中心(CDC)COVID-19咨询清单的第三层。疾病预防控制中心建议旅行者“是最新with your COVID-19 vaccines before traveling to Japan.”