While much of the world has now opened up – in some form or other – to international travellers, some countries have been much slower to ease entry restrictions and encourage the return of tourists.
Take Japan, for instance. Tourists have been barred from entering the country for the best part of two years. While the country reopened in April to some overseas residents, business travellers and foreign students, tourists are still banned from obtaining visas.
However, that might not be the case for much longer. Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida has announced the country is aiming to reopen to international tourists later this month. The next stage in Japan’s reopening is being described as a period of ‘test tourism’.
So what does that actually mean? Well, the ‘tests’ come in the form of very few packaged tours, which will be analysed by the government before deciding when the country will resume normal levels of tourism. While individual tourists remain barred from visiting Japan, if you don’t mind being part of a tour company, your trip of a lifetime may be mere weeks away!
Needless to say, there are more than a few complications as to who can actually attend these ‘test tourism’ tours. They’re currently only open to triple-jabbed travellers from the USA, Australia, Thailand and Singapore, and all travellers have to book through travel agencies.
Currently the rules for entering Japan are complicated – to say the least. There’s currently a cap of 10,000 arrivals per day (which is increasing to 20,000 in June), and only those from a list of 106 countries (see that list in full here) can enter.
Schools or companies have to sponsor individuals hoping to enter, and visitors must self-isolate on arrival. Currently, you need to have proof of a positive Covid test taken 72 hours before departure, a signed copy of the this form (promising to comply with local Covid rules), and a completed online questionnaire. Once at the airport in Japan, you need to take another PCR test and download a health monitoring app.
The quarantine rules are slightly complicated, too. Everyone has to take a PCR test before leaving for Japan, and it must come back negative. If you’ve had three jabs, you’ll have to isolate at your accommodation for the first three days in the country, then take another test. If it’s negative, you’re all good; otherwise, you’ll have to stay there for another seven days. If you’re unvaccinated or have had fewer than three jabs, the rules are the same except you have to quarantine specifically in a hotel. Phew! We did say the rules are complicated.
In any case, you might be able to visit Japan as a tourist very, very soon. The rules are changing regularly, so keep an eye out for updates and start planning that trip of a lifetime.
