Japan’s Plans on Reopening its Borders for International Travel

Japan plans to start uplifting any pandemic related restrictions by October 1 and welcoming foreigners with permitted long-stay visas. In her report, she mentioned that the government intends on prioritizing people coming from countries that have been able to control the spread of COVID, such as New Zealand, Australia, and Vietnam. Despite the world having over more than 33 million coronavirus cases and more than 1 million deaths reported worldwide. Statistics show that Japan has only accumulated a small fraction of this, with over 83,000 cases and 1,564 deaths. To flatten the curve, Japan declared a national state of emergency way back April but was stopped shortly after announcing a full lockdown. Japan’s blueprint in reopening its borders consists of three phases that seem quite idealistic, some might say. According to them, the first phase of their plan would be to accept essential and business travelers. Second would be and students and educators, and lastly, the tourists. 

Plans and Restrictions for Travel

Upon entering the country, Japan requires travelers to test negative for COVID-19 and will most likely need anyone to conduct self-isolation first. Japan aims to remain vigilant as the strict protocol was implemented for those entering Japan to complete a two-week quarantine period to join the general public. Inside the city, public transportation hasn’t been significantly affected. However, for safety measures, airlines and long-distance bus companies have had to cut their services. Nevertheless, despite lifting restrictions on inter-prefectural travel on June 19, they will only allow travelers to use their public transits after 14 days upon their arrival. According to Kyodo News, the government is also considering limiting the entry to a maximum of 1,000 travelers daily. 

Tourism Alternatives

Aside from lifting restrictions on domestic travel in May, Japan has been preparing for tourists in the incoming months. It was reported that the Japanese luxury rail operators had rebooted services and the addition of Wi-Fi and workstations to encourage workers into the office at the national parks. Furthermore, according to Kyodo News, Japan also launched a new domestic travel subsidy program that provides deep domestic travel discounts. With high hopes, Japan awaits its grand reopening to make it easier for Japanese locals to travel. Over 100 countries have declared restrictions on Japanese travelers in which some were a response to Japan’s travel restrictions.

Cancellation and Closures

Although many tourist attractions were closed down in April and May, many began to reopen once again in early June. Establishments in Tokyo, Yokohama, and many more have somehow found a way to start a business once again. However, many other establishments are still closed for now, and most events and festivals around the country have been either canceled or postponed.