Japan Extends Entry Ban To End of February

Above, Narita Airport arrival terminal during normal times. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The outbreak of the Omicron variant has put the kibosh on any possibility of being able to vacation in Japan.

The Japanese government has extended the entry ban of non-resident foreign nationals to the end of February.

From Kyodo News:

The Japanese government will further extend an entry ban on non-resident foreigners until the end of February, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.

The ban has been in place since Nov. 30, after the country confirmed its first case of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

"The infection situations regarding Omicron are clearly different at home from abroad, so the framework (of the current border controls) will be maintained until the end of February," Kishida told reporters.

The government introduced the measures initially for about a month, barring entries by non-resident foreigners and requiring returning Japanese nationals and foreign residents to quarantine in government-designated facilities.

Among tourism, travel and retail businesses, some are strongly advocating for a good balance between border enforcement measures and the promotion of economic activities.

"We long for practical antivirus measures as well as the promotion of social and economic activities at the same time," said Shinya Katanozaka, president of ANA Holdings Inc., in a statement released amid a drastic reduction of international flights.

Meanwhile, others were resigned to the current situation where inbound tourism has been devastated by the ongoing pandemic for nearly two years.

"We hope (inbound tourists) will come back as soon as possible, but we cannot forecast the timing at all," said a public relations official of a major travel firm.

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