Japan’s Continued COVID-19 Border Restrictions

Above, nighttime shoppers in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The pandemic is easing off in much of the world and nations have been easing restrictions accordingly and allowing foreign tourists to enter.

Except Japan.

People are wondering when Japan is going to open its borders. Last month, the Japanese government said they have "no plans" to reopen. It is speculated that the country will reopen during the last half of the year.

What's behind this?

The Diplomat has an extensive article on what's behind Japan's strict border closure.

They begin it with:

On April 13 Japan announced that family members of foreign residents in Japan will be permitted to apply for short-term visits as the government gradually eases its COVID-19 border restrictions. The welcomed decision comes after the government began allowing business travelers and some international students to enter in time for the spring school semester. No definite date has been set for the resumption of international tourism, which has been suspended since the start of the pandemic.

Japan’s rigid COVID-19 border restrictions have been criticized as “isolationist” and “xenophobic” due to the differential treatment of Japanese nationals and foreign non-residents. Japan has adopted a cautious approach to loosening restrictions and is known to shut the border to new arrivals in response to the spread of variants. In December, after a brief two-week window allowing business travelers and international students to enter Japan, the government reimposed the entry ban on new foreign arrivals until “more is known about the Omicron variant.”

Japan’s pandemic-hit economy is at risk of shrinking again due to the spread of Omicron and rising food and fuel prices, which are hampering consumer spending. Japan’s record low yen would encourage inbound tourism and play a considerable role stabilizing the currency and creating jobs. But the border closures prevent Japan from benefiting from the weak yen.

On April 11, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said an appropriate decision on restarting tourism will be determined “based on the state of infections and the movements of other countries.”

Two and half years on and Japan remains an outlier among industrialized G-7 nations, which have re-opened for tourists and eliminated quarantines. The World Health Organization’s emergency committee recommended member states eliminate or ease travel bans imposed after the spread of Omicron, calling such policies “incomprehensible.”

To read more, go here. 

Japan Times: March 1 Border Rules Explained

Above, Tokyo Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan is set to reopen its borders to foreign national (to a limited extent) on March 1. Foreign tourists will still not be allowed into the country. But, things are slowly creeping in that direction.

The Japan Times has posted an article explaining what Japan's border rules are come March 1.

They start it off with:

Japan is set to ease border restrictions from March, allowing foreign nationals who are not tourists, including students and business travelers, to finally come to the nation.

Another significant change for travelers, including Japanese and foreign residents, is the shortening of the quarantine period for people who are entering the country — from the current seven days to three days.

But navigating the government’s documents and websites to find out exactly who can enter and under what conditions can be tricky.

To see what the new rules will be, go here. 

Japan Eases Entry Restrictions for Non-Tourist Foreigners

Above, the Wako department store in Ginza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan is slowly (very slowly) creeping back to policies before the outbreak of the Omicron variant when it comes to foreign travelers.

TripZilla reported:

Japan joins the list of countries that are welcoming back international travellers, after several months of border closures due to the Omicron variant. On 17 Feb 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan will reopen to business travellers and international students. They’ll also allow entry of migrant workers, with priority given to those whose occupations have a “clear public benefit.” 

The decision to ease Japan entry restrictions is partially due to the growing calls from universities, business leaders, and even several government officials.

There's no change for foreign tourists to Japan.

To read more, go here. 

Travel Bans Turn ‘Cool Japan’ Into ‘Cruel Japan’

Above, the Tokyo Skytree under construction behind the Asahi Beer Hall in 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer,

Japan has been closed off to tourists for nearly two years. Others, such as students, are in limbo. They may have visas, but they still are having difficulty being allowed in.

Despite closing off the country, COVID-19 and its Omicron variant still managed to enter the country.

Because of the measures taken by the Japanese government, Japan's reputation has been tarnished. Asia Times has an article on this. The once "Cool Japan" is now known as something vastly different.

They begin it with:

TOKYO – In recent years, Japan has promoted itself as “Cool Japan,” seeking to lure tourists with its futuristic trappings, its appealing traditional culture and the modern draws of manga, anime and a more general warm, fuzzy cuteness.

However, after two years of essentially closing the doors on foreigners seeking to enter the country, while keeping students, resident workers and spouses hanging in limbo, that image has changed.

Behold the new brand: “Cruel Japan.”

Japan’s staunch, pro-business newspaper the Nikkei has been reporting on the damage the travel ban has done to Japan’s reputation and soft power globally. An article published on February 11 referred to the world’s third-largest economy as 残酷日本, or Cruel Japan.

To read more, go here. 

CDC Downgrades Health Warnings On Cruise Ships

Above, cruise passengers doing some onboard shopping. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For good reason, many of us are skeptical about the warnings churned out by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But, there is some interesting news concerning cruise ships.

Travel Weekly reported:

The CDC eased off its warning that even vaccinated Americans should avoid cruise ships on Tuesday by downgrading its Travel Health Notice to a Level 3.

The decision comes as the Covid-19 positivity rates recede in the U.S. However, the CDC last week unveiled a set of Covid regulations that encouraged lines to require nearly all passengers to be boosted before sailing.

Cruise travel is now graded at Level 3, the third-highest in a four-level system that indicates health threats for travelers. The CDC upped the health notice to Level 4 in December, as the Covid-19 omicron variant began to sweep the country.

To read more, go here. 

Time For Japan To Open Up Its Border and Embrace World

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan has been closed off to foreigners since practically the beginning of the pandemic.

It is obvious that this did not prevent the rampant infections that took place in waves in Japan. The Asahi Shimbun posted an editorial calling for the reopening of the country.

They begin it with:

Japan’s stringent COVID-19 border controls have been in place for far too long, which has had ramifications across a wide range of areas.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged over the weekend to consider easing the restrictions.

We urge the government to swiftly review the rules. It is time for Japan to reopen its border to those longing to study or work here.

Japan has maintained a closed door policy, in principle, for foreign nationals since January last year.

The government planned to ease the travel ban in November but retracted the policy after the emergence of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Only 150,000 or so foreign nationals were permitted entry in 2021, less than 1 percent of the total for 2019.

While acknowledging the necessity of border controls, Asahi Shimbun editorials have argued that steps to block the inflow of people should not remain in place for longer than is reasonably necessary.

To read the full editorial, go here. 

It Could Be Years Before You Can Visit Japan

Above, the Kachidoki Bridge over the Sumida River in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People around the world, including students, business people and tourists are wondering when Japan will be open to foreigners again.

That is the $10,000 question. Nobody knows, not even the Japanese government, apparently.

The is an article in The Telegraph (U.K.) that says it "could be years before you can visit Japan." That not good.

The article starts with (and some snippets):

Japan, Telegraph Travel readers’ second favourite country, will shortly be pretty in pink – its cities and parks awash with sakura, or cherry blossom. Vanishingly few international visitors, however, will enjoy the spectacle. This will be the third springtime since the country’s stringent Covid-19 travel ban was put in place, and – unlike fellow Australia and New Zealand – a reopening plan has not been revealed.   

Japan’s travel ban stretches back to early April 2020. Only returning Japanese citizens and permanent residents (and, briefly, Olympians) have been permitted to enter, and they are currently subjected to hotel quarantine for six days upon arrival. There was a flicker of optimism that the ban might be eased late last year but omicron’s rise quickly put paid to this. In 2019, a record 31.9 million visitors entered Japan but by 2021 this had collapsed to 245,000, largely those with an exemption to visit. 

No date has been given by the Japanese government for relaxing the ban and some commentators have suggested the continued exclusion of foreigners taps into a siege mentality reminiscent of Sakoku (meaning “locked country”) – the isolationist period that characterised Japan’s Edo period from 1603-1867 under largely xenophobic shogunate rule. Yet the travel ban is looking increasingly futile as omicron cases surge despite the absence of foreign nationals. The 104,000 new daily infections recorded on February 3 was its highest since the pandemic began.  

 

To read more, go here. 

WHO: Travel Bans Proven "Ineffective" So Lift Them

Is common sense finally creeping into the World Health Organization?

It seems that way as they are calling for countries to lift their travel bans as they have proven to be ineffective in stopping the spread of coronavirus and its variants.

Japan is one nation who has a total travel ban in place. The omicron variant has hit there despite the travel ban and other restrictions.

According to a post in Study International: 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for countries to lift their international travel bans amid pandemic-related travel restrictions. In a statement, the agency said: “Lift or ease international traffic bans as they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress experienced by States Parties.

“The failure of travel restrictions introduced after the detection and reporting of Omicron variant to limit international spread of Omicron demonstrates the ineffectiveness of such measures over time,” read the statement. 

They suggested implementing travel measures such as masking, testing, isolation or quarantine and vaccination. The statement said countries should not require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for international travel due to limited global access and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. 

To read more, go here. 

Travel To Hawaii During COVID-19, What You Need To Know

Above, a Waikiki sunset. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Travel to anywhere by ship or plane is getting more complicated again, thanks to the hysteria over the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Our post office clerk just returned to work yesterday after a bout with omicron. She said that it was like a bad cold. We lost our previous clerk due to coronavirus back in September. She wasn't vaccinated, but our present clerk was and she weathered it well (it helped that she's young, too).

As the omicron variant is spreading, Hawaii travel is getting more complicated as well.

The Mercury News has posted an article on what one needs to know for Hawaii travel.

They start with:

If you’re planning to travel to Hawaii, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The basics

Hawaii has aligned its entry policy for international travelers with federal policy for air travelers that went effect on November 8, 2021, requiring international arrivals to be fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid-19 test result.

Since December 6, all inbound international travelers 2 and older are required to test within one day of departure for the United States, regardless of vaccination status. This does not affect domestic travel.

It’s part of a general tightening of US travel rules because of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Hawaii has ended its pre-travel testing and quarantine requirement for domestic travelers if they’ve been fully vaccinated for Covid-19 in the United States.

To read more, go here. 

Major Cruise Lines Cancel More Sailings

Above, dinnertime on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Havana, Cuba in 2019.

It was bound to happen, given the surge of omicron variant infections around the world.

Major cruise lines have canceled more sailings. Cruise ships, in my view, are basically floating petri dishes anyway and chances are high to pick up any kind of bug while on board.

According to TravelPulse:

Amid the nationwide surge in COVID-19 infections impelled by the Omicron variant, cruise lines are finding themselves obliged to cancel more and more sailings as we head into the third week of 2022.

Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International, two Royal Caribbean Group brands, have been forced to call off planned departures over the past few days because of COVID-related concerns.

Celebrity Eclipse’s return to service will be delayed because the company has just cut its four, seven-day Pacific Coast sailings that had been scheduled to start at the end of March. According to The Street, the newly impacted voyages are:

To read more, go here. 

CDC Concedes: Cloth Masks Are Useless Against Virus

See? We told you so! 

Cloth masks are useless as protection against viruses, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention now concedes. It took them long enough to admit the obvious.

The New York Times reported:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday clarified its stance on various kinds of masks, acknowledging that the cloth masks frequently worn by Americans do not offer as much protection as surgical masks or respirators.

While this disparity is widely known to the general public, the update marks the first time the C.D.C. has explicitly addressed the differences. The agency’s website also no longer refers to a shortage of respirators.

To read more, go here.

UPDATE:

Adding to the fun, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul asks if YouTube will apologize for suspending him when he raised questions on masks.

From Fox News:

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul hit back at YouTube "censors" on Saturday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged that cloth masks do not work as well against the coronavirus as N95 makes.

The Kentucky Republican wondered if YouTube would be apologizing for suspending him earlier this year for saying the same thing. 

"Does this mean snot-nosed censors at YouTube will come to my office and kiss my … and admit I was right?" Paul wrote.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Shortening Quarantine Period

Above, a Niigata cemetery. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On first glance, Japan's policy involving foreign nationals and coronavirus is a bit confusing, to say the least.

On one hand, foreign visitors are banned from entering the country. Then on the other, they are shortening quarantine times down. It looks to me that the following involves Japanese citizens and foreigners who are residents.

The latest policy has been posted by The Japan Times:

Japan said Friday it will shorten the quarantine period for travelers arriving in the country to 10 days from the current 14, effective Saturday.

Citizens and Japan residents arriving from countries severely hit by the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which effectively includes all countries and territories around the world, will be eligible to enter the country under the new rules, the Foreign Ministry said. New entries of foreign nationals are effectively banned due to COVID-19 border restrictions.

“The length of period when they are required to self-quarantine in places such as their own residence or accommodations after their entry into Japan, to follow-up checks conducted by the Health Monitoring Center for Overseas Entrants and to refrain from using public transportation is changed from 14 days to 10 days,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The period had been at least three days, but it was extended to 14 days in late November as the government tightened border controls following the emergence of omicron.

The move comes after the government shortened the quarantine period for close contacts of COVID-19 patients from 14 days to 10.

To read more, go here. 

When Can International Tourists Visit Japan?

Above, wintertime at Nakamise Street in Asakusa, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When can tourists travel to Japan?

That is a question on a lot of people's minds. Japan recently extended their travel ban to the end of February. After that, what happens then?

Lonely Planet has posted an article wondering the same.

Some snippets:

Once the ban is lifted at the end of February, it's unclear who will be permitted to travel to Japan. Presumably Japan will allow business travelers and international students to return again and resume the phased reopening plan that had started in early November, but that hasn't been confirmed.

As for international tourists the situation is even less clear. "Unfortunately, we don't have any more information than the extension of the travel ban through February," a spokesperson for the tourism board told Lonely Planet.

While a statement on US Embassy in Japan's website reads: "travel for tourism and most other short-term purposes is still not permitted, and there is no indication that this will change in the short term. Visa-free travel is suspended."

To read the full article, go here. 

Pfizer, BioNTech Vaccine Neutralizes Omicron With Three Shots

Praise the Lord!

It appears that I am well-protected from the Omicron variant of coronavirus, if the following is to be believed.

Reuters reported that three doses of the Pfizer vaccine is enough to neutralize the Omicron variant, according the lab tests.

They reported:

Dec 8 (Reuters) - BioNTech and Pfizer (PFE.N) said on Wednesday a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test and they could deliver an Omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if needed.

In the first official statement from vaccine manufacturers on the likely efficacy of their shot against Omicron, BioNTech and Pfizer said that two vaccine doses resulted in significantly lower neutralising antibodies but that a third dose of their vaccine increased the neutralising antibodies by a factor of 25.

I had my initial Pfizer vaccinations in February and got the booster in October. I had no ill effects each time, save for a sore arm at the vaccination site.

To read more, go here.