The New Japan Rail Pass – and ways to get around the new cost

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October 2023…

The moment that fans of travel to Japan have dreaded for the last six months… and a good reason to make this one-off post on my blog, which is still “officially retired.”

If you’re planning a trip to Japan, you’re probably well aware that changes to Japan’s national Japan Rail Pass, announced last April, are now in full effect, with pass prices jumping a whopping 70% from what they used to be. For example, the standard 7-day ordinary pass climbed from 29,650 yen ($198 USD) to 50,000 yen ($334). A tough pill to swallow. For many years, the litmus test for this pass was whether or not you could do more travel than a round-trip on the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka, along with a round-trip on the Narita Express… back in the day when nearly all international flights landed at Narita Airport and before the much closer Haneda Airport was re-established as a major international gateway.

An argument can be understood that the Japanese yen is still on the weak side… and if you believe the news reports, on the verge of another currency intervention, with one US Dollar fetching nearly 150 yen as of the night of October 2, 2023 when I began to write up this post. It could also be understood that the Japan Rail Pass is due for a price change after maintaining the same prices for its products for decades, to catch up with the cost of inflation. At the end of the day, the traveler to Japan loses.

In this post I hope to dive into some alternate options that you can consider to save money compared to using a Japan Rail Pass.

It should be pointed out that the new iteration of the national Rail Pass will allow travel on some of the faster trains on the national bullet train system, including the key Nozomi service connecting Tokyo with Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and beyond… but at a steep supplemental cost per trip, based on the distance travelled.

SMART-EX

Let’s begin with a service that we used on our last trip to Japan earlier this year to save money on some of our bullet train trips for where we went: the Smart-EX smartphone app. Available with an English-language service, the Smart-EX app sells tickets on the following bullet train services, and those that connect between them:

  • Tokaido Shinkansen: Tokyo-Nagoya-Kyoto-Osaka
  • San’yo Shinkansen: Osaka-Okayama-Hiroshima-Fukuoka
  • Kyushu Shinkansen: Fukuoka-Kumamoto-Kagoshima

The premise is simple… just purchase train tickets through the app using a linked credit card, and select your seats if applicable. Then you have a few options to board the train: you can pick up regular tickets, scan a QR code from your phone, or link your travel to an IC card to tap in and out of the turnstiles.

You can buy tickets at a 200 yen discount from the normal fare, and you can easily choose from a large number of services including Nozomi. Purchasing a round-trip for 13,320 yen each way will easily be less expensive than the new 7-day Rail Pass. However, the secret to look out for are the advance purchase fares, known as HAYATOKU fares. If you can plan your trip out and are willing to search for trips at least three days ahead of time – as long as there are discounts available – you can score some sweet deals. These include:

  • Hayatoku 3 Green Wide: Green cars are the premium option if you wish for a seat that’s larger and more comfortable. Solo passengers can get a discount with this advance purchase option. For example, Tokyo to Kyoto – which would normally cost 18,840 yen in the Green Car – costs just 15,400 yen under this ticket.
  • Hayatoku 3 Green Kodama: If you have more time on your hands and want to travel comfortably, this discount gets you a Green Car seat on the slower Kodama services. A trip from Tokyo to Kyoto with this ticket would cost just 11,200 yen, but it would take nearly four hours compared to about 2 hours 15 minutes on the Nozomi.
  • Hayatoku 3 Family Nozomi: You won’t see this discount too often, but if you’re traveling with between two and four passengers you can potentially save with this ticket. For example, Tokyo to Kyoto on the Nozomi would cost 11,020 yen per passenger for the ordinary car and 14,120 yen each for the Green Car.
  • Hayatoku 3 Family Kodama: If taking the all-stations Kodama with at least 2 passengers, pay 9,980 yen per person to travel in the ordinary car.
  • If the family discounts are not available, you can pay slightly more for tickets such as the Hayatoku 3 Green Wide.

BUY A REGIONAL OR LOCAL TRAIN PASS

Although many of the other JR passes around Japan also suffered from price hikes, they could still be of good value depending on what part of Japan you’d like to see. Here are a few examples.

  • If you’re interested in an off-the-beaten-path method of traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, there’s the Hokuriku Arch Pass that is still sold which is valid for trips that go via the Hokuriku region of Japan, through cities such as Nagano, Kanazawa and Toyama. The cost is 25,500 yen for 7 consecutive days of unlimited travel. The trip consists of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa, and the Thunderbird limited express from Kanazawa to Osaka. Note that the journey takes much longer compared to the regular Tokaido Shinkansen route (5 hours plus transfer time) , so it may be of interest if you wish to hop on and off over the course of a few days. The pass will also cover many local JR trains in the Tokyo and Kansai regions. As far as I know this is one of the few passes that survived the JR pass hikes. However, in March 2024 the Hokuriku Shinkansen will be extended, and so a price hike could likely come at that point.
  • If you want to head north of Tokyo to the Tohoku region or Hokkaido, JR East has passes for that. The JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass covers JR journeys throughout the Tohoku region, as well as the southern Hokkaido cities of Hakodate and Sapporo. The cost is 35,000 yen for 6 consecutive days. If you plan to make a few stops on the way to Hokkaido, or if you wish to make a round-trip between Tokyo and Hokkaido by train, then the pass will pay off.
  • West Japan Railway offers a number of tourist passes for the Kansai region and western Japan. These prices did go up a little, but now offer some more value and usefulness. Many of their products can be bought online directly from them, while others can be purchased through international travel agencies.

OTHER TRAIN TICKET-BUYING STRATEGIES

Another strategy to save money on long-distance trips is to consider where you want to travel, and to do so in increments with this method.

Aside from Smart EX, the typical train trips on Japan Railways require two tickets: A basic fare, and a supplement. You buy the basic fare to travel from point A to point B, then buy supplements for each train you wish to take. Keeping this in mind, let’s see how this a unique ticket strategy would work for a journey from Tokyo, west through Japan to Fukuoka in Kyushu and then back to Tokyo. This assumes reserved seats on all journeys using the fastest Nozomi train, and a total trip time of two weeks.

  • First we buy a round-trip basic fare ticket from Tokyo to Hakata (the train station of Fukuoka).
    The ticket costs 14,080 yen each way, and because round-trips over a certain distance get a 10% discount, it comes out to about 25,350 yen. Under the conditions of carriage regarding to validity, we have 7 days from the starting date of the ticket to travel from Tokyo to Hakata on the same ticket without backtracking, and then 7 days to get back to Tokyo from whatever day we want the return leg to start.
  • Next, we want to travel to Kyoto to enjoy 6 days there, and then continue on to Hakata on Day 7. So we buy two supplements for the bullet train: Tokyo to Kyoto (5,810 yen) and Kyoto to Hakata (6,350 yen).
  • In the week that we have to head back to Tokyo using the return basic fare ticket, let’s say we want to stop in Osaka and Nagoya for a couple of days along the way. So we buy Hakata to Osaka (5,810 yen), Osaka to Nagoya (3,270 yen) and Nagoya to Tokyo (4,920 yen).
  • The total cost for this trip – the basic ticket and all supplements – comes out to 51,510 yen. While it’s quite a bit of change, consider that it’s MUCH less than the 80,000 yen cost of the 14-day Japan Rail Pass PLUS the Nozomi supplement for each train taken.

SEISHUN 18 TICKET

If you travel during certain seasons of the year, and you are ok with taking slower (non-bullet) trains, consider the Seishun 18 Ticket which is sold during holiday periods in Japan. Costing 12,050 yen, this ticket is valid on nearly all JR local services with some exceptions. You can only purchase and use the Seishun 18 ticket during the winter (December 10-January 10), spring (March 1-April 10) and summer (July 20-September 10). Sales start and end ten days prior to the dates indicated.

Each individual ticket has up to five spaces that can be “stamped” by railway staff. Each space corresponds to one person, per day. So you could use one ticket and travel up to five non-consecutive days, in which case the price breaks down to 2,410 yen per day of use. Or if you have several people in your party, multiple spaces can be used in one go.

With regular services along the main (non-bullet train) lines from the Tokyo metropolitan area to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe (as far as Himeji castle), you can easily turn a day trip into adventure on local trains, puttering through scenery that the faster trains turn into either a blur or a tunnel. Even on rural sections on the route that I mentioned, usually you do not need to wait more than 20 minutes for a train during operating hours.

AIRPLANES

The hike in prices for the Japan Rail Pass should make travelers consider alternative ways to get around Japan. How about airplanes? If you flew to Japan on an airplane, why not get around in a few too?

Both All Nippon and Japan Airlines offer excellent and comfortable options to get around the country, with a lot of their flagship routes operated by large widebody aircraft such as the 767, 777 and the new A350 that can routinely carry 300-400 passengers. Don’t leave out the low cost airlines either… carriers such as Peach, Jetstar, Skymark and Starflyer.

Airlines operate to and from very popular cities such as Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Sapporo, where transit connections to the city center are plentiful, as well as smaller cities that might need a longer bus ride or even a taxi ride. Do your homework, and you could score some deals. For long-distance trips such as Tokyo to Fukuoka or Tokyo to Sapporo, it is certainly worth the time saved. But did you know that one of the most heavily-travelled routes is actually Tokyo Haneda to Osaka Itami… two cities also served plentifully by the bullet train? These flights operate like clockwork and fares are kept competitive; Both ANA and JAK currently are charging 14,570 yen in economy for flights between Tokyo and Osaka with just one day advance purchase.

Heading out a little further? Here are a few common pairings:

  • Tokyo-Sapporo: As of this writing, one-way advance fares started around 5,000-6,000 yen for low cost airlines including Peach, Jetstar and Spring Japan from Narita Airport (furthest from Tokyo). For mainline carriers JAL and ANA, fares were about 17,000 yen from the closer Haneda Airport when booked 1-2 months ahead and about 13,000 yen when booked over two months ahead.
  • Tokyo-Fukuoka: One-way advance fares started around 6,000 yen for low cost airlines including Peach and Jetstar from Narita Airport. For mainline carriers JAL and ANA, fares were about 19,000 yen from Haneda Airport when booked 1-2 months ahead and about 14,000 yen when booked over two months ahead. Extended bookings further out see prices around 11,000 yen.
  • Osaka-Sapporo: One-way advance fares started around 7,000 yen for low cost airlines including Peach and Jetstar from Kansai Airport. For mainline carriers JAL and ANA, fares were about 14,000 yen from the closer Itami Airport when booked at least one month ahead.

For JAL and ANA you can check in multiple bags for free with a weight limit of 20 kg (44 lbs) each if flying in economy, with fees of no more than 440 yen for each kilogram over the limit. Baggage limits with low cost airlines will almost always be more restrictive, so check in advance.

There are also domestic air passes available to foreign tourists available from ANA and JAL, however there are reports that some of these air passes are not being sold at this time, while flight availability for using other passes is virtually nonexistent.

BUSES

Highway buses can also be considered for cost savings. There are plenty of daytime buses, as well as a number of night buses that can double as lodging for the evening. Japan’s highway buses are clean, comfortable, and make regular rest stops so you can stretch your legs or use the washroom. One of the big bus companies is Willer Express, which offers bus passes for unlimited travel on their services. There’s also the JBL bus pass, which covers a larger number of bus operators including Willer. You can choose a bus and seating option that fits your budget, from standard bus seats to first-class premium style suites and everything in between.

Using some popular Japanese bus booking engines, here are some recent finds for the Tokyo-Osaka route booked at least a few days in advance:

  • Economy-style seating (4 per row): Day bus 3,700 yen (JR Bus), Night bus 3,900 yen (Kintetsu Bus)
  • Standard-style seating (3 per row): Day bus 5,300 yen (JR Bus), Night bus 6,400 yen (Keisei Bus)
  • Premium-style seating: Night bus 11,000 yen (Willer Express “Reborn” shell seats); 14,500 yen (JR Bus Dream Relier Precious Class); 20,000 yen (Dream Sleeper Gussuri private rooms)

LONG-DISTANCE FERRIES

A final method that I’d like to suggest is one that’s relatively unknown to a lot of tourists: Ferries that usually cater to cargo trucks and cars that wish to save on gas, wear and tear when traveling from one part of Japan to the other. Many of these ferries also accept foot passengers, and offer accommodations ranging from shared bunks and capsule bed-style spaces to more luxurious private rooms. You can find amenities ranging from restaurants and vending machines to public baths, karaoke rooms and movie theaters.

The popular japan-guide.com website has a page dedicated to domestic ferries, and you can find more information on that site pertaining to many of the things I’ve mentioned in this post.

The news about the Japan Rail Pass has not hit the travel community very well. I hope that these other options will allow you to make an informed decision about your long-distance Japan travel plans. Of course if money is no factor, the alternative options sound confusing, and/or you want the piece of mind that the rail pass provides, then by all means go for the Rail Pass. Many will agree, however, that there are now better and cheaper options that can and should be considered.

Thanks for reading… I’ll be going back to “hiatus mode” but as always let me know if you have questions and I’ll be happy to answer when I have the time!

Blog Update!

On By jrhorseIn Jose's Japan Tips2 Comments

Back in July I made the decision to no longer maintain Jose’s Japan Tips. However, I’ll be crawling out from time to time – and time permitting, of course – to post useful information for those who are interested.

This week I posted to my blog about two YouTube channels dedicated to Japan and Tokyo travel worth checking out. In the near future I might try to update some older articles about entry into Japan as the information is already old… maybe “deprecated” would be the proper term. I’ll keep you all posted and let you know when these are updated. Thanks very much!

Recommended YouTube Channels for Japan Travel Tips

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I’m once again crawling out of my hiatus for this quick post about two small yet amazing YouTube channels that you really need to check out.

As Japan once again welcomes international travelers for tourism, there are so many “YouTubers” that are out there to express their love for the country, and their interest in helping others have a safe and pleasant trip. While a number of them are so popular that the creators have made a business out of it (making me feel that there are more sponsored plugs than there is content), today I would like to offer my recommendations for two budding YouTube channels who genuinely want to help you travel around Tokyo and offer their travel recommendations in general: Harblife and Tokyo Kenchan.

Harblife

Created at the end of May 2022 and with over 5,000 subscribers, this YouTuber posts frequent videos about hidden gems in Tokyo and, most importantly, the latest travel procedures when entering Japan. One of my favorite videos is this one, where he and his partner explain the importance of using the Japanese government’s digital apps to smooth your entry process into Japan following the lifting of the COVID entry ban. On a recent return to Japan, where he is a permanent resident, Harblife decided to see what would happen if he did not use the government app (Currently, this is Visit Japan Web) AND if he did not declare that he had three COVID-19 vaccinations – which meant that he would need to get a negative PCR test within 72 hours of flight departure. His partner, on the other hand, registered her vaccine and quarantine details ahead of time. Needless to say, the difference between the two is night and day.

Harblife’s videos are straight-shooting, and with open captions that make it easy to understand what he is talking about. I am hoping to take some of his suggestions that he offered for side trips in this video, for example, if I decide to go back to Japan for a fifth time.

Tokyo Kenchan

This YouTube channel with nearly 1,800 subscribers is run by Japanese native Kengo. It was created in April 2021, but most of his content has come out only within the last few months. In a very simple and conversational style, Kenchan covers various topics such as how to get around Tokyo and Kyoto, as well as a number of ideas for day trips. One of my favorite videos explains where you can get amazing Tokyo views for free. In one of his most recent videos, he also suggests ten day trips you could take out of Tokyo.

Click on the links in the headers to visit each of these channels. I hope you’ll look at these two channels, give them a like and subscribe, and consider their advice as you prepare for your next trip to Japan.

As a footnote, I was not directly asked to promote these sites. These recommendations are my own.

New Japan Entry Rules starting October 11

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On Tuesday, October 11, Japan will finally reopen their borders to all foreigners for visa-free travel, including independent tourism, for the first time since the onset of the COVID pandemic 2 1/2 years ago. Quarantine based on vaccination status and arrival location will also be ending. Below I’ll break down what you’ll need to do before entering the country.

I may sound like Captain Obvious here, but the first thing you should do is make sure you have a valid passport with at least six months before expiration. Passport processing times are taking longer than usual these days, so if you don’t have a passport or your current one is about to expire, take the time now to make the necessary arrangements with your nation’s passport issuing agency.

The second thing you’ll need to do is verify that your nation has visa-free arrangements for short-term entry into Japan. Most developed nations will have a visa exemption, but check Japan’s official list just to be sure. If you don’t see your nation listed, you’ll need to apply for a visa prior to departure through your local Japanese embassy or consulate.

Next, you will need to verify your COVID vaccination status. Japan requires a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the flight’s departure to Japan. However, if you have what Japan deems to be a valid vaccination certificate, the pre-departure test is not required. This means, for Japan’s purposes, you’ll need to have been vaccinated with at least three doses of any COVID vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). If your first vaccination was the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine, then you’ll need just one additional shot (total of at least two doses). Of course, the best thing to do is to make sure you are up to date with any COVID vaccinations at least two weeks before you travel to Japan, in accordance with guidance from your government’s health organization.

The next thing you’ll need to do is to download the MySOS app, available from your smartphone’s app store, and fill in the information before departure. The MySOS app will collect your health information and your vaccine status or PCR test results. Once the information has been verified, show the MySOS app screen to the quarantine officers upon landing in Japan. You may still need to have your physical or digital proof of vaccination with you, so be sure to take it during your travels. Note that the use of MySOS is strongly recommended to reduce your waiting times at the Japanese border. However, some airlines (from what I’ve seen on their websites) are requiring that you complete the MySOS app information before your departure.

Another service that is strongly recommended is Visit Japan Web, which you can use to electronically fill out the required immigration and customs declarations. Once you have filled out the information, show the QR code to the immigration officer and to the customs declaration terminal. As of this post, a new version of the Visit Japan Web service will be available shortly that can be used for arrivals following the opening of the borders.

Make sure to bring your face masks and buy some in Japan if you need them. While Japan technically has guidelines on preventing the spread of COVID and not hard-set rules, almost everyone in Japan adheres to them. This includes the wearing of face masks in most situations. Many businesses and sightseeing locations will ask people to wear face masks. Please do your part… in fact, as part of the entry procedures into Japan you may be asked to sign a pledge to adhere to the anti-infection measures. There are also news reports that the Japanese government will empower Japanese hotels and lodgings to enforce the COVID guidelines (including wearing masks), going so far as to refuse service to anyone who does not follow them.

These are some of the major things you’ll need to know as Japan re-opens to the world. One more thought: While you might be attracted right now by the weak Japanese yen, do keep in mind that costs are going up in Japan as many industries struggle from events ranging from the COVID pandemic to the geopolitical situation between Ukraine and Russia. Right now there is a high fuel surcharge on many airline tickets going to and from Japan being charged by most airlines. The fuel surcharge is nearly $870 for a round-trip ticket, regardless of whether you’re flying economy or first class, and regardless of whether you’re paying with cash or your hard-earned frequent flier points. You may wish to sit down and do your research to find out the flights that work best for your schedule and your wallet. The formula of how the fuel surcharge is determined is something I really don’t agree with, but that’s just my personal opinion. Flights to Japan are also sure to be in high demand. Hopefully airlines will add more flights in the months ahead to make things a little easier, and the fuel surcharge will go down somewhat.

I may post some more updates time permitting, but as I have said in the past I don’t intend to actively post as I’ve done before. If you have any questions, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them!

Update: Japan Border Reopening

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Update: It looks like the border reopening has been set for October 11.

Well it seems it didn’t take too long since my last post, but we interrupt my permanent hiatus to inform you that the Prime Minister of Japan has announced plans for Japan to further ease border restrictions next month. He announced this last night at a dinner in New York City, where he has attended the United Nations General Assembly.

More details are yet to come, but as of right now it’s *expected* that if you have had three COVID shots and are coming from a country or territory that has a visa exemption with Japan for short-term travel, you will be able to enter Japan without testing, quarantine or travel restrictions! This is what is being widely reported by media outlets.

I am still not planning to actively contribute to this page, especially right now as I have more things that I have to worry about… recently I suffered a fall in my summer home, broke my hip and underwent a hip replacement surgery. However I did want to pass along the good news that one of our favorite countries now appears to be taking steps to reopen to independent tourism!

Once I have additional details I’ll pass them along.

My Last Post (or is it?)

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December 2022 Update: I’ve decided to post intermittent updates from time to time (and time permitting) that may be useful to prospective travelers, as well as update posts with old/out-of-date information. See this post for more details.

September 22, 2022 Update: While I have no plans to actively continue posts, it does appear that at this point Japan is close to reopening the borders, and so I’ll be posting more details about the new entry requirements when they become available.

The original post from July 2022 follows below:

Today I’ve made the difficult decision to permanently close Jose’s Japan Tips. As of today there will be no further contributions to either my blog or to my Facebook page.

I have regrettably reached the point where I can no longer offer meaningful travel advice and tips at a time when restrictions on inbound tourism to Japan continue with no end in sight… unless you’re traveling on an expensive package tour and chaperoned, as is the present case.

I plan to leave my Facebook page up for the foreseeable future, and will keep the WordPress blog up until at least the end of the year (when my paid subscription is due to expire). While I have no further plans to post, I do remain available to answer any questions you may have about travel to and around Japan, time permitting.

Thanks for your support of this blog and page over so many years. I still love Japan, and hope that you will have the opportunity to visit or return to the country when the Japanese government decides to allow it.

Update on Japan’s Quarantine Measures

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Updated on February 28, 2022 to reflect Japan’s definition of “fully vaccinated” for quarantine purposes, and rules on public transportation.

Following up on last week’s post regarding the opening of Japan’s borders to foreigners for purposes other than tourism, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has posted an update to their web page concerning Border measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

If you can fully read and understand all of the measures on that web page, you deserve an award. It’s extremely complicated with a myriad of rules and regulations that are both recently updated and left over since the onset of the pandemic.

What the page does specify, however, is how quarantine will be handled for arrivals starting next month.

Currently, all international arrivals are required to quarantine for seven days. Either three or six of those days, depending on where the traveler has stayed in the last two weeks, must be spent at a government quarantine facility while the remaining time is spent in self-isolation at a hotel or residence of the traveler’s choosing. These rules are regardless of whether or not someone is vaccinated.

Starting on March 1st, the Japanese government will change the quarantine rules based on two criteria:
* Where the traveler has been in the last two weeks, and
* Whether or not the traveler is fully vaccinated against COVID-19

IMPORTANT NOTE: Japan defines “fully vaccinated” as having received a full series of COVID-19 vaccinations AND a booster shot. For the full series, Japan recognizes the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson vaccines. For the booster, Japan recognizes Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

If a traveler is arriving from a country or territory that has been designated by the Japanese government as high risk for COVID-19 (or in the government documentation, at risk for the Omicron variant):
* If not fully vaccinated, the traveler must spend three days at a quarantine facility and must take a test after three days.
* If fully vaccinated, the traveler must spend seven days in home quarantine in principle, however quarantine can end after a minimum of three days and a negative COVID test result.

If a traveler is arriving from a country or territory that has been designated by the Japanese government as low risk for COVID-19:
* If not fully vaccinated, the traveler must spend seven days in home quarantine in principle, however quarantine can end after a minimum of three days and a negative COVID test result.
* If fully vaccinated, no quarantine is required.

Public transportation restrictions:
If quarantine IS NOT required, there are no restrictions on the use of public transportation.
If home quarantine is required, public transportation is allowed only to and from the location of quarantine using the most direct route. This applies for the duration of the quarantine.
If facility quarantine is required, I infer from the posted regulations that the use of public transportation will only be allowed after finishing the quarantine.

As always I’ll share more updates as they become available and understood!

Japan’s Revised Border Measures (No Tourists for now)

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has officially announced the new border measures for foreigners who would like to enter Japan, which will take effect from March 1, 2022. Foreigners will be permitted to enter Japan for purposes except tourism (which is what many had expected).

Here’s what border measures will look like starting on March 1st:
– Daily arrival caps (Japanese citizens and foreigners alike) will be increased to 5,000 per day
– Foreign arrivals will be required to be under the supervision of a person or an organization responsible for the visit. Tourists will still be denied entry for the time being.
– Quarantine will remain at seven days, however, those who test negative for COVID-19 after three days and meet certain other conditions will be eligible to end their quarantine early
– Those who have received three shots of a COVID-19 vaccine AND are arriving from a location deemed low-risk for COVID by the Japanese government will not have to quarantine at all

Note: There will probably be some other requirements forthcoming that are not in the initial news reports. I will do my best to update this article as additional information becomes available.

It is a fine line that Prime Minister Kishida has been toeing with regard to the border issue. Public support for the strict border measures seems to be softening in Japan; 81% of respondents in a December NHK poll supported the border restrictions, but an NHK poll released earlier this week showed that number dropped to 57%.

A number of businesses and institutions have welcomed the eased border restrictions. Some have complained that the cap of 5,000 daily arrivals is too low, as there is a backlog of around 400,000 foreigners—including some 147,000 students—waiting to enter the country, according to government numbers. Some political observers were also quoted as saying that opening the borders to tourism before an Upper House election in July would be “difficult.”

I, for one, am happy and relieved that Japan is reopening the spigot slowly, and finally allowing those who absolutely need to travel to the country to do so – especially the students that will go on to help shape many futures. I am eagerly looking forward to more updates as the situation hopefully continues to improve.

As always, I’ll provide further updates on the border measures as necessary. Otherwise, I don’t anticipate writing many posts… especially about travel tips, as there is still no tourism to be had.

Thanks for your continued support of this blog!

Japan Expected to Announce Easing of Borders

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2/15/22 Update: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce the new border measures on Thursday, February 17 (Japan Time). There is a mix of new regulations being considered; I’ll post what is officially announced as soon as I learn the details.

Happy New Year everyone, and welcome to the first post of 2022! Today I wanted to share a very quick update that Japan is expected to announce the easing of border measures for foreign nationals as soon as this week, which will likely take effect after the current restrictions expire at the end of February.

There has been growing pressure and international criticism on Japan’s border policy towards foreigners, as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads domestically in Japan. Some have cried “xenophobia” and “neo-sakoku” (referring to Japan’s isolation policy from 1603 to 1868), while within Japan many have expressed support for the border measures.

I expect that Japan, like a few months ago when the borders opened up for a little while, will not initially permit tourists. Once again, I expect that students, business travelers and those who will be staying in Japan for a longer period of time (i.e. skilled workers) will be given first priority.

There is no word yet on what will happen with quarantine rules. Currently, the quarantine is 7 days for anyone allowed in (Japanese nationals, permanent residents, special circumstances), with a portion of that time likely to be spent at a government quarantine facility. Those waiting to enter Japan that have been interviewed by various newspapers have said that they would be more than willing to follow the country’s measures. There is speculation in the press reports that Japan might reduce the quarantine under certain circumstances, as was the case for business travelers last autumn.

Once the border situation becomes clearer, I’ll post another update. As always, thanks for your support!

Omicron: Japan Closes Borders Again

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Not much to say in this update: Due to the discovery of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus, Japan is immediately closing its borders to all foreigners once again, undoing an easing of measures that had been implemented almost a month ago.

This follows measures being implemented around the world to put the brakes on travel after the discovery of the new variant in South Africa. However, in Japan’s case, it’s not just restrictions on those coming from South Africa and surrounding countries… all foreigners are now denied entry once again, except arrivals due to special circumstances at the discretion of immigration authorities.

We await to find out in the coming weeks the impact of the omicron variant. Stay tuned…