Japan extends travel ban
Up until the latest ban, international students, business travelers, foreign residents and Japanese natives living overseas were allowed to travel to Japan when it lifted the blanket travel ban on November 8. This also allowed for athletes and approved visitors to enter during the 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
However, with the continuing wave of the Omicron variant doing its rounds in the world, Japan has effectively shut out visitors again under one of the toughest COVID-19 border policies in the world.
The first case of the Omicron variant was recorded in Japan on November 30, 2021, and since that time infection rates have steadily increased. The Japanese government’s new plan to extend the travel ban until the end of February – allowing only foreigners with resident status to return and exceptional cases – has been made to give the country time to overcome the peak of the sixth COVID wave.
Speaking to Reuters, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, “We’ll maintain the current framework of measures until the end of February… while taking necessary measures from the perspective of humanitarian and national interests.”
When can international travelers head to Japan?
Currently, it is unclear who will be able to travel to Japan once the ban is lifted at the end of February. It is believed, however, that Japan will allow business travelers and international students to return and the country will then resume the phased reopening plan that was started back in early November. However, this has yet to be confirmed.
The situation with international travelers is even less clear at present. A spokesperson for the Japanese tourism board has said, “Unfortunately, we don’t have any more information than the extension of the travel ban through February.”
It looks like foreign visitors shouldn’t get their hopes up too soon for a chance to visit Japan again. Currently, a statement on the 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.”
Japan’s 2030 tourism goals
However, despite the current travel bans, the Japanese government is reportedly sticking to its 2030 tourism goals. According to the Japan Times, the country’s goal is to attract an annual 60 million inbound travelers by the year 2030. Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a pause on those plans at this time.
In fact, 2020 was supposed to be a major milestone for Japan’s tourism industry, with an influx of international visitors for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Regrettably, the event was postponed by a year by the pandemic and was held in 2021, mostly without spectators due to the virus. However, Kyoji Kuramochi of the Japan Tourism Agency said that while the country was unable to welcome international visitors, the games still helped to showcase Japan as a tourism destination.
“It was a really good opportunity to draw the attention of those people around the world who are interested in visiting Japan,” he said.
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