work visa still ok?

been planning on going to japan to live and work, spoke to some officials from the embassy for news and info on what to do, but one thing i can never get an answer is, does japan only accept work visas at the moment or is it still close to everyone? i got no indication that my trip will be cancelled, nor was my plane ticket denied when bought, but is it ok now to travel there? i got my vaccines, been tested and all clear, but whats the status at the moment? if i have to wait then ok so be it but being turned away at the gates would suck, any news would be helpful :) thanks

Like you, Millions of Foreigners are waiting to enter japan as a Tourist ,As a student ,As a company worker.So Dont worry.

I understand that currently if you are from one of the many banned countries you can’t just travel. There is an other long thread here with links to the reopening. And I know from a client who wants to go to Japan for business trip that the amount of paperwork needed is insane.

As far as I understand Students and trainees (and business travelers) can now go to japan under very strict, complicated procedure. But people with other visas , eg work visa can’t (yet).

This is the other thread I referred to:
https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+175062

My understanding is that it is now possible to apply for work and student visas again (for anybody regardless of nationality and origin), but that you your company/school will be burdened with various additional corona-related obligations and that there is a waiting time of several months due to the limited number of people currently let into Japan.

it is now possible to apply for work and student visas
No, not quite correct. Student visas and technical trainees, not the general work visa categories.
The 8th November changes were introduced under the "special circumstances" exemption. For other travelers, like those wanting to enter via a work visa, the current denial of landing permission for the 159 countries listed still applies until further notice.
Note that the official MoFA page https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html does not include the information (or even much of a link) to the health labour and welfare ministry site. Also, depending when the OP visa was issued, it may not be valid (please refer section #4 of the referenced page).

Student visas and technical trainees, not the general work visa categories.

I think you are wrong. Most newspaper articles only mention students and technical trainees because together they make up something like 95% of all long-term entries, but I am pretty sure that also work visa holders are now eligible to enter again. It is clearly mentioned in this document under question 2:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100260979.pdf
(where it states" �A全ての長期間の滞在")

JapanCustomTours, you are not correct

this page is specific to the new measures:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page22e_000921.html
>Newly entering Japan for a short-term stay (less than three months) for business or working purpose or newly entering Japan for a long-term stay

any long term stay visa is OK to enter now as long as they have an approved receiving organization. short term stays for business are also OK as long as their inviting company is approved and files the correct paperwork.

@cat and @Uji - the MoFA pages are not the correct source of information and the media reports (most) are also quite inaccurate - something the Japan Times belatedly admitted once they actually looked at it. The details of the relaxed measures (8th Nov) are on the health/labour/welfare Ministry site. In the lengthy details it describes the entry requirements as a special exception under the existing rules.
Entry for the majority of countries (159 currently) is still refused, the "business track still suspended, and most (I think 65 of 67 countries) the visa waiver programme is still not operating.
I am happy to be wrong, but based on the detail and watching these rules and requirements evolve over the past 18 months between the three Ministries that control the border (including Justice), currently I do not see an ordinary work visa holder being able to either obtain a visa in the current situation or being allowed to enter the country.

I linked a very recent Q&A by the MOFA explaining the new immigration rules in detail which I assume to be accurate. To me it clearly states that the new rules apply to 全ての長期間の滞在 which refers to all newly arriving long-term residents, including work visa holders alongside student visa holders and technical trainees. If anybody thinks I am understanding this wrongly, please let me know.

As for the restrictions on entry from 159 countries, they do not apply in this case because all these new foreign arrivals enter under "special circumstances". For the same reason, Olympians and Paralympians from all across the world were able to enter Japan this summer.

As a matter of fact, I don't think that this list of 159 countries has currently any relevance with respect to entering Japan because the general ban on new foreign arrivals remains in effect even now, and the only way to enter Japan is under special circumstances. In other words: either a) you cannot enter Japan or b) you can enter under "special circumstances" in which case the restriction on country of origin does not apply.

i also read the links provided, checked the embassy site again, its confusing cause it says that entry isnt allowed at the moment, but then in the next paragraphs it states how one can enter under ceratin waivers and circumstances, especially with the covid vaccine and prior tests coming in. again i emailed them and asked so many questions and not once did they stopped me, i even called the airlines for ticket prices and again, no stoppage (if people couldn't travel then why sell the plane tickets?) i just want to make sure but i guess best thing to do is wait it out a bit longer for safe measures, thanks again for all the info everyone :)

also i always check the CDC for info, and heres the updated version if anything https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-1/covid-19-japan i remeber when it clearly said months ago how japan was closed off to travelers, but now? will continue to check :)

水際対策強化に係る新たな措置（19）について
２．外国人の新規入国制限の見直し
外国人の新規入国については、「水際対策強化に係る新たな措置（４）」（令和２年 12 月 26 日）
１の措置に基づき、原則として全ての国・地域からの新規入国を一時停止し、「特段の事情」が
ある場合に限り、新規入国を認めることとしているところ、下記（１）又は（２）の新規入国を
申請する外国人については、業所管省庁から指定された誓約書及び活動計画書を含む申請書式を
日本国内に所在する受入責任者から当該業所管省庁へ提出し、当該業所管省庁から事前に審査を受けた場合、「特段の事情」があるものとして、新規入国を原則として認めることとする。
（１）商用目的又は就労目的の短期間の滞在（３月以下）の新規入国
（２）長期間の滞在の新規入国

typical governmental document.
read as:
２．外国人の新規入国制限の見直し
外国人の新規入国については、下記（１）又は（２）の新規入国を申請する外国人については、（条件下において）新規入国を原則として認めることとする。
（１）商用目的又は就労目的の短期間の滞在（３月以下）の新規入国
（２）長期間の滞在の新規入国

there are some restrictions, probably most of working visa holders may not overcome them.

Ken's excerpts, too, indicate no limitations on work visa holders as opposed to student visa holders and technical trainees. They simply refer to "長期間の滞在の新規入国" in general. There is no mentioning of the new measures being limited to students and technical trainees.

To OP before buying any plane ticket start speaking with your receiving organization.

They must file a lot of paperwork to get authorized, which is one of the steps. Buying a plane ticket should be one of the last steps, unless you can buy something that is fully refundable but even then I think it is now a waste of time.

if people couldn't travel then why sell the plane tickets?

the passengers are not only visa holders and resident status holders but also Japanese nationals who are living in your country and go back to Japan. The fact that tickets are sold doesn't mean anybody can enter Japan.

The easy way of explaining that, is that they expanded "special exceptional circumstances" to include most long-term visa holders + short term business travelers instead of the extremely limited categories it covered before.

It's a weird move.

It's not a weird move. A lot of countries that have closed borders have taken this step as part of reopenning.

I am not Japanese but I have been living in Japan since childhood, speak Japanese language and I understand
全ての長期間の滞在 refers to all newly arriving long-term residents, including work visa holders alongside student visa holders and technical trainees. I know that Japanese page and foreign language pages are often different specially my language (not English but Asian language) in many sites but Japan's official language is Japanese so I believe what @Uji said is official information.

H, expanding "special circumstances" to all new entries instead of resuming the business or residence track which pretty much covered the exact same visa categories is a weird move - not the phased reopening.

It would be much more clear if they had resumed the already established system and added screening cert. instead of greatly expanding the conditions for "special circumstances"

Doing it this way just confuses people, as you can see in this thread.