Resumption of tourism - Latest info?

And there's more: "On the assumption that the COVID-19 situation continues to ease, the government is also considering coming up with measures to promote tourism for the fresh economic package, the sources said."

Holy shit, some of the replies to this thread are B-A-N-A-N-A-S. The virtue signaling! The self-flagellation! It�fs like some of you want to continue being banned from Japan, and actually like the way Japan is treating foreigners.

Oh well...! I do wish I�fd seen this thread a week ago. So many insightful comments that make a lot of sense to me e.g. coming election and a reminder that the population is not very keen to see us at this point. I just booked a flight and accommodation for September based on the hope derived from recent announcements. All with free cancellation of course, and knowing it would be a risky game, but I see that it may have been way too optimistic. I soo want to see Japan again!!! In the meantime, wait and see. Best of luck with your plans everyone. 😊🙏🏼

Anyone knows will we (tourists) be able to book guided tour only without buying the package deals as tickets and hotels together.... Just a tour guide for the trip that you have planned.

@ Max: No one knows. At this time tourism is only possible on fully escorted tours booked through travel companies who have been issued an ERFS ID, with a range of conditions and guidelines for 'etiquette' involved. It's ALL political posturing with no scientific basis, purely for the elections coming at the end of July. After August, there will *probably* be a further update but when and what is not known.

Hi, below the text of the newsletter I've just received by JTB:

Two weeks ago, we shared the exciting news that Japan has started to slowly resume travel and tourism. From JUN 10, 2022, our country will ease the border restrictions welcoming international leisure travelers to visit via the guided package tours, ahead of a full resumption of inbound tourism. JTB Global Marketing & Travel is proud to be appointed as one of the authorized travel company to organize the package tours for our business partners and their guests.
To prevent the spread of infection and ensure the safe travels of travelers into our country, Japan Government has compiled a guideline that outlines points that all the involved travel companies, accommodation providers and other tourism-related personnel should be followed when accepting foreign tourists at each stage of a tour, from the planning of the tour to its completion.
The following is a summary of the guideline includes the points to be noted to prevent the spread of infection, and emergency measures to be taken in the event of a positive outbreak or other emergency.

1. Tour Planning
• All itineraries preparation should take into consideration the prevention of the spread of infection by avoiding close proximity and use facilities that take thorough measures to prevent the spread of infection.
• The itinerary of the tour must be predetermined.
• A tour guide must accompany the participating travelers throughout the entire tour, from entry into Japan to departure from Japan.
• Travelers must arrive from a country on the "Blue List�h within 14days prior to the entry in Japan
• All travelers must have ERFS (Immigrant Health Confirmation System) and JTBGMT is the authorized company to register for the participating guests that join the tours organized by us.
2. Reservation Conditions
All participating guests must be informed prior of below guidelines and obtain their consent during selling as well as the time of reservation:
• Practice good health and hygiene measures such as wearing a mask and washing/sanitizing the hands, maintain physical distance, avoid crowded areas or closed spaces with poor ventilation
• Pre-register on Visit Japan Web and use the Fast Track service for a smooth entry into Japan
• Purchase private medical insurance that covers medical expenses related to Coronavirus infection and provides adequate coverage and service.
3. Measurements to be taken before tour departure
• JTBGMT as your DMC to arrange the package tours shall provide training for tour guides on compliance with infection prevention measures and other relevant matters, and shall ensure that the significance of infection prevention measures and the measures to be taken are fully understood, taking into account their vaccination status.
• The accommodation and restaurants using in the tours we arrange are all meeting the safety measurement standards.
4. Measurements to be taken during the tours
• The tour guide shall ask the participating guests to take necessary measures in accordance with the infection prevention policies, etc. currently in operation in Japan. During the tour, if there is any doubt about the application of the policy, etc., the tour guide should make decisions in light of the surrounding circumstances and domestic standards.
• Tour guides shall request participating guests to report any symptoms of new strains of coronavirus infection including fever, respiratory symptoms, fatigue, etc.
• Tour guides should take appropriate measures to identify the range of persons in close contact with the tour participant in the event of a positive outbreak.
• In order to properly identify the range of persons who have come into contact with the virus, JTBGMT are requested to keep a record of the tour participants' activities during the tour (including information on facilities used, seat locations on transportation, etc.).
5. Measurements to be taken after the tours
• We kindly ask you to request participating guests reporting if they test positive for new coronavirus infection within one week of their return. Please notify JTBGMT the information promptly in case any positive case is occurred.

@Saru Bob, the elections are on July 10, not "at the end of July."

Those requirements are absolutely insane. I can't imagine traveling to Japan under those circumstances even if it was free, let alone knowing that these "tours" will cost close to double what normal ones would.

I would love someone to ask them straight out why they think foreign tourists (who are vaccinated, negative PCR tested etc.) need different treatment from Japanese returning from abroad.

I would love someone to ask them straight out why they think foreign tourists

By far the number one answer will be: because they worry that foreigners won't wear masks.

@vicreda - thank you for posting that. The newsletter from JTB boils down most of the information pretty succinctly.
One thing they did not mention is that even though they are registered with the ERFS system, they need to register again on or after 10th June with the specific category/purpose of "sightseeing" and their current "approval" is not able to be used.
I am in the same situation - I need to reapply in a couple of days.
As for the guidelines themselves - they are not rules or regulations or laws, just guidelines. Package tours with a guide is only a niche part of the tourism market so appeals to some, but not to others. With the entry cap being so low the GoJ is making sure not many people arrive as tourists - and that is political.

�eTourists visiting Japan may be sent home if they fail to abide by rules requiring them to wear face masks, sanitise their hands thoroughly and buy private health insurance, according to guidelines set by the government ahead of the cautious, gradual reopening of the country�fs border.�f

See link below

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3180702/tourists-japa...

So bizarre.
I suspect it might be easier to visit N Korea than Japan?

Anyway, if such hostile attitudes persists, it�fs best to call it quits. Lots of other countries to visit that are welcoming.
I wear a mask everywhere & willing to follow precautionary health advise. But not interested in the shepherded group tours.
It�fs also ridiculous to constantly hear the Japanese believe that foreigners are the only ones transmitting Covid.

The web site of the U.S. cable business news channel CNBC recently posted a short article on Japan tourism. It was focused mainly on economic aspects of tourism and failed to mention some important details of the upcoming �gopening,�h but what caught my attention was a link to one particular tour company�fs web site, which I found very interesting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/08/travelers-can-now-go-to-japan-but-dome...

https://alljapantours.com/

I found it interesting to finally see some actual tours that are being offered (and a few of them appear to still have spots open), but I was surprised to see the extent to which the company�fs write-ups seem to really downplay the fact that all of their tours, including private and custom ones, will be attended at all times (in other words, people will not be allowed to go off and explore on their own time). And I saw no mention whatsoever of the expectations that people behave in accordance with established �getiquette.�h Buried in the write-up for private tours and public transit tours are references to the �gprivate guides�h but it gives no indication that you are not ever allowed to ditch the guide if you in fact want a little privacy while touring. Furthermore, the private tours (�gjust you and your traveling partner�h) are listed as a separate category from �gEscorted�h group tours, sort of implying that the private tours might not be as fully accompanied. Anyway, I found many details of this particular company�fs site to be suspiciously lacking in important details. The descriptions seemed to me to give no indication of just how controlled the tours would be, and in particular that participants would be expected to wear masks. I personally still wear masks in public places in the U.S., but I think that telling people they have to wear them all day long, even outside, is like telling them they have to wear a strait jacket, and the requirement that a guide be present at all times (except presumably in one�fs hotel room) is to me even more onerous. So to wait until people have gotten all excited and are ready to sign up for a tour to tell them those details seems questionable to me. (Well, perhaps it is in the fine print somewhere, but I didn�ft see it.) I also find it deceptive that the company offers �gprivate�h and �gcustom�h tours, which will interest travelers who don�ft want to go on a standard group tour, but it really doesn�ft make it clear that the travelers are going to be monitored at all times (and expected to mask up).

I suppose that the tour company is just being optimistic about how long the current set of requirements will be in place, and also that they don�ft see masking to be a make-or-break issue. (Do they actually intend to enforce the guidelines, I wonder?)

This "reopening" plan is so incredibly ridiculous, so completely out of touch, it could be taken for parody.

Who do these people think they are?

Hmm�c

Here�fs an idea: how about if these group tour companies hire rikishi to serve as assistants to the tenjoin? That could help add an element of Japanese culture to the tours, and also serve to minimize certain other issues.

I'm really curious how those group tours are going to work when they don't cover all meals? Are the people on these tours just going to miss meals and be stuck? I mean maybe if you actually sign up they tell you about an up charge you need to pay for all meals but it seems like something that ought to be listed in the description.

And how will that onsen hotel stay work? Are they going to reserve the onsen for certain hours for just people on the tour? You can't clean yourself and sit in an onsen with a face mask, you just can't, even a cloth one is not going to function that way.

It just doesn't really sound like a lot of fun.

I don�ft know about the meals, but for the onsen you aren�ft expected to mask. If you scroll down to the English �getiquette�h posters on the following page, you will see that the pictured bathers are unmasked and you are just expected to �grefrain from talking.�h Some of the guidelines are clearly unrealistic, but this is all a work in progress. How it is going to play out over time will be kind of interesting. And no, it doesn�ft sound like much fun.
https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/page03_000076.html

I think it�fs quite possible that some lodgings with onsen bathing facilities will set aside certain hours for use by tour group people, but that will probably vary, and remains to be seen.

These are only guidelines, and in my opinion, I think the Government know they won't be 100% followed to the letter.
Regardless of whether you think the upcoming election has anything to do with things, allowing these group tours gives the Government the best of both worlds with voters (although not in reality, of course). There is zero risk, as any potential increase in cases can be blamed on tourists and tour guides not following the strict & non-realistic rules, whilst also showing the business world that things are moving in the right direction. We also know that tourism in other countries has not led to against significant waves since the rollout of vaccines and wide-spread testing. There is no chance it could in this form. Covid killed Suga's career, Kishida is not taking the chance, BUT, hopefully, once that risk of losing power is gone, things will move more quickly, and we'll get some significant news by the end of August.

>> I would love someone to ask them straight out why they think foreign tourists need different treatment from Japanese returning from abroad

> By far the number one answer will be: because they worry that foreigners won't wear masks.

And of course, they would be absolutely right about that. Because that's exactly what will happen.

That's exactly how Americans behave, both at home and abroad. Says this American who has traveled to Thailand and Europe in the past few months, and who has seen how so many Americans (and some Australians) behaved, ignoring the requirements that were so clearly communicated to them as a condition of their entry. Sadly, many Americans (too many) don't give a rats arse about anyone or any rule or any promise they have made.

Maybe the disease that the Japanese government doesn't want to see spreading in Japan any more than it already has, is not so much COVID as much as the arrogant, entitled, unapologetic a-holes that too many foreign tourists turn out to be.

> Who do these people think they are?

They are your hosts, and they expect you to behave like a guest, not some lunatic with horns screaming "FREEDOM!!!"

Given the willful and proud arrogance displayed by people here who seem to believe it's their god-given right to go wherever they want and behave however they want, no matter what the rules are, it's going to be a long time before they let the rest of us polite people in. Don't like what they think of foreigners? Look in the mirror. I wouldn't invite you into my home, either.

Oh good grief . . .
The MLIT and their JTA have produced GUIDELINES. They have not introduced new laws or regulations.
Only a small section of the travelling public go on package tours, but some do, and that might fit within the current visitor cap.
Most of the uninformed comments here are from people that are independent travelers (and over of the TA forums, that is more pronounced) so probably don't know how guided tours work in practice. The current changes on border/entry restrictions are not for you so there is no need to be more indignant today than the situation a few weeks ago.
The BIGGEST item currently is that travelers need a visa and for those countries that always did need a visa for entry, the current requirements are not so different to what they were before (guarantor, defined schedules and the like).