covid19
While other countries were quick to open up following the end of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan took its time. First, returnees were allowed back, then tourists were allowed in on group tours, but now Japan is finally opening its doors to tourists to make their own itineraries again. In this article, we look at what that means for visitors and some of the new regulations that visitors need to be aware of. 1. What does this mean in terms of COVID-19?Despite ‘opening up’, it doesn’t mean that Japan lets anyone with a passport enter. Japan has a list of necessary vaccines, and at the t...
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On Jan. 31, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 or the coronavirus a global emergency. After a surge in coronavirus cases, several prefectures in Japan have entered the fourth state of emergency. On Aug.18, 2021, it was extended for Tokyo, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka until Sept. 12. This follows the first nationwide state of emergency declared on April 16, 2020, which was lifted on May. 26, 2020, the second state of emergency declared on Jan. 07, 2021, for Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and other prefectures which was lifted on Mar...
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A state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo will run from April 25 through May 11, 2021After yet another surge in coronavirus cases and a rapidly spreading new variant, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo will enter a state of emergency from April 25 through May 11, 2021. The government hopes this will limit travel during Japan’s Golden Week holiday. The state of emergency does not mean a hard lockdown as seen in other countries, but it does put restrictions on the public concerning “non-essential” activities such as travel and dining out. To help foreign residents in the affected prefectu...
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With spring come lovely pink and white hues of sakura (cherry blossoms), and with sakura comes hanami (花見), or “flower viewing.” From late March to early April, the whole country goes nuts for cherry blossoms and eat and drink while basking under the flowers. Hanami is a chance for you to go outside and revel in the few beloved weeks of spring that Japan has to offer before the rainy season hits. At least it was before COVID-19. Some spots in the city such as Nakameguro and Ueno in Tokyo draw in tens of thousands of spectators or more. Some foreigners say they’re over all the sakura-themed pro...
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Originally published March 2020. A young woman sneezed into my coffee on a Tokyo train yesterday morning. I wanted to scream and throw the steaming cup in her face as the faint droplets touched my hand. Instead, I smiled and chose to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Yes, I’m still occasionally out and about during the coronavirus pandemic. The virus wasn’t going to stop my Japanese visa from expiring so I had to renew it. Besides, social distancing is a term that really rubs me the wrong way. This buzzword has been thrown around a lot lately, especially by my friends back home in the U.S. who...
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