Open to Tourists
Japan's borders were closed to tourists for almost two and a half years. Since June 10th, Japan is allowing tourists to come into the country, sort of. Japan is still a little nervous about tourists coming into the country, even though the economy needs tourists.
International tourists, who are part of guided package tours from 98 low-risk countries (low levels of covid-19 positivity), are now allowed to enter the country.
Visitors who are part of these guided tours must take measures to prevent infection.
1. Tour guides must make sure visitors wear masks, disinfect their hands, and avoid the "Three C's" (confined and enclosed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings).
2. Visitors must purchase medical insurace.
3. Visitors must register in advance at the Visit Japan website.
4. Visitors must agree that infractions may lead to them not being able to continue on the tour.
5. In order to limit contacts, there must be a record of tour participant activities with fixed seating arrangements in restaurants and other places.
6. Tour guides must have information about multilingual medical institutions and specialist medical interpreters.
7. Tour participants who test positive should be promptly removed from the tour group and examined at a medical institution. Other participants who are not close contacts will be allowed to continue with the tour.
8. As always, tourists need a tourist visa.
I haven't read anything about how the tour business is going or how long it is taking to secure tourist visas in order to sign up for the guided package tours. Currently, the Japanese yen is trading at a 24 year low ($1 USD = 135 JY), which is very good for foreign tourists coming to Japan.
Personally, I would not like a guided tour and having to stay with the group. (Luckily for me, I live and work here). What do you think about this guided tour situation and the weak yen? Would you come to Japan under these conditions?
7 comments:
I'm sure there will be people who will take up the offer, which will be good for Japan's tourism sector.
I'm so excited to go back! But not as a tourist with a guide who has to stay with the group. I would be chafing the whole time if I couldn't see what I wanted at my own pace. I'll wait until it's open-open!
Having a guide is good but I would prefer to be able to wander, just even being in a tour group suggests a bit too much closeness for me.
I would wait until I could move around freely.
I feel pity for those who live here and can't accept family members to come and visit.
Returning is something to look forward to. I have waited this long, I can wait until the rules are easier to follow and my presence is safe for those who live in Japan.
Steffi has looked into these tours, the cost is prohibitive. We want to come back to Japan, but not like this!
But maybe I should use the low yen to import some crafty things...
I heard there were complaints because they were taken to an exhibit, and before they had enough time to see it all, they were removed to a tourist shopping place. It reminded me of long ago when we went the Hakone Open-air Museum, and had to leave for the next step of the tour. When we finally got to the hotel in the evening, and the kids were asked what they wanted to do in their "free time"the next day, my son cried out, he wanted to go back and see the rest of the Open-air Museum.
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