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When can I travel to Japan?
I put all the necessary information on this timetable.
First, the number of new COVID cases are increasing in Tokyo. So, the Gov will decide to extend the Intensive anti- virus measures to Aug 11th. It is said that the Gov will officially decide it on July 8th by the media. Also, last week interview, Health ministry said that Gov do not hesitate to declare the state of emergency if the new cases will increase.
In addition, sadly, due to the Okinawa times, Okinawa prefecture is planning to ask the Japanese Gov to extend the State of Emergency in Okinawa.
So, the extent of the State of emergency implies that the issuing of new Visas will be extended too.
I keep watching the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website, but the information about Application for Visa for foreign nationals eligible for Phased Measures toward Resuming Cross-Border Travel page is not updated since May 11th, 2021.
So how will this be cracked?
This is my assumption and my thoughts. I think there are two factors for reopening our border.
One, Japanese peopleās momentum. Second, vaccination. In addition, recovery of domestic travel.
To measure Japanese peopleās momentum is the public opinion of the Tokyo Olympics.
Due to the Asahi poll June 26th, 33% of people said they would cancel the Olympics. 27% said postpone. 38% said to do it on schedule. So 60% of people do not want the Olympics to happen this summer. Why?
Because Japanese people are worried about the explosion of Covid cases during the Olympics. Because around 100,000 people from overseas will come to Japan. And if the cases do not go down, State of emergency will keep going.
So, the success of the Tokyo Olympics really matters. If the number of cases will increase during the Olympics, the public opinion will say,ā people from overseas brought the covid! So do not open the border!ā
Second, vaccination. Currently, the number of vaccinations is rapidly increasing, but the lack of supply of vaccines and the government wanting everyone to have vaccinations equally are causing problems.
The Governor of Osaka, requires the Japanese Gov to prioritize vaccination in high-risk areas, like Tokyo, Osaka, and other big cities.
Because most of the COVID cases are happening in the big cities. So, it really makes sense to me that the priority for vaccination is to speed up the cases. But Japanese Gov are afraid of the public opinion,ā It is not fair!ā. My self, the earliest day to have the first dose, is Aug 28th.
But I am hoping that the vaccination speed will keep going, and Japanese people, ourselves, can restart to travel our own country. This will help improve the momentum for reopening the borders.
Also, the vaccine passport will help to speed up for the reopening. But unfortunately, vaccine passports will be issued in paper, in Japan, and there is no plan to use the application on smartphones for a while. I do not know how this works. Also, a vaccine passport is a mutual agreement between the countries. How Japan will accept vaccine passport holders without the system.
I will carefully keep watching the latest information about this.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-lobbies-countries-to-accept-its-vaccine-passport
Watch the latest Japan travel ban updates on Youtube.
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