Traveling to Japan Post COVID

Oct 05 | Evan | No Comments |

Step by step traveling procedures in June and Oct 2022

Yes, it might be still too early to say it’s “Post COVID” particular in Japanese standard, but things are clearly changing in the right direction even in Japan when it comes to international traveling! We just recently shared the exciting news about Japan finally opening its border to international tourists without any restrictions (tour groups or individuals) after the country finally opened its borders on June 10th 2022 to tour groups only. This time though, it is completely open without any restrictions. Since the country has been so strict about international travelers entering Japan for such a long time, we thought it would be helpful to get an inside experience of what exactly you have to do when traveling to Japan. 

In this article, we provide actual pictures and steps of a traveler who traveled from Hawaii to Japan in June 2022 so that you can also prepare yourself for your journey to the country. Yes, it’s from a few months back so things have changed, but you can get a sense of what the traveling procedure is like so that you can start thinking about a photo tour of Japan. (Note: the traveler holds a Japanese passport, but as of Oct 11th 2022, procedures are the same for any individual travelers if he/she is a Japanese citizen or not so this is still informative for anybody.) 

What you need to prepare before traveling to Japan 

If you were traveling to Japan as of June 2022 below items were needed to enter Japan. (This article is only focusing on tourists, thus we are omitting the information for business personnel and international students/interns.) 

• PCR test within 72 hours before traveling to Japan (+-$150 per test) needed to use the particular certificate (updated June 2022) 
• Vaccine & booster record (upload to the app MySOS) 
• MySOS
• Q&A
• Pledge

However, as the Japanese Prime Minister made an announcement on September 22nd 2022, the requirements for entering Japan have changed dramatically (individual tourists will be finally welcomed back, no daily limit of entry, no more visa applications for those who have not had visa requirements prior to COVID, and no more PCR test if you have 3 vaccines done) and below items will be required as of Oct 11th. There are slight differences between those who have had 3 COVID vaccines or not so you need to know what is required in your case. 

Those who have had 3 COVID vaccines: 

• Proof of vaccines 
• Questionner 
• MySOS

Those who have not had 3 COVID vaccines: 

• Proof of negative test within 72 hours of departure (not antigen test) 
• Questionner 
• MySOS

As you probably noticed, you still need to download the app MySOS for traveling to Japan. This was not required prior to COVID, but this is something you must have to travel to Japan today. With the app, everything is smooth as you can provide the proof of vaccine/proof of negative test as well as submit the questionnaire so everything is in one spot. As you use the app, it starts from the red screen shown below and as you provide information and documents, the screen color changes to yellow and so on. In order to enter Japan without any hiccups, the screen needs to turn to blue by the time you are passing immigration so that you can avoid extra steps to pass through the immigeration. 

*This is the actual smart phone app screen for MySOS. It starts from Red, but once you submit all the necessary documents and they review, the color changes to Yellow. Further, the color changes to blue and green so know the colors of MySOS and what each means. 

Traveling from Hawaii/Daniel K Inouye Airport 

When international travel first opened up in June 2022, only 5 airports were accepting international flights in Japan. These were Haneda(Tokyo), Narita(Tokyo), Kansai(Osaka), Fukuoka(Fukuoka), and Nagoya(Aichi). To follow these airports, at the end of June, both Naha (Okinawa) and New Chitose (Hokkaido) opened up to allow international flights to depart/arrive. As Oct 11th fast approaches, Japan welcomes any travelers from around the world, we are expecting more airports opening up as well as more flights being available for travelers. 

Here is an experience of traveling from Hawaii, Daniel K Inouye Airport to Haneda Airport in Tokyo Japan as of June 20th 2022. The waiting time in line to get everything sorted out before passing immigration was 30 minutes total. As indicated above, if you have everything ready in MySOS you won’t have any problem and it should be smooth. However, every airport is different so come prepared to arrive at the airport early! 

Things hopefully have changed since then, but one thing that was inconvenient traveling in June through Daniel K Inouye Airport was that they didn’t open the gated waiting area for this particular flight to Japan till an hour before the flight so that not everyone had a comfortable chair to sit and wait until an hour before the flight departed. As more fights become available and COVID measures get relaxed, hopefully airport functions like how it used to be so that we don’t need to worry about stretching legs before being on an international flight in a restricted position on a plane for hours. 

Procedures at Haneda Airport 

Entering Japan during and post COVID time (current) is quite different from how it was before, prior to COVID time. It’s a lot better in the last few months, but you might need to be prepared to cover a long distance of walking from A to B to C and even D and further. One great thing though is that it has improved dramatically over the last months and it is expected to get better so the time it takes to pass the immigration is way shorter than how it used to be. Now that you no longer need to take a PCR test at the airport and staff at the airport are getting more used to the new normal, it won’t be as stressful for visitors as it was before.  

In this individual’s case, she traveled with a toddler, thus she had a priority to pass the immigration with COVID measures a lot more quickly than others. Even though they had to cover the same distance of endless walking around the airport, the time it took them to pass everything was only 10 to 15 mins, when it used to take hours and hours. However, you need to have everything prepared to be able to pass each station of checks with MySOS ready in hand so be prepared to have everything listed above so that you don’t need to waste extra time at the airport. 

A useful tip you might like to know is that MySOS requires the internet. Haneda Airport like other airports have free Wifi so connect to the free Wifi as soon as you get a chance so that everything is smooth. If you are planning to rent a pocket Wifi, until you pass the immigration, you can’t get there so you first have to use free Wifi at the airport unless you are fine paying high cost of international roaming from your home country! Furthermore, when you return to your home country through Haneda Airport, the airport is yet operating at a full capacity as of Aug 2022 so if you travel at night, you may not have all the options available to eat and shop so make sure to finish your souvenir shopping before arriving at the airport as well as don’t get disappointed with the food choice the airport provides in the evenings. 

Conclusion 

Hopefully this article has provided you with some insightful information about what it is like traveling to Japan in 2022 and gave you confidence to plan a trip there. Yes, things are constantly changing and for the better so let’s hope next year we don’t even need to download MySOS app etc, but for now, follow the simple procedures and finally enjoy the time to visit Japan! Yes, it’s time to go and capture beautiful Japan on the photo tour of Japan that we all long been waiting for. 

For those of you who want to know the changes that will take place starting Oct 11th 2022, there is another article in detail that you can read about so check out the article here. 

No more travel restrictions to Japan!

Sep 30 | Evan | No Comments |

Oct 11th 2022 onward, all the travel restrictions will be removed

Yes, it is official! A long awaited travel restriction will be removed on October 11th 2022 to travel to Japan. Yes, it is legit, not fake news. Finally, we can plan a photography tour of Japan that we have long awaited!! This is an official announcement made by the Prime Minister Kishida who announced this big news in New York on September 22nd 2022. 

As well as Japan finally opening its borders to the entire world in October, Japan’s neighbor, Taiwan, also finally opened its borders to the international visitors a little earlier than Japan on September 29th. Asia, which has been having a lot tighter restrictions than elsewhere to the international travelers, is finally opening up! Are you ready to travel as well? Are you ready to be on a photo tour of Japan? 

What will be removed starting on Oct 11th, 2022? 

So what will exactly change starting Oct 11th, 2022? As the Prime Minister Kishida announced, there will be no more daily limit to entering Japan, which is currently set to 50,000 people per day. In addition, the international tourists no longer need to obtain the visas (up to 90 days) for those countries previously not needing to obtain visas prior to COVID. Furthermore, so far only tour groups have been allowed to enter Japan, but Japan will completely open up the borders so that individuals can travel without any restrictions as well. Japan has already removed the PCR test for those who have done 3 COVID vaccines starting September 7th 2022, and this will remain for those who have already taken the 3 COVID vaccines. For those who have not gotten the vaccines, a proof of a negative test within 72 hours of departure is required for entering Japan. 

These changes are dramatic considering how slow Japan has been opening up its borders compared to the rest of the world. A lot of people have been waiting for Japan to open up, but when the country announced in spring that they were only allowing tour groups, many were disappointed and not keen on traveling to the country in a group so many have been waiting. These no restrictions to any groups of people entering Japan will definitely attract everyone who has long been waiting for this update as well as those who want to take advantage of historically weak Japanese yen that Japan has been experiencing in the last few months. 

So what do you still need to enter Japan? 

With these changes, what do we need to prepare to enter Japan? The preparation to enter Japan differs depending on your COVID vaccine status so the requirements are separated by the individual’s vaccine history. Below is what is decided for October 11th 2022 onward as of October 3rd 2022. 

Those who have done 3 COVID vaccines 

• Proof of vaccines 
• Questionner 
• MySOS

Those who have not done 3 COVID vaccines 

• Proof of negative test within 72 hours of departure (not antigen test) 
• Questionner 
• MySOS

Downloading MySOS for Japan trip will be crucial as everything can be uploaded and managed on your phone regardless of your vaccine status. Below is an example of MySOS screens on a smartphone when traveling from Hawaii, USA. As you complete each task of uploading the required fields and authority checking your submissions, the screen colors change from Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green and you eventually want to get to either Blue or Green to easily enter Japan. 

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For those of you who want to learn more about the details for entering Japan with these new guidelines,it is highly recommend to check the official government website from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare on COVID-19: Current Japanese Border Control so that you know what vaccines are recognized as vaccines in Japan as well as which tests are approved as a form of negative COVID test.

Tourism and entertaining promotions October 11th onward 

As well as these new changes to international travel, the Prime Minister Kishida also announced on September 22nd that there will be promotions to support domestic travel industries and entertainment industries that have been impacted significantly due to COVID in the last three years. These special promotions also start on October 11th and the details and duration of these promotions are handled by Prefectural basis. 

The travel promotion allows Japanese citizens and residents to get discounts to travel around Japan for accommodations and transportations up to 11,000 JPY a day including coupons so this is a favorable discount for those who are eager to travel domestically. The entertainment promotion is for entertainment such as concerts, theme parks, museums, theaters, zoos, aquariums, movies, and sports that people can get up to 2,000 JPY per person to get discounts for the tickets. Certain venues and entertainments won’t cost the full amount so you might be able to enjoy free entertainment! By the way, the catch is that in order to enjoy these discounts, one must finish the vaccines with a booster shot or need to provide proof of a negative PCR test. 

Unfortunately, these promotions only target Japanese citizens and residents of Japan, thus it won’t impact international travelers, but from what you see, Japan is really trying to push its economy back to where it used to be and it is an encouraging news for international travelers too as you can expect many entertainments to open up that have been closed or operated at smaller scales by the time you get there. 

Are you ready to travel to Japan? 

So what do you think? With these positive changes, are you ready to travel to Japan this fall or do you want to wait a little bit to see how the new change will  impact travelers like yourself to finally make a way to Japan? The Japanese yen is at an all time low so the advantage of going to Japan right now is to fully enjoy this special time. Hopefully, we will be able to make an exciting announcement of a photography tour of Japan tour plans shortly so that you will be able to finally travel to Japan and enjoy taking photographs there soon! It has been so long! The time is here. 

Btw for those of you who want to know what it’s like to actually travel to Japan in 2022, check this article here so that you can get a better feel of what you expect with traveling to Japan today.

What’s so special about Japanese convenience stores?

Apr 01 | Evan | No Comments |

Have you heard much about Japanese convenience stores? Yes, we are talking about convenience stores. In the U.S., there are also convenience stores too, but you don’t necessarily think of a convenience store where people go to have a decent meal, right? In the U.S., you may step into a convenience store to grab a drink or pick up a gun, but you don’t go in there to get food that can be satisfying for your brunch, lunch, and even dinner. 

In Japan, convenience stores are everywhere. Many operate 24 hours a day and it has become an essential part of Japanese people’s everyday life. The price may be a little more expensive than going to a local supermarket, but it’s convenient, open 24 hours a day, and there are even items only sold at convenience stores so the trust Japanese people have in convenience stores is immense. Next time you are on a photo tour of Japan, you might as well try having a brunch with food you can find at a convenience store.  We are not kidding! You will for sure go back for more! 

Essential in Japanese people’s everyday life

Convenience stores are an important part of Japanese people’s everyday life. It has items that are both hot and cold so that on a hot summer day when you need an icy cold drink or an ice cream to cool down, you can step into a convenience store. Similarly, on a cold winter day, once you step into a convenience store, you can find oden, hot buns, and/or hot drinks to warm up your body before you head home. Of course, for those people who don’t have enough time to prepare bento lunch, convenience bento is a lifesaver too! 

You may not know this, but convenience stores can also act as a place to protect kids from bad people by acting as a place of escape for children. If you see a sticker at a convenience store (can also be at supermarkets, gasoline stands, and regular homes) saying “Kodomo 110 ban no ie,” it is a safe house to escape in case of emergency for kids. Furthermore, this also applies to women if they feel unsafe walking back home. 

As well as food and drinks, convenience stores also act as a place to purchase tickets such as for concerts, amusement parks, and sporting events. In addition, not everyone has a fax machine at home so at convenience stores, people can send a fax as well. Furthermore, if you want to mail something to a friend/family, you can do that at a convenience store. As you are now aware, the service provided at convenience stores is so versatile that it has become a necessary part of Japanese people’s everyday life! 

This is the Japanese quality!

So how do international visitors react when they shop at Japanese convenience stores? Well, this famous foodie YouTuber, Mike Chen, visited both Seven Eleven and Lawson, two of Japanese major convenience stores, and tried all sorts of food that caught his attention. If you want to know what convenience stores carry and how international visitors think of food there, be our guest to watch the YouTube below. Of course, it’s his opinion, but this provides a good introduction to Japanese convenience stores. The level of food you can find at Japanese convenience stores is no joke!  

Of course, Mike Chen’s view is the view of an international visitor, so if you want to go a little more in depth about cultural awareness, watch “Abroad in Japan.” This youtube video below can give you a more in depth picture of ture Japanese convenience store as the YouTuber is a long resident of Japan and knows what each product is. In this video, he introduces 21 must try items at convenience stores in Japan. Perhaps try some of these items when you are on a  photo tour of Japan next! 

Conclusion… 

For Japanese people, convenience stores really provide a wide range of services that have become a significant part of everyday life. The majority of people use it so that they can purchase food and drinks, but this is also a good place to get newspapers as well as magazines and manga. Having a convenience store has its issues that we didn’t cover here today, but it often provides not only occupation to the community, but also a place to shop, and even a place to protect children and women in case of emergency. When you visit Japan next, make sure to try different convenience stores too as each one carries its own original items also. Don’t forget to let us know which one is your favorite and why!

March ’22 Update with Japan’s COVID Measures;

Mar 06 | Evan | No Comments |

Japan is easing restrictions with border control.

At last, we are excited to share some positive news with Japan’s border control with the COVID measures. Yes, finally, a lot of positive movements towards opening up Japan are happening. Unfortunately, Japan is not yet open for tourists as of March 1st 2022, but the country is finally reopening its border to international students, interns, and business personnel. Furthermore, travel restrictions for Japanese residents and travelers entering the country have eased greatly so hopefully in a few months down the line, we will be able to inform everyone happy news of Japan opening its borders to the tourist so that we can plan a photo tour of Japan by the end of year or even sooner! 

Updates that took place on Feb 10th, 2022

Let’s go step by step to illustrate the updates that have taken place in the last month. We will focus on the travel restrictions of travelers from the U.S. to Japan. Below updates took place on Feb 10th, 2022. 

1) The travelers from below states are required to stay at the government specified location for 3 days after the entry (previously 6 days) before moving to their own place of quarantine. 

Hawaii, Texas, and Massachusetts 

2) The travelers from below states are required to stay at the government specified location for 6 days (the duration of stay didn’t change) before moving to their own place of quarantine. 

California, Illinois, New York, and Florida 

*The number of quarantines remains the same for 7 days in total and those travelers from any other states not listed above could quarantine of their choice for the entire 7 days.

Information released on Feb 12th, 2022

1) Business & international students’ travel may ease as early as some time in Feb 2022, if not March 2022

2) The government will make a decision some time in the week of Feb 12th about opening the borders to international travelers. This change will take place sometime in March. 

Some of the things that are going to be discussed are: 

– Shortening quarantine to 3 or 5 days with COVID vaccinations & booster 

– Increase of daily number of people coming into the country from 3500 to 5000 

Major changes that took place on March 1st, 2022

A significant change to Japan’s brother control took place on March 1st, 2022. Besides shortening quarantine time, the Japanese government allowed people to use public transportation after landing in Japan to move to a quarantining location as well as finally opening a previously tightly closed border to certain groups of international people. Let’s take a look at each point of change that took place on March 1st focusing on quarantine first. (Below are cases for people traveling from the U.S. Depending on where people travel from, even with full vaccination and a booster, conditions may differ so if you are not traveling from the U.S., you need to check what conditions apply to where you are traveling from.) 

1. As of March 1st, people traveling from the U.S. no longer need to quarantine at a government specified location once they travel to Japan. 
2. If you are vaccinated and boosted, you no longer need to quarantine at all. Furthermore, you have no restrictions on using public transportation once you land in Japan. 
3. If you are not vaccinated and boosted, you need to be quarantined for 7 days. However, if you get a PCR test on Day 3 and get a negative result, you can get out of quarantine. Furthermore, within 24 hours of landing, you can use public transportations.
4. At the time of arrival, you need to show your vaccine passport, the PCR test result within 72 hours of pre-travel, PCR test at the airport, a letter of decoration, registering smartphone applications, and also answering Q & A. 

*Japan accepts below vaccines: 

• 2 times of Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or 1 time of Janssen
• Booster shot of Pfizer or Moderna 

*Antigen tests are not adequate for replacing PCR tests. 

Finally opening its border to international people 

Let’s next take a look at what changes are brought to international travelers. A long awaited change finally took place on March 1st 2022, which is to reopen its borders to certain groups of international people. It’s a small, yet large step for Japan as the country has closed its border completely to international people since the rise of Omicrone in Dec 2021. This has placed Japan in a difficult spot at the global stage as Japan has been criticized by many countries around the world for its actions that Japan has been discriminatory towards foreigners. 

So who can travel to Japan and how can they travel to Japan? Let’s find out! 

International students and interns are finally welcomed back to Japan as of March 1st 2022. This is a significant step forward clearly to international students and interns who have been waiting a long time for the last two plus years despite being given a visa to enter. It is also a long awaited significant change for the Japanese economy and education as well. Furthermore, international business personnel are now allowed to travel to Japan for up to 3 months as long as the receiving side, a company or a sponsor can vouch for the individuals. Unfortunately at this time, international tourists are not yet allowed to travel to Japan. Furthermore, international people who have family members in Japan are not yet allowed to travel and visit their family or significant others in Japan. 

Conclusion…

The changes brought by Japan may be still too small to some people, but this is definitely a right move towards reopening the country pre-COVID stage that has long been awaited. From where Japan was a few months ago, the fact the country is now allowing international people to travel to or move to the country being a student/doing an internship is significant. Also the changes in procedures of quarantine once a traveler lands in the country are significant that a lot of people who were formerly hesitant to travel to Japan will be more willing to travel now. So… when will it be a time for tourists? That is unclear at this point, but Japan has indicated to reopen the country step by step so let’s hope we can plan a photography tour of Japan very soon! 

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