It looks like Japan’s strict Covid-19 coronavirus re-entry policies are starting to ease up. There are travel bubbles on the way with Laos, Malaysia and Singapore, and soon all foreign residents will be given permission to re-enter Japan, although the details are still vague at the moment. With new coronavirus testing centres expected to open next month at Haneda, Narita and Kansai airports as well as Tokyo and Osaka city centres, it looks like travel will be able to resume soon, albeit slowly at first.
According to The Japan Times, entry restrictions for foreign students could be relaxed by the end of August at the earliest. Students sponsored by the government will be the first to benefit, with the rules being extended to all international students later on. Students will be required to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival and asked to self-isolate for two weeks.
This information came to The Japan Times via a government source and, at the time of writing, no official announcement has been made on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. We’ll be sure to update this blog as new information is released.
People from 146 nations and regions are currently being denied entry into Japan, although Japan is considering a larger travel bubble with fourteen countries and regions in Asia Pacific.
Follow live updates on the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in Tokyo and Japan here.
More news
Underneath Shibuya Station is a new anti-flooding facility that can hold 4,000 tonnes of water
This shinkansen in Kyushu got a Pixar makeover for the 25th anniversary of 'Toy Story'
Uniqlo has redesigned its Airism face mask for better breathability
The Asakusa Kokono Club has opened a new hotel with 50 percent off rooms until September
This Japanese YouTube series turns Shibuya into a realistic video game world