The Latest Overseas Travel Situation from an Actual Japanese Travel
Travel Journalists Cover Europe
The spread of the new coronavirus has made it virtually “impossible” to travel abroad for the past two years. However, as the infection has somewhat subsided, countries in Europe and other Asian countries have begun to open their borders one after another.
In Japan, entry restrictions are being eased as well, as people are now exempted from quarantine after returning to their home countries on the condition that they have received three doses of vaccine, among other things. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently lowered the risk level of infectious diseases from “3” to “2” for most countries and regions.
In mid-April, the author visited Europe on business. This was my second overseas trip after the Corona disaster, the first being to the West Coast of the US in September last year. At that time, I published a real-life report on what I saw in the US, titled “The Sad State of Japan Being Left Behind by the Corona Disaster.” This time, we witnessed Japan being left further and further behind by the rest of the world.
Europe not requiring negative proof of entry and Japan’s vaccination application Not responding
My first destination was the Netherlands. Although only a transit, the procedure to enter the Schengen zone of the EU was to be done at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.
Failure to meet the entry criteria for the Netherlands would also preclude subsequent connections. Those criteria were, at the time, that only those who had completed vaccination with the prescribed number of times and duration of the vaccine could enter the country, even for tourist purposes On the other hand, unvaccinated persons were not allowed to enter the country at all without a local residence permit.
The author has been vaccinated three times. Naturally, I thought I would have to show proof of vaccination when I left Japan or entered the Netherlands. However, I was given an EU stamp in my passport without presenting it anywhere. And I went straight to the arrival gate. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed.
In Switzerland, which he visited later, he entered the country without any confirmation. Further, when we left Switzerland for France, we were not checked for vaccination records, and we did not have an opportunity to present the “written oath” that we had prepared because we were told that it was required for entry into France.
No change in the hassle upon entry into Japan, and a double hassle in obtaining the test results
The biggest challenge was and still is when returning to Japan.
Within 72 hours prior to departure, one must take a PCR test and prepare a written document in the format recommended by the Japanese government. The method of testing and even the format of the test are specified in detail, and failure to submit the necessary documents may result in deportation, even of one’s citizens.
When I asked the receptionist to fill out a form, he told me to come back tomorrow when the test results would be available. Just before returning to Japan, I went to the inspection station again and had the paper filled out. There was a Japanese paper at the inspection station, and the French staff who helped me was familiar with the Japanese paper, saying, “Ah, Japanese paper.” I took a picture of the completed paper on the spot and registered it via “MySOS,” and it turned “green” indicating that the fast-track pre-screening was complete.
Fast-tracking has made the process quicker, but waiting time for inspection remains the same as ever.
In the U.S., there was a detailed check of negative certificates during check-in procedures at the JAL counter before departure for Japan. This time, however, I only showed the “green” screen of MySOS at the gate just before boarding. I wondered if there was a difference between Japanese and foreign airlines.
However, it took over an hour to get the test results, and we were kept waiting. I thought it would be smoother without this waiting time. Moreover, the antigen test was still inaccurate. With more and more countries not even having pre-departure inspections, we wondered how long they were going to continue to do this.
I appreciate that the introduction of the fast-track system has made the waiting time faster, but it requires the use of a smartphone. Moreover, the app MySOS froze and was temporarily unusable. The number of booths, human checks, and “paper” is still alive and well, even if slightly reduced.
Europe with Corona is already a “mask-free” world
The most surprising thing about this trip to Europe was the use of masks.
The first time I entered the EU was in the Netherlands. There, very few people wore masks, even in the airport, and most people walked and talked normally without masks. The same was true in other countries, only in France, where everyone was wearing masks because it is still mandatory to wear them on public transportation, but outside, there were none, including inside stores. Even the clerk standing at the cash register of the Starbucks I stopped by was serving customers without a mask.
Since it was the Easter vacation season, there were very many travelers. There were long lines at airport counters and security checkpoints, and queues at stores and cafes. Hotel prices were also skyrocketing. The immigration restrictions in many countries had been eased, and the requirement for masks and vaccine passes had been eliminated. The atmosphere was open and relaxed. The main difference from before was that there were no Chinese in lockdown and no Japanese yet. The only Asian people I saw were Koreans.
With the weak yen, opening the borders to foreign travelers is a necessity…
The reason why Japan remains in a state of “isolation,” so to speak, without opening its borders to foreign travelers for tourism purposes, is probably due to the government’s consideration of the fact that the Japanese people are very cautious about the spread of the new coronavirus from overseas. Moreover, the House of Councilors election will be held this summer. It is inevitable that the government will be criticized if it opens the border now and the number of infected people increases again, which may not necessarily affect the ruling party’s approval rating. We can catch a glimpse of such a situation.
If foreign travelers are allowed to enter Japan, they will be able to spend a lot of money, partly because the yen is cheap.This should be a positive development for the Japanese economy, which is suffering from a slump in consumption due to the rush to price hikes. The cost-effectiveness of reopening the “GoTo” program to domestic travelers alone is negligible.
But are Japan’s measures for visitors to Japan already in place? When I saw European tourist spots crowded with foreigners, I had a feeling that Japan, which has been half-isolated and only taking measures mainly for domestic visitors, has not yet reached the stage where it can even begin such measures. I could not help but think that it was too late, and that it might already be too late.
Information and data in this article are current as of April 26, 2022.
Text and photographs (unless otherwise noted)： Aki Shikama / Aki Shikama
