6 ms·

Can I Go to Japan Yet?

64 points by thgil 5y ago

sharken 5y ago
With about 80% of the population being fully vaccinated, the issue is more mentally than anything else. If Japan won't accept the fact that this is as good as it gets, then a logical consequence will be more or less random lockdowns and restrictions for the next many years. The sane way is to accept the virus, remove any and all restrictions and let people get on with their lives.
thgil 5y ago
Just a fun little site I made while waiting and checking the status of corona in Japan. I hope to keep it updated since I am checking the news and looking at the numbers daily anyway! Thanks for checking it out!
- stillblue 5y ago
  I'm not going to Japan anytime soon but I was pleasantly surprised by how the site delivered 100% on what it promised. No more no less. Beautiful. Cheers!
  - netizen-936824 5y ago
    I read this comment, expecting the site to simply be a large "NO" I was very disappointed to see that there are articles, covid stats, and whatnot linked
  - thgil 5y ago
    Really happy to hear that! Thanks a lot :)
- supperburg 5y ago
  This is great man. I’m traveling right now and looking for destinations. Do you have any in mind that are accepting tourists?
  - doublerabbit 5y ago
    Not OP, but my brother has just gotten back from Nepal. He reported back that it was a very pleasant trip and very quiet right now however they are needing tourism.
    - supperburg 5y ago
      I would go to Nepal for sure
  - thgil 5y ago
    Any part of the world in mind? It is not near Japan but... Portugal is a really nice place (you do need a negative test before you go though).
    - supperburg 5y ago
      Anywhere in the world
  - woutr_be 5y ago
    I'm in Thailand right now, they just suspended the Test&Go scheme, but they still have some "sandbox" destinations. Still accepting tourists.
  - dzhiurgis 5y ago
    Bali and Fiji IIRC tho Fiji just had cyclone
  - urban_strike 5y ago
    I stumbled on this kayak "where can I travel?" map a few months back and it's been handy as a starting point: https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions I personally always double-check another source before booking anything to be safe (e.g. government site), but it's nice to have it all in one place.
zaik 5y ago
The regulations might depend on your country/situation: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html (But 'no' is pretty good summary right now.)
godfuker 5y ago
I always wanted to visit Japan…:(
myrandomcomment 5y ago
I spent a week or two in Japan every month for 12 years. I have not been there for 2 years now and miss it terribly. It is such an amazingly unique place.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
tasogare 5y ago
It's possible to enter Japan if you're Japanese or resident. The 3/6/10 days forced hotel quarantine is a PITA but the worst is that using public transportation is forbidden so one has either to pay huge amount of money to move with a private transportation (a friend paid 250 USD for a Osaka-Kyoto ride) or organize with a friend. I'm still in the organizing phase...
- 3np 5y ago
  If you have a driver's license, doing a one-way rental from one of the offices a the airport and dropping it off near your destination may be your best bet if you don't have anyone to pick you up. The big ones like Hertz have offices for drop-off even in the sticks. Just make sure to reserve it ahead of time so you know they'll be available when you arrive.
  - tasogare 5y ago
    > If you have a driver's license Nop. But that would have been a solution I guess.
    - 3np 5y ago
      Depending on when and where, if you arrive after ~mid-feb I might be able to have you picked up. Contact in bio.
      - tasogare 5y ago
        Thanks for the kind offer! I got it sorted out yesterday but it's really nice to give a hand to a stranger.
- xdfgh1112 5y ago
  Weird, I took a taxi from Osaka KIX to Kyoto all the time and the cost was like 30-40 USD. Maybe the price has gone up.
  - 5y ago
aixi 5y ago
ha! this is awesome, I've also been checking daily. I really wanted to go around April this year, but it's looking unlikely so far. Thanks!
sovreign 5y ago
This is too funny. Over lockdown I made https://isjapanopen.com/ https://isjapanopen.com/ so a group of friends could easily check if our cheap Japan tickets were worth anything yet. Glad to have another HNer validate the project idea!
mdrzn 5y ago
PewDiePie recently brought this issue to mainstream in a video of his, since he's been waiting 2 years to go there.
thrawn0r 5y ago
flying into Haneda from Honolulu End of April with my family on a round the world trip. We doubt that we will be let into the country (all fully vaxxed but our 2yr old..) Just stay in transit and fly on to Singapore. fingers crossed the Omicron wave is over by then and they let us in.

64 points by thgil 5y ago

With about 80% of the population being fully vaccinated, the issue is more mentally than anything else. If Japan won't accept the fact that this is as good as it gets, then a logical consequence will be more or less random lockdowns and restrictions for the next many years. The sane way is to accept the virus, remove any and all restrictions and let people get on with their lives.

thgil 5y ago

Just a fun little site I made while waiting and checking the status of corona in Japan. I hope to keep it updated since I am checking the news and looking at the numbers daily anyway! Thanks for checking it out!

stillblue 5y ago
I'm not going to Japan anytime soon but I was pleasantly surprised by how the site delivered 100% on what it promised. No more no less. Beautiful. Cheers!
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  I read this comment, expecting the site to simply be a large "NO" I was very disappointed to see that there are articles, covid stats, and whatnot linked
- thgil 5y ago
  Really happy to hear that! Thanks a lot :)
supperburg 5y ago
This is great man. I’m traveling right now and looking for destinations. Do you have any in mind that are accepting tourists?
- doublerabbit 5y ago
  Not OP, but my brother has just gotten back from Nepal. He reported back that it was a very pleasant trip and very quiet right now however they are needing tourism.
  - supperburg 5y ago
    I would go to Nepal for sure
- thgil 5y ago
  Any part of the world in mind? It is not near Japan but... Portugal is a really nice place (you do need a negative test before you go though).
  - supperburg 5y ago
    Anywhere in the world
- woutr_be 5y ago
  I'm in Thailand right now, they just suspended the Test&Go scheme, but they still have some "sandbox" destinations. Still accepting tourists.
- dzhiurgis 5y ago
  Bali and Fiji IIRC tho Fiji just had cyclone
- urban_strike 5y ago
  I stumbled on this kayak "where can I travel?" map a few months back and it's been handy as a starting point: https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions I personally always double-check another source before booking anything to be safe (e.g. government site), but it's nice to have it all in one place.

zaik 5y ago

The regulations might depend on your country/situation: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html (But 'no' is pretty good summary right now.)

godfuker 5y ago

I always wanted to visit Japan…:(

myrandomcomment 5y ago

I spent a week or two in Japan every month for 12 years. I have not been there for 2 years now and miss it terribly. It is such an amazingly unique place.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

tasogare 5y ago

It's possible to enter Japan if you're Japanese or resident. The 3/6/10 days forced hotel quarantine is a PITA but the worst is that using public transportation is forbidden so one has either to pay huge amount of money to move with a private transportation (a friend paid 250 USD for a Osaka-Kyoto ride) or organize with a friend. I'm still in the organizing phase...

3np 5y ago
If you have a driver's license, doing a one-way rental from one of the offices a the airport and dropping it off near your destination may be your best bet if you don't have anyone to pick you up. The big ones like Hertz have offices for drop-off even in the sticks. Just make sure to reserve it ahead of time so you know they'll be available when you arrive.
- tasogare 5y ago
  > If you have a driver's license Nop. But that would have been a solution I guess.
  - 3np 5y ago
    Depending on when and where, if you arrive after ~mid-feb I might be able to have you picked up. Contact in bio.
    - tasogare 5y ago
      Thanks for the kind offer! I got it sorted out yesterday but it's really nice to give a hand to a stranger.
xdfgh1112 5y ago
Weird, I took a taxi from Osaka KIX to Kyoto all the time and the cost was like 30-40 USD. Maybe the price has gone up.
- 5y ago

aixi 5y ago

ha! this is awesome, I've also been checking daily. I really wanted to go around April this year, but it's looking unlikely so far. Thanks!

sovreign 5y ago

This is too funny. Over lockdown I made https://isjapanopen.com/ https://isjapanopen.com/ so a group of friends could easily check if our cheap Japan tickets were worth anything yet. Glad to have another HNer validate the project idea!

mdrzn 5y ago

PewDiePie recently brought this issue to mainstream in a video of his, since he's been waiting 2 years to go there.

thrawn0r 5y ago

flying into Haneda from Honolulu End of April with my family on a round the world trip. We doubt that we will be let into the country (all fully vaxxed but our 2yr old..) Just stay in transit and fly on to Singapore. fingers crossed the Omicron wave is over by then and they let us in.