#019 Japanese tourism update
After 2 months of lifting the travel ban, has it been really changed?
August is a time to pray for the peace in Japan since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the end of the war., but at the same time it is a high season for children and families to go out, so the movement of people becomes very busy. Especially this summer is the first time in three years without any restriction under this pandemic. So people move very actively in spite of the rapid increase of infection. Also, it has been nearly two months since the gate for overseas visitors was open on the 10th of June under some conditions. Maybe the focus for most of you is when and how you can visit to Japan on your free hand. In this newsletter I will follow up the past two months and provide you my own view about how soon the possibilities of the gate to open.
The seventh wave of the new coronavirus has resulted in a large number of daily positive cases in Japan. The average number of infections over the past 28 days is by far higher than the figures for Europe and the US. However, this time the Government is not planning to impose any restrictions on behaviors, prioritizing the need to keep the economy running.
And to make the matter worse August is one of high holiday season. One of the reasons for the spread of the disease is that few Japanese are said to be immune to this mutant strain, but the fact that the risk of severe illness is lower than for other mutant strains has made people less vigilant. So some scientist predict that the peak of the seventh wave may come soon, but we have to keep eyes on the situation. As it has been always the very important factor for opening the gate for overseas visitors, we really have to wait and see.
Now we take a look at statistics of the visitor trend after the 10th of June issued by JNTO when Japan claimed to open the door for overseas visitors. If you look at page 2 and 3 of the report, there was a high increase of visitors if you compare June of 2021 and 2022, but still very low if you compare June of 2019 and 2022. The most of increased figures have a kind of trick. The main reason is that the number of technical trainees and foreign students entering the country has increased compared to the same period last year. This has led to little increase in the number of people coming to Japan for tourism purposes.
If you take more details of the background of the situation is very simple. The first phase after the 10th June was only for guided tours and visas were compulsory. The Government has said that it will take the next easing measures as a result of that, but we still haven't heard anything about it. What travellers like myself want is for some countries to be visa-free, as they were before the pandemic, and to be able to come to Japan without having to be bound by the conditions of tour participation. I also like backpacking trips for the unexpected encounters and discoveries that occur during my travels, and I still try to do so. While minimal etiquette may be required, such as wearing masks in designated areas and installing health management software, I think it's time for the next phase. Now there are reports of over 30,000 infected cases in Tokyo nearly every day, I can't see any points to restrict tourists from overseas while there is no restriction imposing activities domestically.
Cheap Yen for shopping enthusiasts, long term frustration for Japanophile, there must be lots of waiting for the next news to come. Japanese government dislikes the sudden change of the rule. So I am not sure if next phase will come with the rule which will open the gate for most of travellers from overseas.
Giving enough time to decide for the next phase, it may be after the summer holiday season, which means sometime late September or even in October. In that case, it will be very crucial if you want to catch up “Autumn leaf season”. This season will start at the beginning of high mountains and continues until the end of November. Moreover, I am very much concerned about the effect of the seventh wave of the pandemic. The longer it continues, the later the next phase of lifting restrictions.
With travel restrictions being eased in many countries and tourism showing signs of revival, it is not in the national interest for Japan to be left far behind, and the biggest concern is the loss of important fans who can no longer wait to come to Japan. I really hope that Japanese government makes a kind of compromise to the restriction and catch up with other countries.