Japan’s travel ban spells anguish for foreigners, businesses
Authorities also briefly banned all inbound flight bookings before doing a U-turn on Thursday amid concerns it would prevent Japanese nationals from returning home. Mandatory quarantine has been extended to 14 days for returning residents, irrespective of vaccination status.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described the restrictions as “temporary, exceptional measures that we are taking for safety’s sake until there is clearer information about the Omicron variant.”
The tough response has been praised by some pundits as Kishida’s most decisive move since taking office, offering the new leader a potential boost among a voter base not entirely convinced of his ability to lead.
But others see Japan retreating into “Sakoku” thinking – mirroring the country’s policy of isolation between the 17th and 19th centuries. As other G7 nations rolled back restrictions throughout 2021 amid rising vaccination rates, Japan kept tight control of its borders despite suffering fewer than 19,000 COVID-19 deaths and vaccinating more than 75 percent of its total population.
Border controls during early waves of the virus drew criticism for singling out foreigners, while several cases arose of officials attributing – either directly or indirectly – the spread of infections to non-natives.
The Itako Health Center in Ibaraki Prefecture gained notoriety among foreign residents earlier this year when it sent out a document urging the community to be aware there were “many patients infected with COVID that likely caught it from foreigners”.
Last year, Taro Aso, a former prime minister, made headlines when he applauded the Japanese people’s “mindo”, or cultural values, for overcoming the first wave of the virus.

NHK - Aug 16
Tokyo's Haneda Airport is bustling with travelers who spent the "bon" holidays at their hometowns or tourist destinations.

Kyodo - Aug 15
Japanese train stations, airports and expressways were crowded Sunday as the majority of travelers returned from their summer vacation.

unilad.com - Aug 11
A man has cycled up Japan’s Eshima Ohashi bridge, a structure so steep you’ll feel giddy just looking at it.

Abroad in Japan - Aug 09
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. But even then it's not free from scams. We explore two of the worst.

NHK - Aug 09
Heavy downpours will continue into Wednesday in the northern and northeastern regions of Japan due to a stationary rain front.

Solo Travel Japan - Aug 08
I'm going to travel to Shirakawa-go, one of the most famous historical villages in Japan. It's known for Gassho-style house.

NHK - Aug 08
Japanese weather officials are urging people to take precautions against heatstroke, as sweltering heat is expected in many parts of the country in the coming days.

Kyodo - Aug 07
An annual star festival in the northeastern Japan city of Sendai, known for its hundreds of brilliant hanging decorations in shopping areas, commenced Saturday with the biggest crowds expected since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kyodo - Aug 06
Torrential rains have continued to fall across a wide part of Japan on Friday, with record downpours reported in Fukui and Shiga prefectures as rivers have overflowed and many areas are left at increased risk of landslides.

NHK - Aug 05
Officials are warning of more rain on Friday after record rainfall hit parts of the Japanese region of Hokuriku and Niigata and Yamagata Prefectures from Wednesday through Thursday, causing flooding and landslides. They are urging vigilance over landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.

soranews24.com - Aug 05
Passengers can keep computers and liquids inside their carry-on until they actually want to use them, thanks to new system.

kitv.com - Aug 04
The highly anticipated return of Japanese travelers to Hawaii was expected to dramatically increase with foreign border restrictions loosening back in June 2022.

NHK - Aug 04
Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued an emergency heavy rain warning for Niigata Prefecture, next to Yamagata Prefecture, where the same warning was issued on Wednesday night. It's a level 5 alert, the highest on the emergency scale.

時事通信トレンドニュース - Aug 04
"Kanto Festival" is being held in Akita City for the first time in three years.

ちゅーそんちゃんねるChuson Channel - Aug 04
We are going to Tokyo SkyTree for a festival.

Sauna Channel - Aug 04
Time to relax in one of Kusatsu’s natural hot spring baths, commonly known as onsen, with Sho Ikushima at Ohtaki No Yu.