Japan: Officials extend quasi-states of emergency for several areas, including Tokyo, through March 21 /update 77

Event

Japanese authorities have extended quasi-states of emergency in Aichi, Aomori, Chiba, Gifu, Gunma, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Kagawa, Kanagawa, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Osaka, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tochigi, and Tokyo through at least March 21. Officials will end the measures in 13 other prefectures, including Fukushima, Niigata, Nagano, Mie, Wakayama, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kochi, Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima, from March 6. Under the declarations, governors can implement various restrictions on alcohol sales, restaurant closing times, and gathering in specific municipalities. Violations carry a fine of up to JPY 200,000.

Domestic Measures
Officials allow up to 50-percent capacity at sports and entertainment venues. Companies must adhere to social distancing protocols. Some organizations have reduced capacity at facilities, established temperature checks, or encouraged telecommuting for employees. Sporadic rail and flight disruptions remain possible nationwide amid generally reduced demand, especially on routes to and from areas under state of emergency orders. Physical distancing requirements are in place on most long-distance transport services. While local governments may enforce measures according to disease activity, most establishments that adhere to antivirus protocols in areas including Tokyo, Osaka, and their surrounding prefectures can remain open with group size limits for dine-in services.

International Travel Restrictions
Japan allows citizens, permanent residents, foreigners with legal resident status, diplomats, and people with humanitarian reasons to enter the country. Most nonresident foreign nationals remain banned for tourist visits; however, officials allow foreign students and business travelers to enter Japan. Entrants must present negative results of a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure. The government does not permit people who cannot undergo testing to board flights or enter Japan. Exceptions may be possible in some circumstances; however, affected passengers must contact their local Japanese diplomatic mission before departure.

The government has adjusted quarantine requirements for permitted entrants based on vaccination status and departure location, with reduced quarantine times for travelers that have received a booster vaccine dose. Authorities maintain enhanced quarantine requirements for designated high-risk countries, including India, Indonesia, Switzerland, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam, due to COVID-19 variants. Entrants that are not fully vaccinated from these locations must undergo institutional quarantine for three days; individuals that test negative for COVID-19 on day 3 can exit quarantine. Fully vaccinated passengers from high-risk countries and travelers that are not fully vaccinated from low-risk places can self-quarantine for seven days; travelers that undergo testing on day 3 and receive a negative result can exit quarantine. Fully vaccinated travelers from designated low-risk locations can forego self-quarantine with a negative on-arrival COVID-19 test result. A complete list of affected locations and quarantine requirements is available here.

Arrivals must complete a pledge to abide by quarantine orders, maintain location data on their mobile phones, and refrain from using public transport for the first seven days in the country. Entrants must also download the OSSMA, Skype, and COVID-19 Contact Confirming Application (COCOA) mobile applications. People who refuse may have to quarantine at designated facilities. Officials could publicly name citizens and foreign residents who violate quarantine orders; foreign nationals could also lose their residence status.

Flights from South Korea and China are only authorized to land at Narita International Airport (NRT) and Kansai International Airport (KIX). Transit flights for foreign nationals are only allowed through NRT. International passenger ferry services remain suspended.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Allow additional time for immigration and health screenings. Consider delaying travel if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Confirm international flight reservations. Closely monitor national travel advisories, as additional restrictions to and from Japan are likely. Consider telecommuting options for staff. Make allowances for likely increased employee absenteeism and related business disruptions.

Resources

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Japan National Tourism Organization