Japan, Olympics kick off: still a long way to go for tourism
With the start of the Tokyo Olympics, many are wondering when it will be possible to go to Japan for tourism. After the increase [...]
With the start of the Tokyo Olympics, many are wondering when it will be possible to go to the Japan for tourism. After an increase in the number of infections, the situation has drastically changed just days before the start of the games. Japan's minister for the Olympics, Tamayo Marukawa, has announced that the entire event will be held without spectators. This is a mockery for many fans and for the athletes themselves who dream of fulfilling their dreams surrounded by the warmth of the public.
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Quarantine for those arriving in Japan, even if vaccinated
Despite the choice of closed doors, Japan aims to reach firm agreements so that Its passports for Covid-19 vaccination are accepted by multiple nations including Italy, France and Greece. In the event of an agreement, certificate holders will be exempted from quarantine, but the Japanese government has not yet opened its borders. For travelers, including returnees, there is still a two-week quarantine requirement even when vaccination has been carried out. The rigid position has complicated negotiations with countries such as Singapore and Israel, which have demanded reciprocal exemptions.
Planned vaccination passports in Japan are official documents showing that a person has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The certificate, which will be issued by municipalities, will show the holder's name, passport number and date of vaccination.
The problems and the demand of large lobbies
Large business lobbies have called for the introduction of vaccine passports in Japan. The Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, proposed in late June that such certificates be in digital format. A necessary request considering that the Japanese country has fallen behind on the vaccination campaign front. In the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics, the government has stepped up efforts, but infection trends continue to cause concern. A semi-state of emergency is in effect in some urban areas due to the high spread of the Delta variant. "Until we see a decrease in the spread of the Delta variant, It will be difficult to allow mutual exemption from quarantine", said a Japanese government source.
Japan placed a complete ban on new entries of foreign nationals. The only exception is for those who have an approval given under "special exceptional circumstances." Travelers entering Japan are asked to stay at home or in a designated facility for 14 days. It does not matter if you are a European citizen with the digital passport for vaccinations established by the EU. To date, Japan follows the World Health Organization's line of not approving mandatory passport vaccines for travelers because equitable access to Cpvid-19 vaccines has not been ensured.
