Because the Tokyo Olympics was moved to July of 2021 due to the Coronavirus sweeping the globe, Japan’s tourism suffered immensely, the thousands of projected tourists that would be witnessing and competing in the Olympics unable to visit. The Japanese government came together to decide that they would be implementing strict health measures as they contemplate slowly opening their borders to foreign tourists once more. According to Yahoo! Japan, they would be attempting a trial basis opening in April 2021 for tourists with these health measures in place all while keeping a steady eye on the virus.
Tourists who wish to enter Japan must download an app that manages and tracks their health all throughout their stay. They’ve also required a pre-departure certificate that proves they are negative for the virus. Once landing in Japan, they must monitor their health through the app for 14 days after entering the country.
A “fever center” will also be set up for overseas visitors in case of a positive case in order to ease the burden on Japan’s healthcare system.
Even beyond the Olympics, the health measures will remain in order to continue to keep cases low and keep the country safe. While these aren’t set in stone as they still have to discuss the number of tourists allowed and how they can properly use and monitor the app, this is what travel to Japan will likely look like in the coming year.
