Seven Asian countries are now included in Japan’s ever expanding travel bubble, which enables reciprocal travel between countries for nationals.
As of the 8th September, countries including Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are part of the travel bubble. Singapore will be included from the 18th of September.
Shorter-stay business travel will also resume between Japan and Singapore, the first country that has been officially granted business travel access. Hong Kong is also in talks with Japan about a mutual travel bubble.
At this stage all individuals will be required to complete a stringent application process as well as self-quarantine for 14 days and get tested upon arrival, avoid public transportation during that time and install a COVID-19 tracing app.
Though it may still be a while until tourists can freely travel in and out of Japan to visit resorts like Hakuba and Niseko, these changes are a promising step toward safely reopening borders for international travel. Stay tuned for more information on our blog as things continue to unfold.