Japan fully reopens to tourists from Singapore on 11 October

Great news for Japan lovers, with the news we’ve been eagerly anticipating – the popular destination is relaxing its border restrictions to allow tourists to enter visa-free and restriction-free from 11th October 2022, allowing proper two-way quarantine-free trips for the first time in over two-and-a-half years.

Singapore citizens and those holding passports issued in 67 other countries are set to benefit, which will see the vast majority of Lion City residents eligible to make a long-awaited trip to “the land of the rising sun” once again.

This relaxation, announced by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a news conference in New York, will allow travellers to visit Japan without the need to make travel agency bookings in advance, nor apply for a visa in most cases.

To be eligible, you must be fully vaccinated and boosted with one of Japan’s recognised vaccines, or simply have a negative pre-departure PCR test if you are unvaccinated or your jabs don’t comply (e.g. Sinovac / Sinopharm).

The loosening of restrictions comes ahead of both the autumn travel season and the winter ski season, also paving the way for the first truly “free and easy” opportunity for four years to visit Japan during the upcoming sakura (cherry blossom) period, which runs from March to May 2023.

The weak Japanese yen will also stretch your cash on a Japan trip in the short-term, with your Singapore dollar going 25% further than it did in pre-COVID times, though actually getting to and from the country looks set to be an expensive affair, with flight capacity remaining limited in the months ahead.

Japan’s reopening will come just a few days before Taiwan also intends to allow free and easy travel once again, with Hong Kong also set to remove quarantine sometime in October.

Japan’s tourism reopening

Under the latest move, from 11th October 2022 Japan will:

• scrap its requirement for most travellers to obtain an entry visa
• ditch the idea that you must enter under a North-Korea-style guided tour format, or with a pre-arranged travel agent booking, and
• do away with its 50,000 person daily limit on overseas entries.

In most cases, that means you will be able to visit just like you could during pre-pandemic times, organising your own flights and hotel accommodation independently.

Japan already removed pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travellers in early September 2022.

Who’s eligible: Nationalities

As with before COVID-19, Japan will once again allow those with one of 68 nationalities to enter visa-free for visits of up to 90 days, including Singapore Citizens.

The full list of eligible nationalities for visa-free entry into Japan from 11th October 2022 is outlined below (click to expand).

Japan Visa-exempt countries Stays of up to 90 days permitted (except where stated) for those holding the following nationalities. Asia Europe Brunei (14 days) Andorra Indonesia (15 days) Austria* Malaysia Belgium Republic of Korea Bulgaria Singapore Croatia Thailand (15 days) Cyprus Hong Kong Czech Republic Macao Denmark Taiwan Estonia North America Finland Canada North Macedonia United States France Latin America and the Caribbean Germany* Argentina Greece Bahamas Hungary Barbados Iceland Chile Ireland* Costa Rica Italy Dominican Republic Latvia El Salvador Liechtenstein* Guatemala Lithuania Honduras Luxembourg Mexico* Malta Surinam Monaco Uruguay Netherlands Oceania Norway Australia Poland New Zealand Portugal Middle East Romania Israel San Marino Turkey Serbia United Arab Emirates (30 days) Slovakia Africa Slovenia Lesotho Spain Mauritius Sweden Tunisia Switzerland* United Kingdom* * Stays of up to six months, under bilateral agreement.

Who’s eligible: Vaccination or testing

To be eligible you’ll typically need to be fully vaccinated and have received a booster dose, in both cases from a relatively selective list of vaccines, with Sinopharm and Sinovac unfortunately not on the list.

That means having had either two or three vaccine doses, depending on which brand you received.

Japan “fully vaccinated” requirement

Vaccine	Primary Course	Booster	Requirement
AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) / Covishield	2 doses	1 dose	3 doses
Bharat Biotech (Covaxin)	2 doses	1 dose	3 doses
Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)	1 dose	1 dose	2 doses
Moderna (Spikevax)	2 doses	1 dose	3 doses
Novavax (Nuvaxovid) / Covovax	2 doses	1 dose	3 doses
Pfizer (Comirnaty)	2 doses	1 dose	3 doses

Vaccine doses from different brands on the above list received in combination are also acceptable, provided you have completed the primary course (any combination) and had a booster dose (of the same or a different vaccine).

For example:

• 1st dose AstraZeneca, 2nd dose Pfizer, 3rd dose Moderna (3 doses) is acceptable
• 1st dose J&J, 2nd dose Novavax (2 doses) is acceptable
• 1st dose Pfizer, 2nd dose Pfizer (2 doses) is not acceptable

Note in particular that the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are not recognised by Japan.

Update 26 September: Japan’s Government has announced that from 11th October 2022, three doses of any WHO-approved vaccine will be regarded as acceptable for entry, including China-made Sinopharm, Sinovac and Convidecia.

All is not lost if you don’t meet the vaccination criteria though.

A negative pre-departure PCR test result within 72 hours of departure will also suffice in place of fully vaccinated and boosted status.

These tests now start at only S$50 in Singapore, a fraction of the early 2021 rates of ~S$200! There are also a wide range of options in the S$68-80 range, plus home testing from S$98.

The test certificate must be in English and the test type can be via nasal swab or the less invasive saliva method (which starts from S$88 in Singapore).

Singapore is on the ‘Blue List’

Good news for those looking forward to a trip to Japan – Singapore is on the country’s ‘Blue List’, whereby no testing or quarantine is required, regardless of your vaccination status.

Japan entry requirements by country category

Country Category	Vaccinated?	PDT*	OAT^	Quarantine
Blue	Yes	Nil	Nil	Nil
	No	PCR	Nil	Nil
Yellow	Yes	Nil	Nil	Nil
	No	PCR	PCR	3 days at home
Red	Yes	Nil	PCR	3 days at home
	No	PCR	PCR	3 days in facility

* Pre-departure test
^ On-arrival test

Your travel history in the last 14 days prior to entry into Japan determines the category you must adhere to, with the strictest being enforced.

The full list of countries by category is available here.

There are currently no countries on the Red List at the time of writing, but do be aware that Yellow List countries include India, Fiji, Turkey, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

That has potential implications if you don’t meet Japan’s strict vaccination criteria and you returned to Singapore from one of these countries in the last 14 days before a Japan trip, since you will then be subject to on-arrival PCR testing and quarantine.

What about children?

Children aged under 18 entering Japan can follow the same rules as their parent(s), even if they are not fully vaccinated, provided they are accompanied by fully vaccinated and boosted parent(s).

Japan’s reopening has been painfully slow

Japan closed its borders to non-nationals back in March 2020, with only Japanese citizens and residents eligible to enter the country for a period of over two years.

Since then it’s been a piecemeal reopening, including the following ‘milestones’, if you can call them that:

• November 2021: Business visitors and students allowed to enter with three days of quarantine, instead of 10 days.
• April 2022: Entry ban lifted for foreigners from over 100 countries, but they were still required to apply for a visa, which would not be granted for tourism purposes.
• May 2022: Small groups of tourists, totalling just 50, from Singapore, Australia, Thailand and the USA, were invited to visit on prearranged package tours.
• June 2022: Daily arrival cap doubled from 10,000 to 20,000, including returning citizens and residents. Removal of on-arrival testing and quarantine in most cases.
• June 2022: International visitors permitted on prearranged guided package tours.
• September 2022: Pre-departure testing removed for fully vaccinated travellers, primarily helping Japanese citizens return from overseas more easily.
• September 2022: Daily arrival cap increased to 50,000, foreigners allowed to book non-guided tours through a travel agent (visa still required).
• 11th October 2022: Visa-free tourist travel restarts for 68 nationalities, no daily arrival cap, fully vaccinated and boosted travellers welcome to make free and easy travel arrangements, or have a pre-departure PCR test if vaccination criteria is not met.

As you can imagine, opening to guided tour groups and travel agent itineraries with visa approval required didn’t even move the needle on inbound tourist numbers, but this latest relaxation will be a serious shift-change.

Thousands per day will now descend on Japan once the restrictions cease from 11th October, and that is already ensuring that ticket prices are sky-high and flight award space is nearly non-existent.

Prepare to be flexible with dates or part with plenty of cash just to reach Japan and return home again in the coming months.

Japan didn’t need tourists back in a hurry

Prior to the pandemic Japan welcomed over 2.6 million foreign tourists per month, prompting many to wonder why it has been so slow to reopen its borders.

However, as a rich country with a large affluent population, tourism spend only accounted for 0.8% of Japan’s gross domestic product (GDP) pre-pandemic, significantly eclipsed by its huge services and manufacturing sectors.

Even with the broader impact of tourism estimated to be around 2.2% of GDP, border reopening wasn’t a high priority for Japan like it was for countries such as Thailand, for example, where the industry drives a quarter of the economy.

In some senses it’s therefore not surprising that Japan has taken a slow and cautious approach to welcoming tourists again, despite the obvious frustration it’s caused for many of our readers eager to return!

Singapore – Japan flights (October 2022)

Japan was linked to Singapore Changi Airport by over 190 direct weekly flights prior to the pandemic, including the major cities like Tokyo and Osaka through to less-well-trodden locations like Hiroshima and Okinawa.

In October 2022 it’s a far cry from those kind of flight volumes, with only 79 direct weekly flights on offer, which means years of pent-up demand will inevitably be funnelled on less than half the number of services previously available.

Here’s how the schedule looks.

Tokyo

Airline / Flight Number		To / From	Aircraft	Days
	SQ11/12	Narita	777-300ER	Daily
	SQ637/638	Narita	787-10	Daily
	SQ634/635	Haneda	A350 MH	Daily
	JL36/37	Haneda	787-9	Daily
	JL711/712	Narita	787-8	Daily
	NH801/802	Narita	787-9	Daily
	NH841/844	Haneda	787-9	Daily
	TR808/809	Narita	787-8	Tue-Sun (6/wk)
	TR898/899	Narita (via TPE)	A320neo	Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat (4/wk)
	ZG53/54	Narita	787-8	Wed, Fri, Sun (3/wk)

Osaka

Airline / Flight Number		Aircraft	Days
	SQ622/623	787-10	Daily
	TR818/819	787-8	Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun (5/wk)

Nagoya

Airline / Flight Number		Aircraft	Days
	SQ671/672	787-10	Wed, Sat, Sun (3/wk)

Fukuoka

Airline / Flight Number		Aircraft	Days
	SQ655/656	787-10	Thu, Sat (2/wk)

Singapore – Japan flights (from November 2022)

For the upcoming winter season starting in November 2022, there are already some planned increases on Singapore – Japan routes.

• Singapore Airlines increases:
  • Tokyo from 21/wk to 28/wk
  • Osaka from 7/wk to 14/wk
  • Fukuoka from 2/wk to 3/wk
• JAL increases:
  • Tokyo from 14/wk to 21/wk
• ANA increases:
  • Tokyo from 14/wk to 21/wk
• Scoot increases:
  • Tokyo from 10/wk to 14/wk
  • Osaka from 5/wk to 7/wk
  • Sapporo launches 4/wk via Taipei plus 3/wk non-stop

In total, these additional 41 flights per week will bring Singapore – Japan direct services back to 64% of pre-COVID volumes, but that almost certainly still won’t be enough to temper high fares and near-zero award space, as “revenge travel” to the country inevitably takes hold.

What about other Japan routes?

SilkAir permanently axed its non-stop flights from Singapore to Hiroshima in March 2020 due to weak demand, while there’s no word yet on whether Jetstar will restart its five-times-weekly Singapore – Okinawa services, in light of this border relaxation.

Jetstar was also serving Osaka from Singapore 22 times per week before the pandemic, via either Taipei, Manila or Clark, but no return to these routes has been confirmed at the time of writing.

Let’s hope that by cherry blossom season, starting in mid-March 2023, there will be several more options than the current published winter schedules suggest!

Awards (or a lack thereof!)

As you might imagine, award space on these limited flights between Singapore and Japan is nearly non-existent for the rest of 2022.

In common with Europe and US routes, the supply / demand equation is simply killing this option on most flights, particularly non-stop SIA-operated ones, and driving cash fares sky-high.

If you can find an award seat, here are the latest KrisFlyer award rates between Singapore and Japan, when flying on Singapore Airlines.

KrisFlyer Redemption Singapore ⇄ Japan
	Saver	Advantage
Economy	27,000	45,000
Premium Economy	37,500	n/a
Business	52,000	70,000
First / Suites	77,000	120,000

We did find some sporadic SIA Business Class award space one-way from Japan to Singapore at Advantage levels in December, but don’t be in any doubt – this isn’t a country coming up on Spontaneous Escapes any time soon!

Remember you can also use British Airways Avios points (including those transferred across 1:1 from Qatar Airways Avios points) to book oneworld awards to and from Japan with JAL.

Alaska Miles and Asia Miles are also options for oneworld flights.

No mask mandates in Japan

Japan does not legally impose mask-wearing in most settings, provided you maintain social distancing.

Mask-wearing is already optional on Singapore Airlines and Scoot flights to and from Japan, however do note that ANA, JAL and Zipair are currently maintaining their own mandatory mask mandates for all passengers.

Remember airlines are private transport operators – so you must comply with their own mask-wearing requirements, even if they are stricter than those of your origin or destination country.

It’s taken some time, but it’s fantastic to see Japan reopen its borders to visa-free tourist travel again next month, reinstating free and easy trips to and from this popular destination for Singapore citizens and those with 67 other nationalities, just like pre-COVID times.

This means from 11th October 2022 it will no longer be a requirement to make bookings through a travel agent or arrange a guided tour, nor will a visa application be necessary for most visitors.

Vaccination is still required for a hassle-free trip, but even if you don’t meet Japan’s strict “jab criteria” it’s still possible to visit with a negative pre-departure PCR test, now costing as little as S$50 in Singapore.

Sadly seat capacity on flights between Singapore and Japan is woefully poor compared to pre-COVID times, even with a few planned increases coming through from November.

Let’s hope for announcements of additional travel options between Singapore and Japan soon, since looking at both fares and award space this coming winter is enough to bring pained expression to the face of even well-versed frequent flyers.

Are you booking a Japan trip following this latest news? Let us know in the comments section below.

(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)