Hi! I’m Nathan and welcome to Ninja monkey. The place for all things related to Japan.
As Japan continues with her borders closed, I try to keep you informed regarding anything
that might potentially be of interest in this area, and hopefully help get some insights
as to when will Japan’s border reopen.
I do the research so that you don’t have to, and put all the readily available information
into one place.
In this video we will look at what’s happening in regards to the vaccine drive in Japan and
covid cases. We will look at whats happening in regards to omicron as after all its what
actually shut the border down again so its important to keep an eye on. And dive into
weather or not the new measures will be lifted or extended on the 31st. And in more positive
news, we will explore how Japan might become easier to enter through the use of technology
(once she reopens that is)
So let’s get started...
On the topic of vaccinations, Japan has now administered a total of 198,497,730 doses,
This includes first, second and booster jabs too.
This means that for now, out of the population of around 126 million people 79.1% have now
received one dose of the vaccine and 77.6% have received both doses of the vaccine and
would therefore be considered fully vaccinated.
Continuing from last week, 149,884 third doses have been administered, that’s actually
113,434 third doses administered this week. A number I expect will quickly grow in the
coming weeks now that the normal vaccine drive has pretty much nearly come to a halt.
And regarding Covid, 20 new cases were reported on Friday in Tokyo.
The Tokyo government also said that two people have been confirmed to be infected with the
omicron variant of the virus on this same day.
And It’s also important to note that Tokyo confirmed 30 cases the previous day on Thursday,
and that this was the first time the daily number hit 30 in over a month.
Also on Thursday, Japan’s first case of the omicron variant of the virus was found
as potential community transmission in an employee that worked at the quarantine station
for Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The employee had no recent history of overseas
travel, and her work did not involve direct contact with the coronavirus carriers.
And this threat of community transmission of the omicron variant in Japan is now very
real.
Another example of this comes from a woman in her 20s who initially tested negative when
arriving at Narita Airport and later tested positive for omicron whilst she was quarantining
at her home in Tokyo after arriving from Texas on Dec. 8.
It turns out that she did not abide by the rules that she pledged to follow when entering
the country, and a man in his 20s who visited the woman two times last week then tested
positive for omicron on Friday, marking the 35th case of the variant in Japan.
More conserning is the fact that the man had developed a fever and a cough two days before
attending a J. League Emperor’s Cup match at Todoroki Stadium in Kawasaki on Sunday,
apparently prompting authorities to scramble to reach out to about 80 people who sat near
him at the game and at least 100 people who work on the same floor at his workplace.
The health ministry’s coronavirus advisory board urged the government to beef up protection
measures at ports and airports on the assumption that it will spread in the country sooner
or later.
“We recommend that broad testing is carried out on individuals who come into contact and
share the same space with people infected with the omicron variant, regardless of whether
they wore a mask or the duration of contact,” Takaji Wakita, the head of the ministry’s
advisory board said. “We need to prepare by making sufficient estimates of what kind
of a burden it could place on the health care system.”
So team, the reason why I’m diving into what’s actually happening in regards to
Omicron is because after all, this is the reason Japan decided to close the border again
and likely the reason for reopening. There is still a lot of mixed information regarding
the severity of the new variant and it certainly is an important space to keep an eye on.
I am personally closely monitoring the situation in the United Kingdom. 93,045 daily cases
– a record high was broken for a third day in a row on Friday, with 14,909 being Omicron
cases. And the variant is now the dominant strain in London and Scotland.
It’s only a matter of time before it likely becomes dominant everywhere and I understand
that Japan is being cautious and trying to prepare and estimate for the burden it might
place on the health care system. But in a way, I hope that what is happening in the
U.K and in other countries will help Japan make the correct decision sooner rather than
later.
At least during the border closure things are progressing in regard to safeguarding
the Japanese people for the future, for example, the prime minister has asked Pfizer Inc. to
bring forward Japan's contracted supply of coronavirus vaccine and as mentioned last
week, Japan is looking to move up the third round of shots by revising the planned eight-month
interval between second jabs and boosters.
Additionally a health ministry panel has approved the use of Moderna Inc.’s vaccine as a booster
shot. Hopefully this will mean that once Japan has
reopened, she will be better prepared to not close again.
But where do we currently stand? Japan has currently tightened her rules and shut the
border until the 31st of December, but the question remains. Will Japan extend these
rules, or will Japan reopen in the new year?
Although there are currently no official notices regarding any changes, there does seem to
be some hints and rumours regarding what might be announced.
For starters, The Tokyo Governor is calling on the central government to require everyone
entering Japan to quarantine at designated facilities until tests can confirm they are
not infected with the Omicron variant. Perhaps giving a glimpse into the mindset of some
officials.
She said,
"I believe that tightening quarantine measures is the best approach that Japan can take at
the moment to protect its people from Omicron."
And according to a NHK report it does seem that Government officials are considering
extending Japan's tough border restrictions into January and perhaps even beyond.
And even just today, Saturday, the Yomiuri newspaper seems to be confirming this, citing
anonymous government sources.
So team, unfortunately it’s looking likely that the borders might remain closed for longer
than originally announced. Although, I do believe the introduction of community transmission
in the country might be the turning point in regard to all of this. We will await patiently
any official updates from the government.
However not all is doom and gloom, and we can also get a glimpse of the future of travel.
Returnees and those visiting Japan will soon be able to go through simpler customs, immigration
and quarantine procedures by using a new phone app starting next week, the country’s Digital
Agency said on Tuesday.
Travelers will not have to submit paper documents if they register themselves for the “Visit
Japan Web” service, via smartphone and other devices beforehand.
Travelers registering necessary documents, containing their names, addresses, health
conditions and other information via the app will only need to show their smartphones or
other devices to officials upon their arrival, helping to reduce the risk of infection and
burden on officials at airports. The new service is expected to shorten the
time of entry procedures, as officials will be able to see the traveler’s relevant information
simply by scanning a QR code on their device.
So team, I know what you are thinking, this service is starting next week? But no one
can enter the country. I do remind you that although the border does remain closed, Japanese
residents can return to Japan and those with very specific special circumstances can also
do so. The important thing to take from this, is the fact that regardless of potential quarantine
procedures for entry in the future, this app will hopefully speed things up and importantly
having less face-to-face contact with airport staff will keep them safe too. This is also
an indication that Japan is looking to with any luck allow people in. Hopefully we will
all be able to use this app soon!
And if you are lucky enough to belong the elite group of the super-rich, a Japan times
article states that the government is planning to simplify the immigration procedures for
foreign travelers arriving in Japan by luxury transport once the border reopens.
The government is hoping to attract affluent travelers that will bring considerable spending
power and help accelerate a postpandemic economic recovery, the sources said.
Not much more is known regarding how much easier it will be to enter Japan, other than
the fact that previously private jets had to ask for landing permission 10 days in advance
and this will likely be reduced.
In other news, which actually comes from South Korea, South Korea will soon roll out a pilot
project to use artificial intelligence, facial recognition and thousands of CCTV cameras
to track the movement of people infected with the coronavirus, despite concerns about the
invasion of privacy. The project is due to become operational in January.
Footage gathered by more than 10,820 CCTV cameras are analysed by AI and tracks an infected
person’s movements, anyone they had close contact with, and whether they were wearing
a mask, according to a 110-page business plan.
So team, I know this is not directly related to Japan, but how do you feel about this technology?
Do you think it’s a matter of time before this will actually be implemented elsewhere?
Japan has previously experimented with facial recognition at airports, but this is on a
whole different level and I’d be interested in knowing your opinions on this one.
Anyway team, if you haven’t got much to say Just say Hi and where you are from! I
love seeing the community grow and how international the community is. You can also take the time
to encourage each other down there and I continue to encourage you to send in any information
that you might think is helpful or relevant, either via one of my social platforms or simply
sharing with the community in a comment. So.. that’s all for now, Next week’s update
might be delayed or might take on a different format, as I will be spending quality time
with my loved ones during the Christmas break and I wish you all a blessed week ahead and
a merry Christmas for those who celebrate.
Stay positive team! Till next time, I’ll continue researching and keeping an eye on
all updates until the next video! So.. till then, Ariga tou, gracias, thanks bye!