The Japanese immigration site just confuses me. Will I be able to fly directly there with a negative Covid test and an invitation letter from the company I’m visiting?

" For the time being, foreign nationals categorized below are denied permission to enter Japan as ones who fall under the Article 5, paragraph (1), item (xiv) of Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, unless special exceptional circumstances are found.

(1) Foreigners who have stayed in any of the following countries/regions within 14 days prior to the application for landing:

Note that foreigners (from the countries and regions where the entry bans do not apply) are not denied to enter Japan when they arrive in Japan via any of the following 159 countries or regions, which are subject to denial of permission to entry, for refueling or transit purpose. Those who entered those countries or regions will, however, be subject to the entry ban.

Asia

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam"

 

From the Japanese embassy website which links to the MoFA website

https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

 

Even for those judged to fall under the "special exceptional circumstances" provision, there is a mandatory 14 day quarantine on arrival

 

23 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

" For the time being, foreign nationals categorized below are denied permission to enter Japan as ones who fall under the Article 5, paragraph (1), item (xiv) of Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, unless special exceptional circumstances are found.

(1) Foreigners who have stayed in any of the following countries/regions within 14 days prior to the application for landing:

Note that foreigners (from the countries and regions where the entry bans do not apply) are not denied to enter Japan when they arrive in Japan via any of the following 159 countries or regions, which are subject to denial of permission to entry, for refueling or transit purpose. Those who entered those countries or regions will, however, be subject to the entry ban.

Asia

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam"

 

From the Japanese embassy website which links to the MoFA website

https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

 

Even for those judged to fall under the "special exceptional circumstances" provision, there is a mandatory 14 day quarantine on arrival

 

Thanks Sheryl 

My gf is Thai but has lived in Japan for 25 years and we have an apartment in Tokyo. She went back in May with no problems at all to renew her visa. I stayed here in Thailand.....but she is still waiting for a flight back to Thailand. She so hopeful to be back and finished quarantine for Xmas. 

I don't understand the situation....she flew out on a scheduled flight from JAL...one that could not let passengers disembark in Suvarnabhumi....I think they flew cargo into Thailand and people out. The return trip on 22nd August was cancelled by JAL and the gf has been in limbo ever since.

No.  You can not fly to Japan unless to transit.  The country is close to those of us here in Thailand.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes-timeline.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

Hopefully they will allow general visas again soon.   

Still nothing?

Sheryl's link was updated 1 Nov.

 

https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

 

 

but I honestly cannot figure out what the lifting of the ban actually means?

 

On October 30, the Government of Japan (GOJ) decided to remove the 8 countries and a region below from the list of countries and regions which entry ban is applied to in pursuant to the Article 5,

 

Removed from the following list

Australia, Brunei, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam