I seem to think I read that Thailand is on a bubble list of sorts, where you can enter Japan from Thailand, but not from the USA (assuming you have been in country long enough/past quarantine). Anyone with factual info?

The place to start would be the Japanese Embassy page

 

https://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/visaindex.html

 

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

 

 

Unless you have Japan permanent residency, married to/dependent of a Japanese citizen... at present, no.   Waiting for the green light myself, could really use some yakiniku and Japow, hoping they let vaccinated tourists in for December 2021.   Considering how risk averse they are culturally though, I wouldn't bet on it (as per how they decided to go with visitors for the Olympics).          

Infections are on the rise in Japan, and clearly so.

 

Not a great idea to want to go there in the near future.

The bubble was only until 1 January from what I read and for legal residents in thailand only. No foreigners allowed into japan now, unless you are married to japanese and have residency in japan

 

I suggest you  read news, yes?  

"Medical systems are on the verge of collapse," Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said during a press conference on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.  The Associated Press reported that according to health officials in the region, roughly 70 percent of hospital beds in Osaka are now occupied with COVID-19 patients, prompting Yoshimura to declare a "medical emergency."    The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine and the Japanese Society for Emergency Medicine say many hospital emergency rooms are refusing to treat people including those suffering strokes, heart attacks and external injuries.  I think this is going to make it more difficult for anyone to enter. Japanese can shut down entry with no notice like they did  last year. 

I think, hope, the ability to go to many countries from the US will improve dramatically as the widespread vaxxing takes hold.