By David McElhinney. It would also further fan the flames on a debate about whether the Olympics should be held at all. I am hopeful that July would be doable. By David McElhinney. Airmail shipping to the USA has been reinstated by Japan Post. Japan is among a small number of countries trying to find a way to restart education — under restrictions and with emergency plans to close again if covid-19 finds a foothold. No timeline has been revealed for the general public. Several international postal services have notified the USPS that they are currently unable to accept or deliver mail originating from The United States. I've been sending packages for the past 2 weeks, although one for USA did come back when it shouldn't have. As a partial remedy to this, the Japanese government has attempted to revive its battered tourism industry by paying for residents to go on vacation within the country. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Foreigners, including those with residency in Japan, who have been to countries on the entry ban list within 14 days of their arrival in Japan will be turned away under current border control measures. On January 2, 2021, Japan’s government announced that it will consider whether to declare another state of emergency. Small packet Airmail shipping has been reinstated by Japan Post effective immediately. Japan Post (日本郵政公社, Nippon Yūsei Kōsha) was a government-owned corporation in Japan that existed from 2003 to 2007, offering postal and package delivery services, banking services, and life insurance. As a planning site with strategy for visiting Kyoto, Tokyo, and beyond, we’re closely monitoring all advisories, the latest news, and progress. We are looking to have this set up by the weekend! Special procedures developed to expedite the safe entry of athletes from overseas ahead of the Olympics have been partially suspended as a result. Upon entering Japan, the tourist would once again be required to take a rapid PCR test. However, the officials concede that there are still many issues to be resolved before this system is deployed and the ban on foreign tourists is lifted–even on a trial basis. Boosting tourism was core to Prime Minister Abe’s economic revitalization, and new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has indicated intent to maintain continuity with those economic plans. I was planning a visit in April 2021 but have now postponed it to July 2021 with lingering doubt that even that could be possible. Fortunately the products we offer are very fresh and have best before dates well into summer and beyond. Japan has contracts with three US and European pharmaceutical companies for a total of 290 million doses of their vaccines. This will be an express service that should allow delivery within a week to most areas. If you live in America or Australia we can only ship via UPS at this time. Japan has already reported several cases of the variant, but medical experts have nonetheless encouraged stronger border control. With any luck, if and when Japan opens its borders to tourists again, I’ll be able to return there this year because I miss it dreadfully. Many couriers will … For the last year, we’ve been closely watching the improvements in Japan, hoping for some clarity as to when the country will fully reopen and Japan will begin allowing international tourists to enter once again. Update on Shipping During the Covid-19 Situation (April 18, 2020), we will get your order out within 2-3 business days, Update on Shipping During the Covid-19 Situation (April 9, 2020), Update on Shipping During the Covid-19 Situation (April 3, 2020), Update on Shipping During the Covid-19 Situation (April 2, 2020), North America, UK, and Australia orders are still OK. but please be patient as they are indicating long delays during this unprecedented time. The Health Center will likely be established in Tokyo, which makes sense as both the capital and the host city for the Summer Olympics. For 3 years I’ve been planning a trip for mid to late April 2021. The Japan Post announced that it will suspend EMS and airmail addressed to the United States, starting April 24, 2020. Many of Japan’s decisions–or lack thereof–the last several months have been driven by fear of cultural outsiders and indecisiveness. More countries will follow soon. We are crossing our fingers and optimistic that we will be traveling again soon. We still cannot ship to any of the countries listed HERE via Japan Post. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be able to go. In order to visit Japan, foreign tourists would be  required to download the health management app, and will also need to obtain a pre-departure negative test certificate. Both Airmail and EMS are available from July 1. level 2. The plan asks for $50 billion to invest in an enormous expansion of the COVID-19 testing infrastructure. Japan post are more definitely shipping internationally. Some places we like to visit that were once serene or frequently primarily by locals are now often overrun by tourists. One third of all Japanese government employees worked for Japan Post. Elderly people will likely start getting inoculated in late March 2021, to be followed by people with underlying health conditions in April 2021. It does seem like the scales have tipped away from that in the last month, though. Your email address will not be published. While there have been repeated delays and missed target dates for Japan’s reopening, Spring 2021 is pretty much the deadline for getting things back on track if the Olympics are to proceed. As background, the Japanese central government declared a state of emergency after much hesitation. We cannot predict when your parcel will arrive. Taiwan and Japan lead the way in post-coronavirus reopening. When will Japan lift its travel ban and reopen for international tourists? I’m still wishing Japan will reopen borders even slightly to people on a tourist visa in April and will definitely even buy a literal last minute ticket to go there. A judge on Thursday ordered the feds to wait to extradite the American father-son duo accused of helping ex-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn flee Japan last year. Tourist destinations Hokkaido and Kyoto to remain closed ... Oriental Land, the company that operates the Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea parks in Japan… I am hoping by then that tourists will be allow in by producing a negative COVID test and/or proof of vaccination. Japan's postal service is suspending mail to the US as of Friday, April 24, 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and the USPS put "air to sea diversion" in effect. GREAT NEWS FOR AUSTRALIA! We are planning to visit Tokyo, Disney, Kyoto, Osaka and Universal Japan. In fact, every single year since 2013 has been a new record for inbound tourism to Japan. Heavier orders with multiple items will see better value in shipping-per-item cost. To most European countries, Canada, and Asia we can use AIRMAIL and EMS through Japan Post. Are you assuaged at all by the relatively low number of cases in Japan? This makes sense, as increased inbound visitation was one of the biggest success stories of “Abenomics.” The now-delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics were instrumental to these plans, with Japan’s inbound tourism target for 2020 being 40 million visitors at the start of the year. We are seeing major delays in delivery to Canada via Japan Post/Canada Post and we appreciate your patience. We appreciate you patience and understanding. These plans were abandoned at the last minute, and we stayed in the United States. Thanks for your patience if it takes longer. If the new arrival tests positive after entering Japan, they will be required to take out private medical insurance (or leave). From there, UPS handles the parcel and gets it out very quickly. Japan’s government still has not given regulatory approval to any of the vaccine candidates. Aside from mild bumps, Japan never saw a significant spike in cases to the extent of Europe or the United States…. As such, we recommend Americans, Canadians, and Europeans take a conservative approach when choosing dates for your next trip to Japan. While Japan’s reopening has occurred in fits and starts thus far, we remain optimistic that a further acceleration will occur. I certainly think their bowing/masking/caring more for others’ wellbeing culture has helped keep their case count far below ours (US). We are all hoping this situation clears up soon but for now we cannot ship to the USA. HUGE NEWS! However, the country is stepping up preparations with the decision on whether to approve the vaccine expected in February. Australia's Richest. That’s probably not going to apply to anyone reading this English language blog post, so let’s turn to what the future holds…. Japan Post has not announced when they will resume the acceptance of international mail from the affected countries. Ultimately, it’s important to remember that the April 2021 reopening date is very much tentative, and almost every single past target date Japan has released has ended up being postponed. Fortunately the goods we offer have freshness dates that extend from mid-summer to late winter. Welcome back! Given the latest updates and new restrictions as of January 2021, we are skeptical about this plan. In a nutshell, it’s presently impossible to visit Japan unless you are a Japanese citizen or meet one of the few exceptions. Suffice to say, Japan’s economic health is likewise a serious issue, and inbound tourism was previously a bright spot. Shipping estimates on our … Questions still remain about how tourism will resume, and how the aforementioned health management plan, centers, and app will work. Moreover, another state of emergency (if one occurs) could be the death knell for the Olympics. due to logistics issues related to Covid-19. We estimate a 10-15 business day delivery. Would you consider visiting Japan later this year, or is international travel out of the question for you until there’s a vaccine? US … That’s obviously far short of the original 40 million forecast. We also recommend consulting our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto and Ultimate Guide to Tokyo to plan. The last ~11 months have seen all-time record lows with only 1,700 to 2,900 international visitors per month. Editor’s note: This post was last updated on Jan. 13, 2021 with new information. “Once a highly transmissible variant spreads, the number of infections could surpass 2,000 in a single day in Tokyo, eventually necessitating another state of emergency” over the virus, warned Atsuo Hamada, a professor at Tokyo Medical University. The latest update is not a slew of bad news, and updates that jeopardize the reopening plans discussed further down the post. This suspension will continue for the next few weeks, through late January 2021 as a precautionary step against the new, potentially more transmissible UK variant. CANADA SHIPPING: EMS Shipping has been temporarily suspended due to logistic issues caused by Covid-19. We cannot control these delays as the pandemic has created issues throughout the international postal system. But that could all be set to change in early 2021. While Japan took several steps forward late last year, those have now been partially undone. Please read below in case you missed previous updates on shipping... Get news of exclusive offers and promotions first! And we are all subject to its whims. Update on Shipping During the Covid-19 Situation (June 30, 2020), Update on Shipping During the Covid-19 Situation (June 18, 2020), Update on Shipping During the Covid-19 Situation (June 13, 2020), Update on Shipping During the Covid-19 Situation (May 28, 2020). ... Post … As some regions of the United States begin to reopen businesses, the experience from places such as Germany, Japan, and South Korea could provide valuable lessons and guidance. If you’re planning a trip to the Japan, check out our other posts about Japan for ideas on other things to do! This means that those of you who have been patiently waiting for months will likely see your parcels very soon. I am planning to travel to Japan for 6 days in September 2021. there … This follows a joint appeal from the governors of Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures for the central government to declare a state of emergency due to record-breaking numbers of new infections that have strained the medical system. We have no control on any delays within the system. You can be certain it will arrive later than under normal circumstances. Japan Post has re-opened shipping routes to two more countries: Italy and New Zealand. Despite this, a gradual reopening of Japan’s borders remains in process. Currently we use UPS for the United States, Australia, and India. Only ~4 million international travelers have visited Japan last year. Coronavirus has us frozen in place for the most part and dreaming of when we can start booking travel again. Once the summer games were officially postponed until July 23, 2021, Japan requested people to stay home and schools & businesses voluntarily closed. UPS is a fast and reliable alternative for delivery to those countries where Japan Post cannot ship to. Update Oct. 8, 2020 : Japan Post to Resume Shipping with Non-Registered Airmail to the U.S. Japan Post announced that they will resume shipping with Non-Registered Airmail as well as printed matters up to 5kg by Airmail from Oct. 9, 2020. The key question at this point is whether there’s the appetite for it. But AIRMAIL will save you a lot of money when comparing to UPS. There’s nothing to say Japan will reopen even by those dates, but it’s a safer bet than sakura season. In order for that to happen, Japan needs at least a few months of a “soft opening” to test and adjust the new system. However, this is widely viewed as a stopgap measure, and that Japan’s travel-dependent economy will struggle until border restrictions are lifted. We are eager to return, but also apprehensive–more on that towards the bottom of the post. It’s still possible that things will worsen, or the Olympics won’t occur as planned. (Updated January 2, 2021.). Without the Tokyo Olympics in the backdrop, Japan may lose all sense of urgency for these reopening procedures. Japan has already entered a recession, with the outlook for the next year-plus only looking optimistic if reopening can proceed. Decreased tourism plus falling exports, an increased consumption tax, reduced consumer spending, and growing national debt. Nevertheless, if the system is still being built and ready to implemented, there’s no reason it couldn’t roll out on a trial basis in April 2021. At this point, the clock is ticking on the Tokyo Summer Olympics. UPS is available to the USA, Australia, Mexico, and India. This brings us to the next update, which is that last week Japan suspended new entry into the country of nonresident foreign nationals from around the world. I don’t even care for tourism at this point, I just wish to be reunited with my soon to be fiancé after almost a year and a half of ot being able to see each other… I usually visit Japan twice a year for work and family and it was tough to skip that in 2020 so I certainly hope that the target dates you mention will see real change but I share your caution, since the Japanese government has been nothing if not incompetent in managing this crisis, and the relatively (by US or European standards) “good” numbers in terms of infection are to the credit of the general population, not the authorities. We will definitely let you know when certain shipping routes are reopened. At the time, official spread was low (aside from the Diamond Princess), with some speculating that Japan had purposefully avoided testing in an effort to salvage the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Effective April 3, the USPS will not accept mail addressed to these twenty-two affected countries. On January 2, 2021, Japan’s government announced that it will consider whether to declare another state of emergency. We are located in Sapporo so it takes about 2 business days for your order to get to Tokyo via a partner carrier. How individuals, nations and the world as a collective deal with life after COVID-19 will be one of the most intriguing social experiments in human history. Japanese government leaders indicate that the new health safety measures for international tourists will remain in place during and after the Tokyo Summer Olympics as Japan attempts to take incremental and deliberate steps towards reviving Japan’s battered tourism industry. The UPS Express service includes tracking and takes 4-7 business days on average. As of today (April 23) we can still ship to: UK, Canada, Korea, Singapore, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Finland, Malaysia. Been a new record for inbound tourism to Japan, subscribe to our free newsletter... 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