Japan looks to promote electronic visas as inbound tourism recovers – Nationwide
The Japanese government is looking to expand its electronic visa services system to streamline application procedures for foreign visitors amid a resurgence of tourism after the end of coronavirus-related border control measures, according to government officials. The Foreign Ministry began the online service in March in 11 countries and regions, with China added to the system in June. Among its conveniences, it enables eligible applicants to obtain short-term stay visas without going to their local Japanese embassy or consulate.
In the first eight months of this year, some 15.19 million foreign tourists entered Japan, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization shows. The figure represents about 69 percent of the total number recorded in the same period of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic emerged. An official from the ministry’s Foreign Nationals’ Affairs Division said that “the rate of online applicants is increasing. The system allows for smooth issuance of documents, and it is very likely to be contributing to the recovery in inbound tourism.”
The ministry is currently assessing whether to make the scheme available in more countries. Computerization of the visa system has sped up processing times and reduced staff workload, according to another government official. Under the scheme, applicants from all eligible countries and regions except China can pay for visa fees using credit cards.
Users are informed of the results of their screening by email. By accessing the system’s website, successful applicants can present their visa issuance notice from their smartphones when boarding a flight to Japan or entering the country. The 12 countries and regions are Brazil, Britain, Canada, Cambodia, China, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Unseasonal flu surges across Japan – Nationwide
The number of new influenza cases reported at designated medical institutions in Japan has surged 57% in the past week, health ministry data showed on Sept 22, marking an unusual trend for a virus usually prevalent during winter. Health experts attribute the prolonged spread of infections to a combination of factors, including low immunity stemming from a fall in new flu cases when government coronavirus measures were in place.
Approximately 5,000 designated medical institutions across the country reported a total of 34,665 new cases in the week from Sept 11, up from 22,111 the previous week, according to the data. Flu patients averaged 7.03 per institution, with seven of Japan’s 47 prefectures, including Tokyo, seeing more than 10 per institution, the level regarded as a benchmark to be cautious about a potential influenza outbreak.
Despite the flu season in Japan usually ending in spring, the weekly average number of cases per medical facility has continued to exceed typical levels well into summer this year, even increasing from late August. The number of new coronavirus infections reported by designated medical institutions during the same week from Sept. 11 stood at 86,510, averaging 17.54 people per institution, down 13 percent from the previous week.
Tourism and Mount Fuji’s rocky recovery after COVID – Yamanashi & Shizuoka Prefectures
Mount Fuji’s first climbing season since Japan lifted all COVID-19 restrictions saw the return of visitors from around the world, but it was marred by a string of incidents, with some tourists failing to follow etiquette while others dangerously underestimated the hike. One such case nearly ended in disaster when improperly clothed hikers were forced to take refuge from the cold in a lodge while scaling Japan’s tallest peak. Experts have pointed out the need for better coordination between local and national governments to improve conditions for next year.
Overcrowding had been anticipated even before the season began, creating headaches for authorities of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, whose boundaries straddle the mountain. Authorities of the Yamanashi side said that the number of climbers that passed through the mountain’s 6th station in July was more than double those of 2019, leading them to announce in August they would restrict the number of hikers who can use a route to climb to the summit if it becomes dangerous from overcrowding. The Shizuoka prefectural government sought to educate prospective hikers by creating videos in Japanese and English outlining climbing rules, while it also translated related articles into several different languages.
While June marked the 10th anniversary of Mount Fuji’s registration as a World Heritage site, the International Council on Monuments and Sites has called for surging climber numbers to be controlled to protect the environment. Yamanashi Gov Kotaro Nagasaki expressed a sense of crisis in late August, telling a press conference that the mountain “could be stripped of its World Heritage status in a worst-case scenario.” In addition to enacting an ordinance against bullet climbing, the Yamanashi prefectural government also plans to construct a light rail transit service from the foot of the mountain to the 5th station to replace car usage.
