Please join Relo Japan for our next webinar, “To Open or Not to Open: How Japan Will Approach Covid in 2022,” on January 28, 2022, 10:00 JST.
Register in advance for this webinar by clicking the link below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
View the Webinar Recording: https://youtu.be/RzpkMUFVcvc
To Open or Not to Open: How Japan Will Approach Covid in 2022
Japan’s response to the pandemic could be characterized as somewhat schizophrenic. On one side, Japan has implemented some of the most stringent entry restrictions globally, banning the re-entry of its own nationals traveling from variant hot spots and maintaining a convoluted and often inefficient quarantine protocol. On the other side, while Japan has benefited from public acceptance of mask-wearing and practicing “habitual” social distancing, the government does not have the tools to enforce many Covid countermeasures, including the absence of any true domestic “lockdown” authority.
But the year-long border closing has started to take its toll on Japanese companies reliant on foreign labor and expertise and the country’s image as a key location for foreign investment. The longer Japan’s entry points remain shuttered to all but a select few foreign visitors with “special exceptional circumstances,” the more ground Japan will lose to its regional rivals. In stark contrast to Japan’s unwavering adherence to blanket bans on anything considered a risk, neighboring countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are all very much open for business.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. Japan’s vaccination rate sits at nearly 80%, which is higher than many other locations in the region. Vaccine hesitancy is mild, and domestic infection rates — despite an Omicron surge that would barely be a blip on the radar in other parts of the world — are still remarkably low when considering the high population density and crowded commuter trains. And an estimated 400-hundred thousand foreign nationals are prepared to enter the country as soon as restrictions are lifted.
Join our experts as they host another informative and interactive session this month. While they may not have all of the answers, they certainly do have eperience and insight to help shed some light on how Japan will address its Covid concerns in the coming months.
To Open or Not to Open: How Japan Will Approach Covid in 2022
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Presenters
Bruce Conlan (COO/West Japan @Relo Japan K.K.)
An Australian native who has lived in Japan for over 20 years, with over 15 years of experience in the mobility industry. Currently based in Nagoya (halfway between Tokyo and Osaka) and responsible for operations across Western Japan, including offices in both Nagoya and Kobe. An unabashed fan of the Rolling Stones and cars that go really fast.
William Titus (COO/East Japan @Relo Japan K.K.)
An American expatriate who has lived in Japan over half his life, spending the last 18 years in mobility. Oversees the Relo Japan office in Tokyo which coordinates operations across Eastern and Northern Japan, and manages in-house immigration services. Avid sports fan and partaker of various potent potables.
