Japan is loosening entry restrictions for 106 countries that were previously banned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taiwan's foreign ministry announced on Thursday that these new changes do not affect Taiwan, and Japan is still not allowing tourists to enter.
Starting from Friday, people from the US, most of Europe, many Southeast Asian countries, and others can apply for entry visas to Japan. Japan still has a cap on the number of visas issued to foreigners, although the limit on daily arrivals will rise from 7,000 to 10,000 people on Monday.
Taiwan's foreign ministry says that Japan removed Taiwan from the no-entry list in November 2020. Japan also loosened restrictions this past March, making it easier for people to apply for non-tourist visas. The most common visas are for studying and business purposes.
Travelers with proof of three vaccinations can enter Japan without going through quarantine. However, Taiwan's Medigen vaccine is not on Japan's list of approved vaccines, so it does not qualify travelers for quarantine exemption.
Taiwan's foreign ministry says that Japan and Taiwan hope to resume normal travel operations as soon as it is safe to do so.