Kirk here with some news and a request for feedback about issues related to visiting Japan (and, of course, Kumamoto).
As this article explains, “self-guided” doesn’t mean “plan and implement your own itinerary”; it means pay a company to allow you to participate in a tour that’s a bit cheaper because they don’t have to hire a full-time guide. If, however, you want to come to Japan to visit old friends in different parts of the country, etc., “self-guiding” wont’ be enough. If you are an American (I assume the situation is similar in other countries), you can get a visa to visit your spouse, attend a wedding, etc. but I can imagine lots and lots of reasonable plans for travel to Japan that would fit any of the currently available visa options.
In October, I’m going to be delivering a public lecture (in Japanese, advanced registration already closed :( ) comparing the U.S. and Japanese responses to COVID-19. In many ways, I think that Japan has done better than the U.S., but when it comes to travel restrictions I’m not a fan of Japan’s draconian mizugiwa (“defend the water’s edge”) policies.
So, here’s where I’d like to request feedback. If you feel comfortable writing an opinion in a comment to this post, please do so. Or, if you would prefer, please use the “Message” button to write a note to me via the page’s message thingy (sorry to use such technical terms ;) ). Thanks in advance! :) https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/09/07/national/japan-self-guided-tours/
P.S. To get the ball rolliing, here’s my take: The current system (and media coverage I’ve seen) is clearly focused on how to get people to start dropping money in Japan again. Conversely, there seems to be little concern about damage to interpersonal relationships that cross borders – so-called intercultural / international exchange (国際交流). I see two problems with this: 1) Japan is missing out on the long-term benefits of intercultural exchange (networking across borders). Such exchange may not have clear short-term benefits to the tourists industry but has the potential to lead to extremely valuable connections, projects, and activity in years to come. 2) This policy leads to the perceptions that the Japanese government sees foreigners primarily as walking sources of cash that can be accessed when they come as tourists. Like the “trainee” system, which has clearly views trainees as cheap, expendable labor, rather than as human beings that may build long-term relationships with Japanese people, this perception damages Japan’s reputation in the world community. Any thoughts?
