Hello everyone, I was able to spend 32 glorious days in Japan in September, 2022. It was not easy to achieve this, however. Read on.

NOTE: Japan is opening her borders after 2.5 years of isolation on October 10, 2022. The visa requirements from most G7 countries will be eliminated, as will most of the onerous corona PCR testing requirements prior to travel.

Japan has been effectively closed to all non-resident "gaijin" foreigners for the past 2.5 years. The corona disaster created fear and angst into everyone all around the world, and in Japan, they instinctively close their borders. Japan has done this many times throughout her history. I accept this completely. However, I had received a special "ask" to visit Japan from a great friend in Hiroshima - as long as I had a "sponsor". With that ask, I began working on finding a way to return to Japan in 2022. Doing so required a travel visa.

Well, after 2.5 months of blood, sweat, and tears, I finally obtained my special travel visa to Japan - LITERALLY ON THE DAY BEFORE I WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART. The visa process was onerous, intrusive, difficult, and extremely restrictive. I liken the process to obtain my Japan travel visa to the two times I climbed Fujisan - it was a steady, long slog, and just when I thought I would never be able to see the summit, "bam!", there it was.

To put this achievement into perspective, according to NHK media, Japan Times, CNN Global, and many other media sources, only 8,000 Japan travel visa's had been issued between June 1 and July 31. 8,000. 8,000! In two full months! In a country that was welcoming 8,400 people PER DAY in 2019 (pre-COVID).

[ Ссылка ]

In the case of my travel visa, I had submitted the 51 pages of required documentation to the Chicago Japanese Embassy two times - and finally received the approval of my application via email on Thursday night prior to my leaving on Tuesday the next week. With the Embassy closed over the weekend, and with restricted hours due to COVID, I breathed a sigh of relief on Friday morning, surely there was enough time to have the embassy use my "Priority Next Day" envelope I had included with the application so that I would receive my passport and visa on Saturday - I was relieved until the Embassy called me on Friday morning and told me that it takes 5 - 6 business days to PRINT OUT the visa for my passport!

After they heard my trembling, withering, utterly defeated voice, thankfully the Japanese spirit of omotenashi filled their hearts, and they offered me a deal of sorts - they would rapid print the visa and complete my passport on Friday afternoon - but then I'd have to DRIVE from Minnesota to Chicago on Monday to pick it up personally! With the Consulate offices only open from 10 am - 11:30 am and 1 pm - 3 pm, I made a decision (on the day prior to leaving for Japan!) to drive 17 hours round-trip to/from Chicago, leaving at 4 am from Minnesota to arrive at 10:30 am.

So, with only 12 hours prior to my flight, I drove 17 hours roundtrip to the Chicago Japan consulate. I brought the consulate staff omiyage gifts from Minnesota, grabbed my passport, and returned to Minnesota - to pack!

I left for the airport at 4:30 am on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, the mandatory Japanese "MySOS" COVID immigration app for admission to Japan didn't turn "blue" (the best color ever when it comes to MySOS") until 15 minutes before getting on the airplane on Tuesday morning! Watashi wa anshin deshita totemo! I had finally made it. "I'm returning to Japan", I said to myself. I had only ONE hotel reservation that I had hastily made on Friday before leaving. I had no set "itinerary" other than the requirements as dictated in my visa application.

Now, thankfully, VISA requirements will be suspended on October 10, 2022 for most countries! [ Ссылка ]

I kept a copy of the 51 pages of visa application for my own personal satisfaction. It makes an incredible story, and just one more chapter to an amazing 32 day journey in Japan in 2022.

I will certainly be putting out my "daily video vlog" of my journey in Japan in 2022. It was a Japan unlike anything I had seen before - picture Nara Park deserted; picture Senso-ji filled solely with... Japanese; picture Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island empty, save for wandering deer (inside the Jinja!). You get the idea.

I do not monetize my channel, I only make these videos for fun. Hopefully someone in the world will enjoy and value the content. That is enough for me! So be patient with me on the daily videos; I work for a living, and will work on them slowly through the cold Minnesota winter.

Mata ne!

Steven from Minnesota.

свернуть