It’s my third time re-entering Japan since the start of the pandemic and this time I had to spend part of my quarantine at a government designated facility (i.e. hotel) because of the new rules for reternees from countries where the Omicron variant is spreading. I wanted to share my experience since it might be helpful for others in preparation of returning to Japan.
Preparation
Things you need to prepare before even the first leg of your flight route to Japan:
- the MySOS app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mysos/id971663851
- the QR code for the completed online questionnaire https://arqs-qa.followup.mhlw.go.jp (https://www.ie.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100138429.pdf)
- a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of your departure to Japan in the format required by the Japanese government.
In my case they wouldn’t even let us proceed at the check-in counter without showing that we had the app installed and a QR for the completed questionnaire.
It’s also advisable to have all your information (name, passport, etc.) registered beforehand.
There’s several forms and a written pledge you will have to submit on arrival in Japan. I had most of them with me but they were also distributed on board (Air Swiss).
18:30 Arrival at Narita
We landed at Narita International Airport. Your experience might be different at Haneda.
It’s advised to not eat or drink anymore at this point because of the upcoming saliva test, so make sure you drink plenty of fluids beforehand.
We were lead to a first waiting area with numbered seats where airport staff checked that we had all the necessary forms, pledge and PCR test results at hand.
This were checked at several instances again thereafter, which seemed quite random at times. It helps if you have all documents in a file and the QR codes and apps easily accessible on your smartphone.
The documents got checked once more at a counter we were lead to 10 people at a time.
We also received some info about the quarantine hotel and got to choose between smoking and non-smoking for the rooms.
Next, we had to spit into a tube for the saliva test. The necessary amount can take a while to produce if you’re prepared for it, so keep this in mind.
After this, the MySOS app and smartphones we were using were checked. At this point you should have your info registered in the app. It’s also being explained how to use the app for your daily health report and random video calls.
The next station will scan your QR code, ask for your seat number of your last flight leg if you haven’t registered it in the online questionnaire, and demand that you arrange for means of transportation for AFTER the hotel quarantine (i.e. from the hotel to your place of self-quarantine) if you haven’t yet. They will wait for you to make a reservation and give you a list of available driving services.
One point of concern here is that they were not 100% sure on when and where we should make our arrangement for.
The told us that we would be back at Narita at approx. 17:00 (depending on traffic). And it would “probably” be Terminal 1.
After that we were assigned a numbered seat in a bigger waiting area.
Here we waited surprisingly long. Our flight touched down at 18:30 and it took until 00:15 for us to finally get called from the waiting area to proceed to immigration. Since our previous experience was that we were only waiting for 40 min. to an hour for the test results we were curious and the staff told us that the hold up was due to the bus that’s supposed to take us to the hotel not being available, yet.
As for the bus. If it doesn’t seem like it will fill up completely you can wait to board last and might be able to sit in the back where you’re distanced from the crowd and there’s a window you can open to get some fresh air. However, people sitting in the front of the bus get processed earlier at the hotel reception.
Fill out the form for hotel reception during your bus ride to make for a smoother check-in. There’s a field for allergies and you need at least one emergency contact inside Japan per room.
01:20 Hotel
For us it was the Narita Airport Toyoko INN in Chiba, but it might be different for you.
The first floor completely repurposed by immigration office with police officers behind several big monitors.
The reception staff checked our forms and informed us of yet another daily health check. This time an online chat bot.
We also got told that this hotel is out of delivery range for Uber Eats.
That’s maybe a disadvantage to landing in Haneda, on the other hand the rooms are way more spacious than what I read online about the rooms for Haneda arrivals.
There’s no micro-wave oven and the bento is usually already cold when delivered. There’s a hot water pot, though.
The picture above is the breakfast bento package with received.
The internet connection was very slow. During my stay, I had download speeds of around 5~10 Mbps over Wi-Fi and 85~90 Mbps over the network cable. There was one cable already attached to the router at the desk of the hotel room. Don’t forget to pack a network adapter for your macbook if you intend on working during your quarantine or do anything beyond simple web browsing.
Ordering Things Online
At our hotel, only the Japanese info material mentioned this: You can order things online and have them sent to your hotel room. I ordered some instant coffee and had it the next day. The hotel staff will ask whether they can check the contents of the package before giving it to you. I guess this is to make sure nobody orders booze as it’s banned during your stay in hotel quarantine.
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