A new regulation enacted by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare is set out in Japan to comply with the 14 days of self-quarantine upon arriving in Japan before mingling with the general public.
Three apps are required to be installed on your Smartphone upon arrival at either Haneda or Narita Airport. And in case you don’t own any smartphone or you have an old Smartphone model that won’t run the apps, you will be required to rent a unit at your own expense. The following apps are required to be installed:
- The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s COCOA COVID-19 contact tracing app
- Skype, and
- OSSMA, a location confirmation app
In addition to the required apps to be installed, all inbound travelers are required to sign a written pledge to comply with the protocols. Failure to sign and comply can result in public publishing of the violator’s name. In the case of foreign nationals, violation will result in deportation, including the revocation of residence status for foreigners living in Japan on work or study visas.
This new regulation is expected to be expanded in all other airports within the country.
