6 Hawaii residents travel to Japan as part of pilot program to bring back tourists

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – As a part of a brand new pilot program, six individuals from Hawaii grew to become the primary in a gaggle of vacationers to Japan to see how prepared the nation is to reopen to vacationers.

The group included solely seven vacationers from the USA — together with one individual from Los Angeles.

Japan stopped permitting new arrivals in 2020.

Edward Sugimoto, a Mililani resident, went on a five-day enterprise visa to Tokyo and simply bought again.

He mentioned the method of touring to Japan consisted of finishing a whole lot of paperwork and enduring lengthy traces and hours-long waits on the airport.

“The toughest half was submitting for visa,” he mentioned. “You additionally should get a destructive COVID check inside 72 hours. It’s a spit check. After which then it’s important to wait, we waited about perhaps 40 to 45 minutes to get the outcomes again.”

Sugimoto mentioned from touchdown to getting their baggage, it was about two hours — which is shorter than the three to 5 hour course of he was anticipating.

Because the proprietor of Aloha Revolution, Sugimoto mentioned he traveled to community at occasions selling Hawaii.

“The whole time I used to be there, I most likely noticed perhaps 5 individuals with out masks. Everybody else was masked, preserving social distancing,” he mentioned.

“It’s rather a lot emptier than it usually is, the trains usually are not as crowded. The touristy spots usually are not as crowded. Plenty of shuttered companies, there’s a whole lot of them that aren’t even open.”

To move again residence, Sugimoto needed to take one other PCR check. If he examined optimistic, he’d have to remain in Japan and quarantine.

Fortunately that wasn’t the case — and he had a quiet flight again with half the aircraft empty.

“I felt for them as a result of on the Hawaii-side, we aren’t seeing guests as properly and we’re feeling the influence of that,” Sugimoto mentioned.

After a current assembly with Japan journey officers, Gov. David Ige mentioned he’s hopeful Japan may reopen this summer time.

Japanese media stories it could possibly be as quickly as June that vacationers from nations with low transmission charges will not should quarantine no matter their vaccination standing.

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