japan nationwide travel discount program

‘Go To Travel’ explained

Part of a larger "Go To" campaign intended to restart the Japanese economy following the damage caused by the coronavirus , Go To Travel is a campaign by the national government that offers big discounts on travel inside Japan. Only residents of Japan (including foreign residents) are eligible to take advantage of the campaign.

What is Go To Travel?

• A 35 percent discount on the total cost and
• Coupons worth 15 percent of the total cost to be spent on other travel expenses during the trip

Is there an upper limit?

Yes, there is. The maximum discount that can be received for overnight trips is 13,000 yen per person and night, while the maximum amount of coupons that can be received is 7,000 yen per person and night. In other words, the upper limit applies to travel plans that cost more than 40,000 yen per person and night.

In case of daytrips , the travelers can receive a discount of up to 7,000 yen and coupons of up to 3,000 yen per trip.

Note that children are counted the same as adults. For example, a family of four with two kids can receive a discount of up to 52,000 yen (4 x 13,000 yen) and coupons of up to 28,000 yen (4 x 7,000 yen) on an overnight trip, even if the kids stay for free.

Furthermore, note that only up to seven nights per trip are covered by the campaign. On trips that are longer than eight days, travelers will not be able to profit from the campaign from the 8th night. Note that there is no limit on how many trips can be made during the campaign.

Who is eligible?

All residents of Japan, including foreign residents.

Can temporary visitors to Japan use the campaign?

No, only residents of Japan are eligible.

How long does the campaign last?

The campaign started in late July 2020, but was suspended in December 2020 due to rising coronavirus infection numbers. It is expected to resume once the infection numbers have decreased and continue until at least summer 2021.

Are there any other conditions for participating?

Yes, all participating travelers are requested to follow the "new travel etiquette" with regards to preventing the spread of the coronavirus on their trips. Please visit our page about coronavirus manners for more details.

What is covered?

• Overnight stays at registered lodgings
• Travel plans purchased through registered travel agents

A large majority of hotels and travel agents across the country are registered. Lists of registered businesses are available on the campaign's official website .

Are all regions of Japan covered?

All regions of Japan are covered by the campaign. There is a possibility for some areas to be temporarily excluded from the campaign depending on the spread of the virus.

Does the campaign also apply to transportation, activities, meals and shopping?

The discount applies only if they are part of a travel plan. For example, the discount cannot be applied to regular purchases of flights or rental cars ; however, it does apply if a flight or rental car is part of a travel package sold through a registered travel agent. Likewise, if an activity or meal is part of the travel package, the campaign applies.

What type of daytrips are eligible?

The campaign applies only to daytrip travel packages sold by registered travel agents. The packages have to include 1) transport starting and ending at the same place on the same day and 2) at least some form of travel service besides transport in the destination area, e.g. meals or activities. For example, it does not cover 1-day bus tours that do not include any activities at the destination.

There is no limit on how many trips you can make during the campaign period. However, there is a limit of seven nights per trip that can be covered, meaning that those traveling for more than eight days are not able to profit from the campaign from the 8th night.

How can I use it?

There are mainly two ways to profit from the campaign:

• Book a stay at a registered hotel through the hotel, a travel agent or a reservation website that participates in the campaign.
• Purchase a travel package through a registered travel agent.

At the time of your booking, you pay 65% of the total cost for the accommodation or package, while the 15% in coupons will be issued to you by the travel agent or hotel.

A list of registered hotels and travel agents can be found in Japanese on the campaign's official website . Many hotel reservation websites are also participating in the Go To Travel campaign, including Booking.com and Agoda .

How do I use the coupons?

Coupons can be used to make payments at registered stores and restaurants and for transportation and other travel services in the prefecture visited and surrounding prefectures during the day(s) of your trip. They cannot be refunded. A map showing registered businesses can be found on the campaign's official website .

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Japan Reinstates Its Domestic Travel Discount Program, Here's Who Qualifies

Japan’s domestic travel discount program was suspended at the end of 2022 through the New Year holiday season, but it is back! The Japan Tourism Agency reinstated the program last week on a smaller scale.

The return of the discount program gives hope to boost Japan’s hospitality industry and economy, which suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was originally launched for residents on October 11, 2022. Travel to Tokyo was excluded until October 20, 2022.

The Japanese government expects the program to last until the end of March 2023. Each prefecture was allocated a certain amount of funds by the central government. The program will end in stages as funds run out. Each prefecture will use its judgment on when to terminate the program.

In December, the discount was up to ¥11,000, about $84. It has now been scaled down to a maximum of ¥7,000 per night per person, which is about $54. This includes shopping coupons that can be redeemed at restaurants and local vendors.

During a news conference last week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, “I hope (the discount program) will stimulate nationwide travel demand and have as many people as possible visit.”

Related: Diary Of A Black Traveler: How Troy Found Peace In Japan

Who qualifies for discounts?

Residents and foreign nationals of Japan are eligible for the travel discount program. Foreign tourists are not eligible for the discount program.  

Eligible travelers will need to have either received three COVID-19 vaccine shots or submit a negative PCR or antigen test within 72 hours of checking into a hotel. Japan’s health ministry website lists approved vaccines for those who received vaccines outside of the country.  

Proof of vaccination or a negative test result is required at check-in. If you forget to bring proof, you must pay the full price and are not eligible for the discount. Other acceptable forms of proof are the government’s vaccine passport smartphone app and vaccine vouchers used during vaccination. You will also need to show your ID (driver’s license, passport, or residence card) when checking in.  

If you’re traveling with a group of people and one person forgets to bring proof of vaccination or a negative test result, the entire group may be denied the discounted rate.  

An exception to the rule is children 11 and under — they will not have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result as long as they have an ID and are traveling with an adult eligible for the discounted rate.

What are the discounts like?

Travelers will receive 20% off of up to ¥5,000 (about $39) per person per night for accommodations and transportation. A discount of ¥3,000 (about $24) per person per night will be applied to those who just booked a hotel.  

“Reviving tourism demand is very important to revitalize the economy. We want people to travel in Japan while taking basic COVID-19 precautions,” says Japan’s tourism minister Tetsuo Saito during a news conference last week.  

Additionally, ¥2,000 (about $16) worth of vouchers will be given to travelers who travel on weekdays. If you’re traveling on the weekend, you can expect ¥1,000 (about $8) in vouchers. These vouchers can be used for shopping and at restaurants. The vouchers will even be given upon check-in at the hotel or through the travel agency you book with.  

How do I book?

To receive discounts when booking, you can plan through travel agencies such as Rakuten Travel , Yahoo Travel , Jalan Travel , JTB , and Rurubu Travel .

Related: Japanese Theme Parks Reopen To Tourists With New Rules, Including No Screaming Or Talking On Rides  

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Japan travel discount program: What you need to know 2022

You may have heard about a Japan travel discount program circulating around the internet lately and are curious to know what it is.

It sounds perfect if you want to save money and travel to Japan! But not so fast… you may not be eligible.

What is the Japan travel discount program?

We have not heard of any official government-released information yet (other than a reported press release interview) about the Japan discount program.

Kyodo News reported in this article  that “Japan will run a  new domestic tourism subsidy program  from Oct. 11 to late December as part of efforts to spur domestic tourism and revive the coronavirus-hit economy…”

This subsidy program is different from the previous travel discount initiative GOTO .

Who is eligible?

Should the program go ahead, the discount will be for residents of Japan for domestic travel. 

There is currently no official English press release, but according to Kyodo News , this is a National travel discount program.

When does it start and end?

Kyodo News states the Japan national travel discount program begins on October 11, 2022.

It will end either the end of December 2022, or January, 2023 (there are conflicting reports on the end date).

More information will be available soon.

How do I apply, and how does it work?

More information to come! Check back here for any updates.

According to Kyodo News , the system is going to be managed by each prefecture. In other words, each prefecture will decide if they will be running the program or not.

How much money does the Japan travel discount program save?

The Japan travel discount program is for Japanese residents only , and according to Kodo News , will provide up to 11,000 yen ($77) per traveler per day in coupons and discounts. These can be used for meals, shopping, and accommodation expenses and events up until either the end of December 2022, or January, 2023 (there are conflicting reports on the end date).

For meals, shopping, and accommodations , I have been unable to locate any details on what the maximum discounts are, or any additional information.

For events such as theme parks, sports, and music, who take “antivirus measures”, there will be a maximum discount of 20% off up to 2,000 yen. This means the maximum amount saved would be roughly $14 USD per event.

10,000 JPY – 20% = 2,000 JPY savings

$70 USD – 20% = $14 USD savings

In conclusion, the discount still has many details to come in order to determine if it’s a good value or not. I’m skeptical because the details we do have regarding event discounts state it’s “up to” 20% off. If you’re a Japanese resident who is planning to do these things regardless of the program, it’d be a great way to save a few dollars.

Additionally, the program may not even run at all, as it will be up to the individual prefectures to implement the program. There haven’t been any confirmed prefectures operating this program yet.

Is Japan open to tourism? Can I travel to Japan now?

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made this announcement  on September 22, 2022,  in New York, USA: 

“from October 11, Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the U.S., as well as resume visa-free travel and individual travel.”

This means it will become much easier to travel to Japan in 2022-2023, as Japan will be open to independent travel! 

In short: visa-free, no daily arrival caps, and the freedom to travel independently.

What are the vaccine requirements for traveling to Japan?

Information can be found here on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website .

As of October 11, 2022, traveling to Japan has become much easier with many restrictions lifted.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida states that “Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US.”

If you are vaccinated , here’s what to expect traveling to Japan after October 11, 2022:

 -you must provide proof of three (3) approved doses of the vaccine (on the Emergency Use List of World Health Organization (WHO))

-no quarantine requirements

-you can travel independently (without tour / travel agency)

-no more cap on daily arrivals

If you are unvaccinated , here’s what to expect traveling to Japan after October 11, 2022:

-provide a certificate of negative result of pre-departure COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to departing from the original country/region

since COVID-19 for Japan travel, as it’s no longer required to do an on-arrival test at the quarantine station, self-quarantine, or to refrain from use of public transportation .

Is it a good time to visit Japan?

Yes! It would be amazing to visit Japan once open to independent travel again after October 11, 2022. 

While we are still learning how to live in a world with COVID-19, it’s here to stay, and life goes on.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) reports that there will be an increasing number of international flights.

As long as you know the risks, have good travel insurance, why should you wait to travel to Japan? It will only get busier as tourism gradually returns to Japan.

The good news is if you plan to travel to Japan soon after independent travel is back, it will likely be less busy as the country gets back up to pre-pandemic tourism levels. 

Not to mention that the JPY is at the lowest value in years, and you could get an excellent bang for your buck (depending on the value of your currency).

Why it’s cheaper to travel to Japan in 2022

You can check the dollar value against your currency by using Google Finance here . 

For example, here is an estimate of the JPY value compared to the USD & CAD value:

In conclusion, JPY has decreased in value because more is required to be valued the same as $1 USD/CAD now versus 2019.

Flight costs to Japan are likely to be reasonably priced as tourism starts back up in attempts to boost the economy.

With fewer crowds, you can experience attractions in a way nobody could before COVID-19. And again, with the JPY value what it is now, I can’t think of a better time to go! (Unless you want to see the cherry blossoms, well, then Spring time is better 😉!) You can read more about the ultimate travel guide here for more advice on Japan travel.

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Japan may introduce a domestic travel discount programme in autumn

The nationwide travel incentive will include discounts for transportation and accommodation across the country

Within the last two years, Japan has introduced a number of domestic travel incentives to help boost the local economy, including the Go To Travel campaign and the Motto Tokyo staycation packages. The Japan Times has reported that the government now plans to launch another nationwide travel programme starting this autumn. 

The domestic travel campaign will mainly support industries badly affected by the pandemic, namely the hotel and transport industries. The incentives will be offered in the form of discount coupons valid within designated areas.

So how much will you actually save? Discounts for public transport and accommodation packages might go up to ¥8,000 per person per night. For accommodations alone, you could save up to ¥5,000. Discount coupons for restaurants and other facilities could be worth up to ¥3,000 on weekdays and ¥1,000 on weekends. 

On another note, recent news suggests that Japan’s remaining border rules could be lifted soon, meaning foreign tourists and independent travellers will finally be allowed into Japan without restrictions. 

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Nationwide travel discount program is extended to the next year despite smaller discount rate

Japan Tourism Agency announced that the nationwide travel discount program will be extended to December 27 2022 (checkout on December 28) from originally December 21 2022 and to even the next year despite smaller discount rate than the rate until December 27. The agency expects that the revision of the program will contribute to gradual change of travel demand.

The discount rate next year will be reduced to 20% from 40% currently, and the upper discounted amounts will be 5,000 JPY a night for a package product with transportation (8,000 JPY currently) and 3,000 JPY a night for others (5,000 JPY currently). 

Local shopping coupons will be 2,000 JPY a person for weekdays and 1,000 JPY a person for weekend. 

Japan Tourism Agency said that a start day of the revised program depends on the infection condition. 

Let us hear your VOICE Please feel free to leave any comments or opinions.

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Japan gov't domestic travel discount program to continue next year

The Japanese government will continue to implement its domestic tourism subsidy program through next year, tourism minister Tetsuo Saito said Friday, although the start date will depend on COVID-19 infection rates.

The National Travel Discount program, originally planned to last until Dec. 27, provides a financial subsidy of up to 11,000 yen ($79) a night per person for up to a total of seven days, but the subsidy will now be reduced to a maximum 7,000 yen per night from 2023.

The year-end and New Year holidays will not be subject to the government's tourism-boosting subsidy program for residents of Japan.

The program began on Oct. 11 in all of Japan's 47 prefectures except Tokyo, which joined the scheme later in the month.

Under the new plan, package tours that include charter bus and rail travel costs will be subsidized up to 5,000 yen, down from 8,000 yen. Those going on day trips or only paying for accommodation can obtain a subsidy of up to 3,000 yen, instead of the current 5,000 yen.

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• Entertainment

Reservation sites jammed as Japan kickstarts travel discount program

October 11, 2022 (Mainichi Japan)

Japanese version

TOKYO -- The Japanese government's "National Travel Discount" program aimed at sparking domestic tourism demand started on the morning of Oct. 11, attracting hordes of traffic at travel reservation websites and making some of them difficult to view.

From around 9 a.m., customers had difficulty accessing Yahoo! Travel's website as it began accepting reservations for package tours including air tickets and accommodation. Similar situations hit Rakuten Travel and Jalan's websites, with some people finding it hard to advance to search or reservation pages.

Under the National Travel Discount program, the government will subsidize 40% of travel expenses until late December.

(Japanese original by Mihoko Kato, Business News Department)

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Nationwide travel discount program, a Japanese government’s initiative, was sold out in some regions on the opening day

A nationwide travel discount program began on October 11 2022 as a Japanese government’s initiative to boost domestic travel demand. Several OTAs stopped selling the qualified products on the opening day because of no more availabilities.

The program discounts by 40% a traveler a night. The discounted ceiling  is up to 8,000 JPY for a tour with transportation services and up to 5,000 JPY for others. In addition to the travel discount, the government will subsidize a shopping coupon of 3,000 JPY a traveler for weekdays and 1,000 JPY for weekend. The scheme allows a traveler to benefit a discount of up to 11,000 JPY. 

The program is also expected to decentralize travelers to weekdays by special discount offering for weekdays. 

The reactions from consumers were bigger than initially expected. On the opening day, jalan.net and Yahoo! Travel, Japan’s leading OTAs, had troubles with accessibilities due to too much booking requests. 

As the program limits budgets by prefecture, Yahoo! Travel and ikyu.com announced that they stopped accepting bookings in Miyazaki, Miyagi, Iwate and Nagasaki prefectures. 

In addition, discount contents and conditions vary with prefectures. OTAs could not start selling the program all together nationwide. 

Interestingly, Hoshino Resort has opened its original booking website for the program to start selling on October 25 2022. 

Event discount program, another government’s initiative, was launched at the same time, and is joined by poplar theme-parks, such as Universal Studio Japan, Fujikyu Highland, Moomin Valley Park, Legoland Japan or even Tokyo Disney Resort. 

Tokyo Disney Resort has started selling 20% discounted one-day passes and distributing spend-boosting coupons in the limited period.

Let us hear your VOICE Please feel free to leave any comments or opinions.

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Japan to Continue Nationwide Travel Discount Program in 2023

Rashaad Jorden , Skift

November 25th, 2022 at 1:00 PM EST

The Japanese government announced on Friday i t’s planning to resume its domestic travel discount program in the new year .

Tourism Minister Tetsuo Saito said the government will decide when exactly to relaunch the program, which was initially expected to conclude on December 28 , after monitoring Covid cases in the country. Participants in the program, a campaign the government hopes will resurrect a tourism industry battered by the pandemic, are required to have received at least three Covid vaccine doses or test negative for the virus. The Japanese government relaunched the travel discount program in October after pausing it during the heart of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, discounts offered in the program will be reduced next year, with the discount rate to drop to 20 percent from the current 40 percent. The maximum discount amount available for travelers in tour packages, including public transportation services, will also decrease from $58 (8,000 yen) to $36 (5,000 yen).

Tags: coronavirus recovery , discounts , japan , tourism , travel recovery

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Japan to extend nationwide travel discount program

18:08 JST, November 26, 2022

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The government is planning to extend its nationwide travel discount program, originally set to end in late December, tourism minister Tetsuo Saito said Friday.

 Saito said that the program will be suspended from Dec. 28 and resumed after the New Year holiday period. The day of resumption will be announced later.

 Meanwhile, discounts under the program will be reduced, with the discount rate to fall to 20% from the current 40% and the maximum discount amount to drop to ¥5,000 from ¥8,000 a night per tourist for tour packages including public transportation services, as well as to ¥3,000 from ¥5,000 for only hotel stays or single-day trips.

 Shopping coupons provided under the program will be partially decreased. The amount for such coupons for weekdays will be cut to ¥2,000 from ¥3,000, while the amount for public holidays will be maintained at ¥1,000.

 Certificates of having received at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses or having tested negative for the coronavirus will continue to be required for using the travel discount program.

 The program was launched in October, with the aim of supporting the tourism industry battered by the pandemic.

 “We reviewed the program from the viewpoint of providing support for as long a period as possible,” Saito said at the press conference.

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How to Apply for the Go To Travel Campaign

The Japanese government has launched the Go To Travel Campaign to encourage people to travel around Japan from July 22, 2020 onwards. This is a great opportunity to travel cheaply in Japan! This campaign is not for international travelers but only for residents in Japan. So if you already live in Japan, why not go for a trip around Japan with the Go To Travel Campaign? In this article, we will explain what the Go To Travel Campaign is and how to travel cheap with it!

What is the Go To Travel Campaign?

Current situation of go to travel campaign (updated 2022), prefectural discount, motto tokyo, how to use go to travel coupons, the website you can book go to travel campaign:, how to take a pcr test in japan, tour packages, japan wonder travel tours , other articles you may enjoy.

The Go To Campaign consists of 4 different campaigns which will support the industries which have been severely affected by COVID-19 such as travel, food, and entertainment industries, etc. Go To Travel Campaign is one of these campaigns and the government will cover half of the domestic travel costs up to ¥20,000 per person per day (up to ¥10,000 for a day trip) by issuing coupons that are worth 15% of travel costs (up to a total of ¥6,000 per day) and giving 35% off discount on the travel package. There is no limit on the number of traveling with the campaign, so you can repeatedly travel at half-price in Japan during the campaign.

Go To Travel Campaign has been suspended since March 2021 .

Meanwhile, there are alternative campaigns such as the prefectural campaigns which are quite similar to the Go To Travel Campaign. (we will explain it later in this article)

Go To Travel campaign will be resumed as GoTo 2.0 when it’s ready, and the discount rate is likely to change. The discount rate is originally 35 percent of the trip cost (up to 14,000 yen) and comes with local coupons that are 15% worth of the whole travel costs (up to 6,000 yen). ▶See how it works GoTo 2.0, however, will give a 30% discount (up to 10,000 yen) with 3,000 yen (weekdays) or 1,000 yen (weekends) coupons.

At the moment, what we expect for the new Go To Travel campaign is as follows; 

• More discounts may be applied on weekdays than on weekends
• It’ll be required the vaccination certificate or certificate of the negative test result to apply for the campaign.

We’ll update the latest information accordingly when the official announcement is made.

Pre-Go To Travel Campaign 2022

From October 11 to the end of December or early January , the government decided to launch a new campaign (全国旅行支援, zenkoku ryoko shien) to encourage people to travel more. During this campaign, you can travel anywhere around Japan with a discount as long as you already got vaccinated three times or get a negative test result on the PCR test.

The prefectural discount offers to the residents of Japan, giving a discount on travel packages and a coupon ticket for local restaurants. It gives you a maximum of 7,000 yen for both a travel package and a coupon ticket (5,000 yen for accommodation + 2,000 yen for coupons).  This discount is valid until September 30th, 2022 , and you can use this discount only in the region you live in. Regions and prefectures that you can currently use Prefectural Discount (as of September 13)

You can book from the website of Japanese travel agencies such as Jalan and Rakuten Travel etc.

From September 1st, 2022, the Motto Tokyo campaign will resume for Tokyo residents. If you plan for an overnight trip that costs over 6,000 yen, you will get a 5,000 yen discount! For a day trip, if your travel costs over 3,000 yen, you will get a 2,500 yen discount. The Motto Tokyo campaign will be valid until September 30, 2022.

How does the Go To Travel Campaign work?

It is basically a package deal, and the campaign will cover half of the travel costs up to ¥20,000 per person per day. About 70% of reimbursement is an actual discount on the package and about 30% of it is with coupons that you can use for gift shops, restaurants, amusement parks, and transportation.

Here’s how it works;

• If your travel package costs ¥20,000, you can save half of the cost which is ¥10,000 with the campaign. You will pay ¥13,000 for your trip but you will get coupons with a total value of ¥3,000. With that, you can save ¥10,000 in total.
• If your travel cost is ¥50,000, half of the costs will be ¥25,000, however, the reimbursement is up to ¥20,000 per day. So you will pay ¥36,000 of the total costs and will get coupons with a total value of ¥6,000. With the coupons, eventually, you can save ¥20,000 in total.

How to apply for the Go To Travel Campaign

Book a package via travel agencies or book the accommodation directly. If you book a package via a travel agency, accommodations and transportation (trains, highway fees, airplanes, buses, etc.) will be included but if you book accommodations directly, transportation will be excluded from the discount. But either way, you will get coupons. The discount is not only valid for the accommodation but also if you book overnight transportation such as a cruise ship, the overnight ferry, or a sleeper train (excluding overnight transportation that only offers seats), you can get a discount for those too. If you want to go on a day trip, the campaign will cover your transportation fee + food or activities.

We ( Japan Wonder Travel ) are not currently operating the service. The websites you can book Go To Travel Campaign are as follows,

Either a vaccination certificate or a certificate of the negative test result will be required if you apply for the Go To Travel Campaign. There’s an English service that allows you to get a test quickly and easily in Tokyo and Osaka. You can choose the test type between swab and saliva. There’s an option to receive the negative result certificate on the same day as you take the test, so if you are in a rush, this will be very useful! ▶ Book PCR test from here

If you have any questions about coupons, please read these articles first! – Everything you need to know about Go To Travel Campaign Coupons (General) – The best way to use go to Travel Campaign Coupons in the popular destinations

Q. Is the hotel for the quarantine also included for the Go To Travel Campaign? It can be used for the quarantine hotel if you are a resident visa holder. Basically only the Japan resident can use the Go To Travel Campaign. But not every hotel accepts the quarantine, so please check with the hotel before you make a booking. If you are an international traveler and look for a quarantine hotel, please check this website for more information ( Self-Isolation Japan.com ) Q. How can we get coupons? Please check this article! ( Where can you receive the coupons? )

Q. If I want to stay for a couple of nights at my friend’s house, can I still use the Go To Travel Campaign? As long as you stay at the hotel on the same day of your arrival, your trip can be applied partly to the Go To Travel Campaign. For example, if you go on a trip for 3 nights 4 days and you stay at the hotel for the first night and stay at your friend’s house for the rest of your trip, it’s considered a 1 night 2 days trip for the Go To Travel Campaign and you will get the discount for it. However, if you only stay at your friend’s house, it is not applicable for the Go To Travel Campaign at all.

Follow us on  Instagram ,  Facebook , and  Twitter  for more travel inspiration. Or tag us to get featured! 

Happy traveling!

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Japan Wonder Travel is a travel agency that offers guided tours throughout Japan.  From private walking tours to delicious Food and Drink tours, we can help you organize the best tours just for you! If you want to explore Japan and learn more about the history and backstories of each area you are visiting, our knowledgeable and friendly English speaking guides will happily take you to the best spots!  In addition, we can provide you with any assistance you may need for your upcoming trip to Japan, so please feel free to contact us if yu have any questions or need some help! 

▶ Tokyo Fish Market Tour @Tsukiji – Enjoy Local Food and Drink Explore the most lively and popular fish market in Tokyo and try some of the local’s favorite street foods and sake with one of our friendly and knowledgeable English speaking guides! 

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▶ Mt. Fuji Day Trip Bus Tour from Tokyo Experience the breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji by visiting the highlights of the area on our guided sightseeing bus tour! Departing from Shinjuku in central Tokyo, you can travel comfortably to all of the best spots in the area by bus.

Stay informed of the best travel tips to Japan, the most exciting things to do and see, and the top experiences to have with the Japan Wonder Travel Newsletter. Every week we will introduce you to our latest content.

Great article! “[…]If you already made a booking for your trip before the campaign started, you can still apply the discount if you went on a trip between July 22nd to August 31st. “ 🤓 I checked the indicated website to apply online and unfortunately it looks like the application deadline for this was 14 September. Does anyone know of this is the case or if there is another way of applying still? Thank you.

Hi Rashomon-san, Thank you for pointing it out, and that’s correct, the deadline for the application was September 14th. Sorry we haven’t updated with that information. We updated on the article as well.

I was going to request a motel quote using Go To Travel. However, found the information requested to be intrusive and not required for just my asking for a quote.

Hi Mark, Thanks for your message. In terms of the price for accomodation: you can check the prices of the hotel online yourself and add our service fee to the amount. However, we cannot only book your accommodation, as a travel agency we need to sell packages (transportation & accommodation + optional activities). If you are looking to only book a motel I recommend you do this yourself (as this is the cheapest way). For the actual booking we need to collect some information such as proof of living in Japan (and being able to make use of the Go To Travel campaign) and keep it on file. That’s why we ask for a copy of your residence card. Hope we could clarify some things for you, otherwise please send us an email or reply here again.

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Travel discount program to continue, expand from July 1

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

June 15, 2022 at 18:20 JST

The government plans to extend and expand a tourism support program to cover the entire nation from July 1 to bolster a sector that has clamored for help in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “kenmin wari” discount program was scheduled to expire at the end of June.

However, the government plans to continue the program as an “economy-boosting measure” ahead of the Upper House election next month.

Under the program, the central government provides subsidies to individual prefectural governments to cover half of the travel costs per traveler, or up to 5,000 yen ($37) per overnight stay. The subsidies also provide up to 2,000 yen in shopping and dining coupons.

Introduced in April 2021, the kenmin wari program was initially limited to travel by residents within a prefecture.

But the parameters were widened from individual prefectures to regional blocs, such as the Kanto and Kinki regions, from April this year.

The program has been now in place in all prefectures except Tokyo, which provides its own travel subsidies.

The expansion of the kenmin wari program will allow travelers from large cities, such as Tokyo and Osaka, to the popular destinations of Hokkaido and Okinawa Prefecture to receive the discounts and coupons.

Both the departure and arrival prefectures must agree to join the program for the travelers to receive the discounts.

Prefectures where new COVID-19 cases are increasing can be excluded from the program.

The program will be suspended in prefectures where a COVID-19 state of emergency has been declared or where pre-emergency measures are in place.

Travelers must be triple vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to be eligible for the discount.

They can also use the kenmin wari program along with other tourism-related discounts offered by local governments.

Another nationwide travel subsidy campaign, called Go To Travel, has been suspended since the end of December 2020 because of the spread of novel coronavirus infections.

Go To Travel was given a budget exceeding 1 trillion yen. Of the unused 830 billion yen, the government plans to allocate 560 billion yen for the prefecture-based discount program.

The tourism industry has been calling for a resumption of the Go To Travel campaign since the COVID-19 situation started settling down in Japan and the government began easing its border controls.

However, some government officials expressed caution regarding the campaign, and not necessarily for safety reasons.

“The Go To Travel campaign does not have a good image,” one official said.

The Go To Travel campaign was introduced in July 2020 despite warnings from infectious disease experts. In autumn that year, novel coronavirus infections spread rapidly, and many people pointed the finger at the administration of Yoshihide Suga for not reviewing the campaign.

The kenmin wari program is considered more flexible to implement or suspend depending on the infection situation in local areas.

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Confusing mix of policies sours start of domestic travel discount campaign

The kickoff of a nationwide travel discount program aimed at boosting the domestic tourism industry is facing headwinds due to a confusing array of policies that vary by prefecture.

Discounts of up to ¥8,000 ($54) per person per day will be available for package tours including public transportation, while discounts of up to ¥5,000 per person per day will be offered for bookings of accommodation only. Vouchers worth ¥3,000 per person per day are available for food and shopping expenses on weekdays, with the figure falling to ¥1,000 per person per day on weekends.

Travelers need to be vaccinated with three shots or provide a negative PCR test taken within three days of their departure. The discounts will be available for travel through Dec. 20.

Overall, the campaign began on Tuesday, but Tokyo has delayed accepting travelers using the discounts to Oct. 20.

Meanwhile, Miyagi Prefecture is allowing its residents to be eligible for the discounts with only two shots when traveling within the prefecture. But travelers visiting from outside the prefecture need to be vaccinated with three doses to qualify.

“By making prefectures implement (their own) discounts, they can flexibly run the system based on the spread of infections in their local areas,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Tuesday. “Prefectures are offering their own time schedule or types of discount and then conveying the information to relevant parties.”

The hodgepodge of rules is causing a headache for travel agencies and hotel operators.

Hoshino Resorts, which runs a hotel chain, decided to push back accepting reservations for the discounts until Oct. 25 so they can have a website ready that offers a comprehensive rundown of the details and conditions for the discounts for each of its hotels across Japan.

“Under the current system, users are expected to go through more steps to make reservations since the campaigns vary by prefecture and policy on vaccinations may differ among travelers,” Hoshino Resorts said on its website.

“As a result, we launched a dedicated website for the national travel discount from Oct. 11 that offers all the details at a glance,” Hoshino Resorts said.

In addition, the Japan Tourism Agency's announced that discounts could be applied to trips that had been booked before the start of the discount campaign, which only added to the confusion, with some booking agencies setting separate polices.

Travel agency H.I.S. has asked travelers who booked trips before Oct. 7 — ahead of the discount launch — to cancel their reservations and rebook after Friday if they want to apply the discounts for trips starting in November. The move prompted harsh criticism on social media.

Yahoo Travel, meanwhile, stopped accepting reservations for prefectures that have already received the maximum number of reservations for the funding allocated to the travel agency. Those prefectures include: Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata, Niigata, Tochigi, Ehime, Nagasaki and Miyazaki.

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