US Advises Against Travel to Japan... Japanese Media "US May Skip Olympics" on Alert (Summary)

US State Department Raises Japan Travel Alert to Highest Level
Japan Faces Pressure Ahead of Olympics in Two Months

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min, Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The U.S. government has advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan due to the risk of COVID-19. This move, coming less than two months before the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled to open on July 23, is expected to place significant pressure on the Japanese government.

On the 24th (local time), the U.S. Department of State upgraded its travel advisory for Japan from Level 3, "Reconsider Travel," to Level 4, "Do Not Travel." This is the highest level of travel advisory issued by the U.S. Department of State to its citizens.

The Department of State's travel advisories for U.S. citizens are divided into four levels: Level 1 - Exercise Normal Precautions, Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution, Level 3 - Reconsider Travel, and Level 4 - Do Not Travel.

The Department of State explained that "(the upgrade in travel advisory) reflects a very high level of COVID-19 in Japan."

Currently, Japan is under its third state of emergency as the average daily number of confirmed cases has risen to the 4,000 range. Notably, among the 10 prefectures under the state of emergency, nine are set to have their emergency status expire at the end of this month, and the Japanese government is reportedly considering extending the state of emergency in these areas. Within the Suga Yoshihide Cabinet, views that an additional extension of the state of emergency is inevitable are spreading, making the likelihood of a fourth state of emergency being declared high. As of now, Japan's cumulative COVID-19 cases stand at 722,938, with total deaths at 12,420.

Consequently, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, less than two months away, are also facing a crisis. The Suga Cabinet has reiterated its intention to proceed with the Olympics as planned, but there is heightened sensitivity regarding the impact of the U.S. Department of State's recent action on the event's hosting.

On the 25th, Kyodo News reported the U.S. Department of State's travel ban on Japan and noted that "this could influence the decision on whether to send the U.S. delegation to the Tokyo Olympics scheduled to open in July." If the U.S. decides not to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, other countries around the world may follow suit in withdrawing.

Tokyo Sports reported, "If the U.S., a sports powerhouse, is unable to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, it is expected that other national teams sympathetic to this stance may also follow."

Kyodo News highlighted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warning that "even travelers who have completed vaccination can become infected with and spread variant viruses, so all travel to Japan should be avoided."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State maintained South Korea at Level 2 and China at Level 3. After announcing last month that it would expand the list of countries under travel bans to cover 80% of the world, the Department of State has also advised travel bans for allied and neighboring countries such as Canada, France, Israel, Germany, and Mexico. The total number of countries for which the U.S. has advised travel bans now reaches 151.