JAPAN - A STEP FORWARD

Japan's efforts towards post-pandemic recovery seem to be paying off. With a domestic vaccination rate of over 70% (as of Nov 5th, 2021), a third dose vaccination booster will soon be made available. There has been a significant decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in Japan, with under 300 daily cases nationwide for the seventh straight day (as of Nov 5th, 2021). In addition to the above, foreign nationals are now allowed to enter Japan for short business trips, studying abroad and technical intern training. In principle, those inoculated with government-approved vaccines can reduce their quarantine period from the current 10 days down to a minimum of 3 days, provided their actions during their stay follow a previously approved plan and are supervised by their host company or organization. These changes are expected to boost international business activities. Currently all regions have lifted the state of emergency, and there are no restrictions for domestic travel in Japan. Restaurants can now serve alcohol and operate without restrictions on opening hours.

The latest information is available at https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/

Under the above circumstances, international conferences such as the 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (17WCEE, Sendai, Sep. 27 to Oct. 2) and the 19th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis (ISA2021, Kyoto, Oct. 24 to 27) have just taken place in Japan, albeit both in a hybrid format with measures to prevent infections. The restriction on large events that limited attendees to 10,000 people was lifted from the 1st of November (however the limit on attendees to 50% of venue capacity is still in place). This means a number of large events can now take place.

That being said, we now need to provide clear reasons for holding face-to-face events and demonstrate the merits of gathering at destinations rather than virtually. According to The Safe Cities Index 2021 report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, Tokyo ranks as the fifth safest city in the world, and Japan is a leading destination for international conferences in the Asian region. Recently, we have seen two successful bids secured for Japan, for the 27th Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress (APLAR) and the 2024 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (WCCI). We recognize that in-person conferences and business meetings are significant experiences, and we value face-toface events. Is Japan worth visiting as a business traveller? From the Japan Convention Bureau we say yes! And we believe that the hosting of business events in Japan will bring unforgettable experiences to your delegates.