Leaving Japan in a pandemic was a very different experience for me. And if you are thinking about doing the same, this is what it was like.
Many of us have been missing family and friends back home. And due to the fluid nature of pandemic border controls, many of us have not been able to go back to our home countries. Some of us feared not being able to come back to our lives here in Japan, and some of us decided to just hunker down and wait for the end of the pandemic.
Getting information
Before I even started looking at air tickets, I looked at the latest Border enforcement measures on re-entering Japan. I mean, I was not about to risk not being able to come back to my life here.
I checked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website and the airline websites for this information. And once I was satisfied that I would be able to re-enter Japan, at least according to the latest information, I started looking at purchasing an air ticket.
Example of Airline information regarding returning to Japan
Booking my flight
I have booked many many flights before, but this was my first time trying to get an air ticket in the middle of a pandemic!
The ticket prices were a little steeper than what I was used to, but not horrible enough to make me rethink my trip.
But the flight options were, how should I put this…. sad.
Pre pandemic, we had the luxury of choosing between a Tuesday morning flight or a Wednesday evening flight. Or maybe even a Saturday afternoon flight.
This time, I found that the flight options were really few and far apart, and I soon realized that I might not be able to avoid a red-eye flight. Many daily flights had become weekly flights.
I also knew that I would not be allowed on public transportation when I got back to Japan after my trip. So, I decided that a departure from, and an arrival at Haneda airport would be better for my pocket. The transport costs would be less expensive than if I used Narita airport.
Pre departure PCR test
Next was the pre-departure PCR test that I needed to take to be allowed to get on the flight. This was more a destination country regulation than an airline regulation.
I think we tend to use the term PCR test very often now, but there are actually different types. The Nasopharyngeal Swab and the Saliva test are common ones.
The thing is, Quick PCR tests are not acceptable tests. The required pre departure ones are so much more expensive! The first clinic I looked at charged about 33,000yen! And if you needed it to be in English, that would have cost another 3,000yen!
Luckily I managed to find one that cost at least 10,000yen less. So if you are departing Japan and need a pre-departure PCR test, shop around!
Getting to the airport
My flight was in the morning and I didn’t fancy getting on a packed train with my luggage, so figured a limousine bus would be better.
But…the timetables have been changed and there are far fewer buses now…. I had to decide between taking a chance with being able to get a seat (they didn’t accept reservations) or taking a way earlier bus and getting to the airport really really early.
I chose the latter.
Pro tip
Check the Japanese page for the most updated information. It is highly likely that the English page will not have the correct timetable.
Departure day – Leaving Japan
I’m not sure what I expected, but I knew this time would be different.
The airport check-in counters were both busy and empty; Some were full of people and some were closed.
I was there way earlier than I should have been – I had taken an earlier bus because of the bus timetable changes. But even so, the ground staff allowed me to check in when I walked up to the counter.
They asked me a few “Do you have XX document” questions, and that’s when I got to hand them my PCR certificate. The ground staff looked at it for 2sec! Over 20,000yen for a 2sec glance. *wince* Oh well…it is what it is, right.
Killing time
There were literally hours to kill, and close to nothing to do as most of the shops were shuttered. And the ones that were open had big Covid-19 prevention measure signs outside and the staff carried touchless thermometers with them.
shuttered shops shop with a huge sign outside
Departure Hall
There weren’t many immigration counters open. But then again, there weren’t many passengers either – so that part was pretty quick.
Apart from the usual DFS shops, the first thing I noticed was a big ‘wall’ of Ema and a table beside it with a notepad that asked people to write their ‘best memory’.
Ema Write your best memory notepad
Further down, there were some designer shops that were open, but many others were not. The food court stores were open, but there weren’t many customers and many tables were empty.
There was another ‘wall of ema’, but that one looked a bit sad as it was quite sparse.
And at the far end, where they are usually more gates, it was dark and shutters blocked the whole area off.
Sparse wall of ema Empty food court Shutters at the far end
Boarding gate
I was so early I just randomly walked around and took rests at some boarding gates. One thing I noticed though, was that for most flights, there were very few passengers sitting down and waiting.
But for the flights bound for the US, there were quite a number of passengers. The contrast was really obvious.
Inside the aircraft
There were about 10 people on my flight and that meant that we were all very spread out.
The flight attendants were able to go around and greet everyone by name. They were also very attentive during the flight – personalized service in the economy cabin.
Final thoughts
Leaving Japan in a pandemic requires a lot of research, time and money. And if you are planning on traveling outside Japan or going home for a visit, I would strongly suggest that you not only do the research carefully, but also double and triple check things at different stages as things change very quickly and suddenly.
But the reward at the end is sweet – the immense joy of placing your feet on home soil and seeing dearly missed family and friends makes everything worth it.
As always, stay safe everyone!
Star