This September, I needed to go back to Japan because of a family matter. I am planning to stay here until the end of October. Hello from Japan!
The trip to Fukuoka, Japan from Toronto, Canada was really long. First, I needed to fly to Taiwan where I caught a flight to Fukuoka. I want share some pictures from experience.
- I flew EVA air. Usually this is a check-in machine, but during COVID you aren't allowed to touch it, so you need to scan a QR code with your phone. Now your phone is a check-in machine!
- The QR code takes you to this form.
- After the checking in, I saw the most empty airport in my life.
- After boarding, I saw flight crew wearing gear that reminded me of 19th century nurses. LOL.
- After arriving in Fukuoka, Japan, you need to take a COVID test.
- Before, they were using the nose swab method which sounds awful, but now they are using saliva.
- Aside from the spit test, there were about 10 stations for screening. It is an assembly line. For anyone who has ever lived in Japan, it is like the annual health checks we do at school or through your company.
- Before you go into the country, the officer asks where you will stay for your 14 day quarantine and how you will get there. You are not allowed to use public transportation (including taxis), so you need to order a special service. I used this one.
- You need to wait in the waiting room until the result of your test are returned. I heard that it can take about 3 hours, but it was actually really fast. It was about 1 hour.
- Stay in the hotel for 2 weeks!
- And just work hard from the hotel, having lots of meetings on Zoom! I am having meeting from 9pm to 12am local time (and sometimes at 4:30am!) to work with my Canadian co-workers.
*I am a Japanese citizen, so if you are a foreign traveler, you also need to consider your travel visa. Please refer to this Japan times article for that.