In Pokémon GO there are regularly big events that players can participate in. The GO Fest is one of them and takes players around the world. This also applies to the GO Fest in Sapporo. But you can’t enter Japan at all. MeinMMO shows you the current regulations.
What is the background? From August 5th to 7th, the GO Fest takes place in Sapporo, Japan, and Niantic is already busy selling tickets worldwide. However, as Reddit user Rorywan points out in a post on the social network, you currently cannot enter Japan (via reddit.com).
Recently, Niantic had to face some accusations from the community. The developer studio has already received criticism for the GO Fest 2022, which took place on June 4th and 5th. Players complained about the poor shiny yield.
Entry Regulations for Japan
Why can’t you enter? The regulations for entry may still differ currently due to measures to contain Covid-19, as stated by the Federal Foreign Office on its website (via auswaertiges-amt.de). This is still the case at this time (as of July 14, 2022).
What do the current regulations look like? Below, we list the current entry regulations for Japan in case you are currently planning a trip to Japan.
- The general entry ban for travelers from Germany was lifted on April 8, 2022
- Foreign nationals can enter with a visa for business trips, study stays, and medium- and long-term stays
- Since June 10, 2022, visas for short-term tourist stays can also be issued again
- But: A prerequisite for a tourist stay in Japan is that it is arranged through a travel agency based in Japan. The travel agency must also be registered with the Japanese authorities
What does this mean for your entry? As the Japanese embassy (via de.emb-japan.go.jp) states clearly again, a visa can only be applied for if the travel agency based in Japan guarantees for you and additionally registers with the Japanese Ministry of Health.
Furthermore, the Japanese embassy states that currently no individual tourism is possible. You can currently only apply for a group trip.
The group trip must also be organized by a travel agency based in Japan and be continuously supervised locally. A locally based tour guide must accompany the group trip.
Likewise, in a group trip, there are no individually planable days.
You cannot travel to Japan alone or without a group and spend your individual vacation there, even if a travel agency based in Japan guarantees for you.
What do you think about the situation? Would a group trip without individual planning be an option for you, or does a trip to Japan fall through for you under the current regulations? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments!
If you want to know what’s going on in Pokémon GO currently, feel free to take a closer look at MeinMMO. We show you how to make the most of the Community Day in July.
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