US Embassy News - Japan - May '22

May 27 – Covid19 Information

All air passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 1 day before travel to the United States, regardless of nationality. This tighter testing timeline provides an added degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant.

Country-Specific Information for Japan:

Highly infectious COVID-19 variants have occasionally led to strained hospital capacity and medical infrastructure.

U.S. citizens are urged to follow all national and prefectural COVID-related guidance to protect their health, bearing in mind that transmission rates can accelerate and hospital capacity can quickly become strained in many areas.

May 26 - How U.S. embassies tackle the climate crisis

U.S. diplomatic missions in the Pacific and beyond are shifting to renewable energy, tackling the climate crisis while helping partner nations meet their environmental goals.

On Earth Day, April 22, the U.S. Consulate General in Sapporo, Japan, announced its transition to 100% renewable carbon-free electricity. The shift saves an estimated 141,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, roughly equal to 1,500 flights between Sapporo and Tokyo.

Cutting emissions at the consulate on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido supports Japan’s pledge, made at the April 2021 Leaders Summit on Climate, to cut emissions by 46% to 50% by 2030.

“This is our way of showing that we stand with the people of Sapporo and Hokkaido, who are also making great strides toward dramatically reducing dependence on carbon-based fuels,” said U.S. Consul General in Sapporo Andrew Lee. “We are very proud to take this step.”