Information about COVID-19 for Swiss citizens in Japan and travelers to Japan or Switzerland

Local news, 15.02.2021

Please follow the recommendations of the local Japanese and Swiss authorities. Links available below.

Important Information about COVID-19
Important Information about COVID-19 ©Embassy of Switzerland in Japan

The spread of the virus COVID-19 in Japan, in Switzerland and in the world has created an unusual situation which continues to impact our daily life.

The Embassy has been following recent developments closely, in particular the information and recommendations provided by the competent authorities in Japan and in Switzerland.

Swiss residents in Japan

Swiss travelers to Japan

Travelers to Switzerland

Here are some relevant sources of information

The Japanese authorities have established consultation centres in local public health centres throughout Japan. For English language assistance, including on finding medical facilities or support in relation to COVID-19, please contact the advice line of your prefecture (PDF, 736.7 kB).

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government TMG provides information regarding cases of pneumonia associated with the novel coronavirus. Also, NHK World Japan provides information on their news website.

The Federal Office for Public Health FOPH has the expertise to advise on the virus and is therefore in a position to advise on health issues.

For more general information on the virus, you can also consult the website of the World Health Organization.

safetravel.ch (DE/FR) also publishes addresses of Institutes for travel medicine.

The travel advices of the FDFA (DE/FR/IT) focus on safety information related to the fields of politics and crime. They contain an assessment of possible risks and recommend certain safety measures.

If you are Swiss and travelling abroad, register now on the "Travel Admin App". This will enable the FDFA to provide you with better support on your return journey.
Swiss travellers abroad should register on the "Travel Admin App”

The Japanese Ministry of Justice publishes information related to immigration control and denial of landing, in English.

For further information about entry in Switzerland, please consult the website of the competent authority in Switzerland, the State Secretariat for Migration.

Local news, 19.03.2020

The Rokko-Arima Ropeway, which connects Arima Onsen and the top of Mount Rokko in Kobe, has reopened with new Swiss-made gondolas.

The new Swiss-made gondola before it made its way to the top of Mount Rokko. ©Kobe Housing & Urban Development Corporation
The new Swiss-made gondola before it made its way to the top of Mount Rokko. ©Kobe Housing & Urban Development Corporation

After a planned renovation of the station building, on March 20, 2020 the Rokko-Arima Ropeway has reopened and inaugurated two new third-generation gondolas manufactured by CWA Constructions of Switzerland. The fact that a Swiss company with a long-standing tradition and expertise in gondola building was chosen for renovating the aerial lift of the important recreational destination in Kobe and in the Kansai area in general is yet another token of the close and friendly relations between Switzerland and Japan that have lasted for over 150 years.

The Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden has a meaningful connection with Switzerland. Namely, it has been twinned with the Alpengarten Schynige Platte in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland for the past ten years. The alliance, which was signed in the Swiss Alps on a sunny June 28, 2008, remains the first and only agreement of its kind between the two countries. Due to the ropeway’s special relationship with Switzerland, the opening ceremony should have marked the 15th station of the Grand Tour of Switzerland in Japan. However, the current restrictions on business trips prevented Ambassador Jean-François Paroz from attending. To represent the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan, the Honorary Consul-General of Switzerland, Mr. Dieter Sommerhalder, who lives nearby, has thus accepted the invitation of the Mayor of Kobe, Mr. Kizo Hisamoto. Next to Mr. Hisamoto and Mr. Sommerhalder, the ceremony was also attended by Mr. Isamu Tatsuno (Montbell founder and CEO), Mr. Hironobu Kanai (President of Arima Hot Spring Tourism Association), and Mr. Satoshi Torii (Director of Kobe Housing & Urban Development Corporation). Given the present situation with regards to COVID-19, the safety of all attendees was of utmost importance to the organizers who carefully held the ceremony outdoors.

With the brand-new gondolas that allow for a spectacular 360° view in operation, the ropeway is now ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary in July. While traveling is currently possible only to a limited extent, the magnificent impressions of the 12-minute experience above the trees can hopefully inspire many people to visit the famous hot spring region once the situation has settled.