Whilst some people start planning their spring and summer holidays during particularly frosty winter days, spring is when a lot of serious planning starts for people planning to take a trip during the nicest part of the year.
One particularly desirable location in spring is Japan, in no small part thanks to the Sakura season, where the bloom of cherry blossoms brings people to parks and areas of natural beauty to take pictures of the flowers, following the Japanese philosophy of hanami.
It is far from the only reason to visit Japan, but if you are planning on travelling to Southeast Asia this year, here are some of the health precautions you should take with the help of your local travel clinic.
Check Your Vaccine History
Whilst Japan does not have any specific immunisation requirements, anyone travelling to Japan should have a complete set of routine vaccinations.
You should be able to check with your GP which vaccinations you have had from the routine schedule and which boosters and additional recommendations they would suggest.
Exactly which specific travel vaccines you will require on top of this will depend largely on your itinerary, as the risks of disease in heavily urbanised cities such as Tokyo will be extremely different from hiking in Oirase National Park, visiting the Sky Palace or visiting the secluded shrine of Motonosumi Inari.
Which Vaccines Are Recommended?
The main vaccine course to book before going is tetanus if you have not had the five scheduled doses from 8 weeks to 14 years, or if you are travelling to a rural area where you cannot expect rapid medical assistance.
Outside of this, hepatitis B is prevalent, so it is also recommended to ask at your travel clinic whether it is worth having a course of the vaccine to provide the most protection possible. If you have enough protection and are not at a high risk of exposure you may not need it, but an expert will be best positioned to know for sure.
Outside of this, if you plan to go caving or bat watching, you should get the rabies vaccination. Japan is considered to be a no-risk country, but much like in the UK, there is an extremely rare chance of contracting it from bats.
As well as this, both mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis can be found in rural parts of Asia, including certain parts of Japan. However, unless you are staying in a rural area during the rainy season for a significant length of time, you are unlikely to contract it.
If you plan on hiking, camping or cycling, it is important to check with a travel clinic to see if you would benefit from the vaccination programme.
Check Which Medicines You Can Take Into The Country
The Japanese Government has a strict policy concerning controlled substances, and because of this, it is essential to ensure that any prescription medication you require will be cleared by customs.
Specifically, if you have a prescription for narcotic or psychotropic medication, you must apply to the Japanese Government for permission and cannot enter the country until it is granted.
The specific substances you must apply for can be found on the Narcotics Control Department website.
As even small amounts of unapproved prescription medications can lead to prison sentences and deportation in Japan, something that happened to Paul McCartney in 1980, ensuring that all medications you require are approved and of appropriate amounts for your trip is essential.
You need to fill in an import and export form (if you plan on taking back leftover medication), medical certification from your prescribing doctor, and photographs of the medicine in question.
It can take up to 14 days to process requests so ensure that this is one of the first steps you take.
Outside of controlled substances, you can bring up to a month’s supply into Japan (or up to 24 per item depending on the type of medication), otherwise, you need to apply for a “Yunyu Kakunin-sho”, a type of import certificate.
In particular, Japan prohibits the importation of many stimulant drugs, which can include inhalers, antihistamines, cold and flu tablets (due to the ingredient pseudoephedrine), and
Be Mindful of Altitude Sickness
Certain parts of Japan are significantly above sea level, to the point that altitude sickness can be a serious medical concern.
Whilst this is most commonly the case when scaling Mt Fuji, it can affect you in other areas if you have a pre-existing heart or lung condition and tend to live at sea level.
If you start to feel fatigued, weak, nauseous, dizzy or have a persistent headache when travelling anywhere 1500m above sea level or more, start to make a gradual descent where possible.