Japanese Government to Require Tuberculosis Tests for Travelers

Japan – The Japanese government in 2024 plans to make it mandatory for travelers in six countries includes Indonesian, to take Tuberculosis test before they enter Japan.  

The Health Minister Keizo Takemi stated that the test is mandatory for tourists who want to stay in Japan for more than a month. 

Meanwhile, the other five countries are the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Nepal, and Myanmar. 

Takemi revealed the reasons why Japan implemented the policy in these six countries. 

"The six countries were chosen because many new Tuberculosis patients in Japan come from these countries," he said. 

This statement showed at a meeting of the Upper House Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare on Thursday. 

Furthermore, people in these countries will be asked to take a Tuberculosis test at a medical institution appointed by the Japanese government before they travel to Japan. If their test results are positive, Japan will not issue them a visa. 

Actually, this regulation was planned in 2018 considering the large number of Tuberculosis patients from abroad in Japan. However, this plan was postponed. 

“We are making preparations for implementation as soon as possible. We hope to start it in the next fiscal year,” Takemi said.

According to the health ministry, 10,235 new Tuberculosis patients were registered in Japan in 2022. But since 2021, the number of Tuberculosis cases has fallen below 10 per 100,000 population, making Japan a “low endemic” country for Tuberculosis, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification.

However, 11.9 percent of new Tuberculosis patients come from abroad, and the ratio continues to increase. There have also been cases of people from countries with high rates of Tuberculosis contracting the disease while in Japan. Drug-resistant Tuberculosis is also a problem abroad.