After having its borders blocked owing to the Covid epidemic for more than two years, Japan will once again welcome international travelers. Starting on October 11, visitors won’t require a visa and won’t have to go via a travel agency to enter the nation. Additionally, the daily arrival cap will be removed.
The region
Around the same time as Taiwan and Hong Kong announced relaxed tourist admission policies, Japan made its announcement.
By the middle of October, Taiwan will stop requiring quarantine for visitors from other countries, while Hong Kong announced on Friday that it would switch from hotel quarantine to stay-at-home quarantine starting on September 26.
What to expect
The expected increase in tourists will be a boost for the government and small businesses in Japan at a time when the value of the yen has been falling against the US dollar at its slowest rate in six months.
It is hoped that the influx of visitors will help them catch up with the US.
What you should know
Since June, visitors have been permitted, but they had to be part of tours. Japan was one of the final Asian superpowers to keep its borders closed over Covid health concerns was the third-largest economy in the world.
Despite having one of the highest immunization rates among the world’s richest countries, it has the lowest death rate overall. Lockdowns and wearing masks were never required in Japan, but many citizens quickly adapted safety measures.
The year before the outbreak, 2019, saw approximately 32 million international visitors arrive in Japan. However, like in other places, the increase in living expenses has been a point of worry.