Just in time for the school holidays, Japan aims to reopen its international borders to welcome foreign tourists in June. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement on May 5 while visiting London.
“We will further relax controls so that in June it will be possible to enter the country as smoothly as other G7 nations,” said Kishida.
Kishida has decided that the time is right for Japan to follow in the footsteps of other countries, which have been welcoming back tourists in recent months. Vaccinated foreign visitors can now fly to South Korea, the Philippines and Malaysia. Kishida hopes that tourism will help to buoy the Japanese yen. With the border hopefully easing in June, Japan will introduce a smoother entry process similar to that of other G7 members.
According to Kishida, Japan’s entry requirements will be implemented in stages. The government will monitor the impact of Japan’s Golden Week holidays for two weeks before making a decision. The Japan Times also reported that the country may welcome small tour groups first before opening its doors for general tourism. As of now, no concrete details have been announced yet.
Kishida has credited his country’s strict entry policies to help Japan overcome the pandemic. The country closed its borders to foreign tourists in early 2020. Currently, only 10,000 people are allowed to enter Japan in a day. These, however, include only visitors on business, students, and technical interns. Foreign tourists are still not allowed to enter the country.
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