Sakura
Photo: Yu Kato/Unsplash

Japan considers opening up again to international tourists in spring 2021

The government could allow overseas visitors within the first few months of 2021

Emma Steen
Written by
Emma Steen
Advertising

Though Japan has made agreements with neighbouring countries for business-oriented travel bubbles and loosened restrictions for residents returning from abroad, the government has remained tight-lipped about when international tourists would be given the green light to enter the country again. 

The government is already considering dropping mandatory quarantine for visitors coming in for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but until recently, it wasn’t clear when Japan might begin allowing leisure tourists back in. Now, The Japan Times reports that inbound tourism could resume as early as spring next year. 

According to the newspaper, the government would begin by allowing access to small tour groups from places in Asia where coronavirus case numbers are low and relatively stable, such as China and Taiwan.

If tourists were to be granted entry in spring 2021, they would still be required to observe 14 days of quarantine as well as download the government’s Covid tracking app, Cocoa. At this stage, it’s still hypothetical as no official decision has been made on the tourism plan yet.

Meanwhile, with coronavirus infections on the rise in a few regions, the Japanese government has put the brakes on domestic tourism by temporarily halting the Go to Travel campaign in Osaka and Sapporo

Keep up with the latest Covid-19 news in Tokyo and Japan here.

More news 

The 11 biggest Japanese trends in Tokyo in 2020

Japan plans to extend the Go to Travel campaign until June 2021

Watch: Yokohama’s life-sized Gundam finally unveiled in full

Super Nintendo World will open at Universal Studios Japan in February 2021

The best Japanese films and series coming to Netflix in December 2020

You may also like
You may also like
Advertising