Travel News: Japan considering reopening in June

Published on : Tuesday, May 17, 2022

While majority of the world has now reopened – in some form or other – for international travelers, there are still few countries that are contemplating to relax entry restrictions and encourage reappearance of tourists. One such country is Japan.

Tourists were restricted to enter Japan for the majority of the last two years. While the country reopened in April to few overseas residents, business travelers and foreign students, tourists are still restricted to get visas.

Nevertheless, tourist might not have to wait much longer. Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidasaid that the country is thinking to reopen to international tourists from June.

Kishidasaid that Japan will be reopening in phases, and the government will monitor the influence of the recent Golden Week holiday (April 29 to May 5) before coming with a concrete decision. Japan is expected to welcome visitorsin small tour groups before opening for general tourism.

Currently, the guidelines for entering Japan remaincomplex. There’s a limit of 10,000 arrivals every month, and only people from a list of 106 permitted countries can visitJapan.

Schools and companies will have to sponsor individuals looking to enter, and visitors need to self-isolate upon arrival. Currently, one needs to show a proof of a negative COVID test taken 72 hours prior to departure, a signed copy of the form promising to abide bythe local COVID rules, and a completed online questionnaire.