Japan yesterday reopened its doors to tourists after two-and-a-half years of tough COVID-19 restrictions, with officials hoping an influx of travelers enticed by a weak yen will boost the economy.
By mid-morning, tourists from Israel, France and the UK were already pouring in, including Chris Irwin, 38, on his first trip to Japan.
“We have always wanted to come to Japan, and it seemed like the stars just aligned,” said Irwin, who arrived at Haneda Airport with his wife.
hoto: Bloomberg
Adi Bromshtine, a 69-year-old retiree from Israel, said she had been “planning before COVID and waiting and waiting” for the chance to visit Japan.
“It’s a long, long dream come true,” she said.
Japan shut its borders early in the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, it began allowing tourists to visit in groups accompanied by guides, a requirement that was further relaxed to include self-guided package tours.
From yesterday, visa-free entry resumed for travelers from 68 countries and territories. Japan also lifted a cap on the number of arrivals and ended the tour requirement.
Tourists must still present either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken three days before departure.
In 2019, a record 31.9 million foreign visitors came to Japan, putting the country on track for its goal of 40 million by 2020, when Tokyo was supposed to host the Summer Olympics, but the figure plummeted last year to just 250,000.
Japan is still adhering to many of the health guidelines that helped it keep pandemic deaths to about 45,500, far lower than many other developed economies.
Masks are ubiquitous, and although not mandated by law, parliament is set to pass legislation allowing hotels to deny service to customers who refuse to wear one or flout other health rules.
Masks are worn not only indoors and on public transport, but outdoors as well, despite the government saying they are not necessary outside in uncrowded settings.
There is hand sanitizer at the entrance of most businesses, and plastic dividers are still often used in restaurants.
Many arriving tourists seemed unfazed by the rules though.
“We’re more excited to see Japan than we will be annoyed by the masks, so we’ll be fine with it,” Irwin said.
Another major change for tourists is the weakness of the yen, which is hovering around 145 to the US dollar, a level not seen for two decades.
Government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno yesterday said that officials are hoping rebounding tourism “will lead to recovery after the COVID pandemic and the revitalization of communities.”
There is certainly no shortage of demand, according to Antoine Chanthavong, a senior travel agent at Paris-based travel agency Destination Japan.
For all the rebound in demand though, there is little expectation that tourist numbers will quickly reach their 2019 levels.
Before the pandemic, travelers from Hong Kong and China made up 37 percent of all foreign visitors to Japan, but tough COVID-19 restrictions in China make it unlikely visitors from there will be flocking back to Japan anytime soon.
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