JAPAN TOURISM DOORS OPEN, MORE THAN 1,300 FOREIGN TOURISTS SIGN UP TO ENTER

JAPAN is arguably one of the countries that is very careful in opening its tourism doors to foreign tourists. The doors of Japanese tourism to foreign tourists are opened slowly and gradually.

Previously, Japan only allowed foreigners from 4 countries to enter the country. However, on June 10, 2022, the Japanese government allowed foreigners from 98 countries to visit Japan.

According to Japan Today, the relaxation is limited to people from 98 countries and regions deemed to be at low risk for transmission of the coronavirus, including the United States, Britain, China, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand. Due to the policy, more than 1,300 foreign tourists applied to enter Japan for guided tours.

According to the head of the Japan Tourism Agency, Koichi Wada, said for the month of June there were more than 300 applications submitted to the local government. Then, for July and beyond until now there have been more than 1,000 people.

“Foreign tourists entering Japan slowly began to rise, most of them came from Southeast Asia, South Korea and the United States,” said Koichi Wada.

In order to enter Japan, foreign tourists are required to have registered for a guided tour. They must also comply with other regulations, such as wearing masks and buying health insurance.

Foreign tourists also require travel agents to enter their travel information, such as their name, passport number and place of residence on the country’s immigration registration website, before applying for and obtaining a visa.

Japan is slowly raising the limit on the number of tourists that can enter the Land of the Rising Sun. Recently, they doubled to 20 thousand tourists on June 1, 2022. Prior to the pandemic, the country was targeting 40 million foreign tourists by 2020, when Japan is scheduled to host the Olympics and Paralympics.

The Japanese government has not indicated when it will start allowing individual tourists again. The right decision will be made further based on various factors, including the COVID-19 situation at home and abroad. [sources/photo special]