Japan To Relax Border Restrictions, Could Start With Tour Groups In May

Japan relaxes border restrictions

It’s been a little over two years since Japan decided to shut its borders to international travellers. But with the recent easing of border controls for students and business entries, it seems like Japan is on track to further relax border restrictions for foreign tourists from as early as May 2022.

Japan to follow the cue of other G7 countries

On 5th May 2022, in a speech at the City of London, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced that Japan will be further easing their border restrictions, in order to be on par with other G7 countries.

In his speech, he pledged to ease entry controls. He also stated that he will review Japan’s current border measures upon assessing the domestic rate of COVID-19 infection cases after the Golden Week holiday, which ended on 5th May 2022.

Starting with tour groups from as early as May 2022

Image credit: Bing Hui Yau

While Kishida did not mention specifically the target audience for the new border measures, there are talks within government officials to welcome foreigners for tourism purposes.

Travellers must have received three doses of approved vaccination, and be in a small group tour with a predetermined itinerary. The plan will take place as early as May 2022, and depending on the number of COVID-19 cases, adjustments will be made.

According to Nikkei, there are also plans to raise the daily cap on foreign arrivals from 10,000 to 20,000 per day.

Japan to relax border restrictions

Though Prime Minister Kishida did not specify how Japan is going to ease the border measures and who it’s intended for in his speech, given pressure from domestic interest groups and abroad, it shouldn’t be long before leisure travel resumes in Japan.

Concrete details of Japan’s updated border restrictions will be announced this month, so follow this space to keep yourself in the loop.

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Cover image adapted from: Bing Hui Yau