Japan will finally reopen borders in October

The news was tweeted by Taro Kono, Japan's Minister of Digital Affairs.

Finally, Japan will reopen the border. Visa waiver is back, no daily limit and free individual visits," Kono wrote.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also commented:

"We will lift the ceiling of the number of entrants into Japan, lift the ban on individual travel and lift the ban over visa-less travel. [...]

“On the same day, we plan to launch a campaign to offer domestic travel discounts and event discounts to residents of Japan and hope that many citizens will take advantage of the offer to support the hotel, travel and entertainment sectors that have suffered enormous blows during the pandemic."

The long-awaited decision follows a difficult 2 and a half years of border closure and strict Covid-19 policies featuring a limited daily number of arrivals, very strict testing rules and permanent assistance from tour guides, as Japan struggled with putting an end to the pandemic.

The new relaxed entry regulations will apply starting October 11.

 

Source: edition.cnn.com