TOKYO, Sept 7 (NNN-NHK) – Japan today lifted the daily entry cap on arrivals to the country from 20,000 to 50,000, in a bid to bolster the ailing tourism sector, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also effective today, travellers coming to Japan will be exempt from taking COVID-19 tests 72 hours before departure, if they have received three vaccination shots.
Japan has been looking to bring its entrance protocols, once the most rigid among the Group of Seven (G7) major developed nations, in line with other major economies.
The government is now encouraging travellers to visit the world’s third largest economy, and take advantage of the weak yen, which hit a fresh 24-year low today, which bolsters tourists’ purchasing power while here, and will help the country’s tepid economic recovery.
Japan is still grappling with a seventh wave of COVID-19 infections, recording record cases in recent days.
This is due to the highly transmissible BA.5 Omicron subvariant of the virus, continuing to run rampant nationwide.
Despite the high infection rate, the government has not declared a COVID-19 state of emergency, and has not instituted any anti-virus restrictions, as was the case when infections had previously surged.
