Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan has consistently had some of the toughest restrictions on overseas arrivals. Tourists continue to be banned, and only two months ago in March were business travellers, technical interns, and foreign students allowed to enter the country. These changes seem to have been made in response to pressure from other countries to bring Japan in line with other G-7 nations.
This new change to allow tourists may begin with small-scale tours beginning this month, moving on to expanded numbers in stages. The government will make a final decision in the coming weeks, after consideration of the number of COVID infections during the Golden Week holidays.
This week was also busy with recent reports suggesting that Japan will double its daily entry cap on overseas arrivals from 10,000 to 20,000 in June. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during a London visit that Japan would continue review its COVID-19 measures after consulting with public health experts.
Some residents, however, are not happy, as the lack of tourists have returned a "peace and quiet" to areas such as Kyoto, which notably suffered from over-tourism and crowding before the pandemic. Others remain cautious about spreading infection if the country is opened too quickly, hoping for a balance between prevention and a sense of normalcy.
