Japan eases foreign tourism ban, allows guided package tours
2 years, 6 months ago

Japan eases foreign tourism ban, allows guided package tours

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan on Friday eased its borders for foreign tourists and began accepting visa applications, but only for those on guided package tours who are willing to follow mask-wearing and other antivirus measures as the country cautiously tries to balance business and infection worries. The Japan Tourism Agency says tours are being accepted from 98 countries and regions, including the United States, Britain, China, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore, which are deemed as having low infection risks. Business groups based in Japan representing the Group of Seven countries and European Union, in a joint statement Friday, welcomed Japan’s gradual resumption of foreign tourism, but call on the government to “to further ease border control measures to facilitate an environment where people, goods, money and digital technologies can move freely, thus advancing Japan’s economic growth.” They called on Japan to follow examples of other G-7 countries and resume individual tourism, eliminate testing at airports, lift the daily entry cap and resume international flights at more than a dozen regional airports. Japan’s inbound tourism business has lain dormant during the pandemic and even though the country welcomes tourists and their spending, infection concerns persist among Japanese, especially in popular tourist destinations.

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History of this topic

Japan breaks annual visitor record with 33.4 million in just 11 months
5 days, 18 hours ago

Japan breaks annual visitor record with 33.4 million in just 11 months

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Japan set a new record …

Air travel emerges from turbulence of pandemic
4 months, 1 week ago

Air travel emerges from turbulence of pandemic

China Daily  

A passenger from Fuzhou, Fujian province poses for a photo with greeters at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, in the Malaysian state of Sabah, on June 27, when Xiamen Airlines resumed its Fuzhou-Kota Kinabalu route. The strong outbound travel demand has prompted more Chinese airlines to launch new direct flights and increase the frequencies of current flights to Japanese cities, …

Japan sees record 17.78 million visitors in first half of 2024
5 months ago

Japan sees record 17.78 million visitors in first half of 2024

Al Jazeera  

Japan welcomed a record 17.78 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2024, the country’s tourism agency has said, as the weak yen helped drive tourist numbers above pre-pandemic levels. The January-June figure announced by the Japan National Tourism Organization on Friday is more than one million more people than the previous high of 16.63 million in 2019. Kyoto’s …

Japan tourism sees monthly tourist numbers return to pre-Covid level
1 year, 1 month ago

Japan tourism sees monthly tourist numbers return to pre-Covid level

Hindustan Times  

More tourists came to Japan in October than in the same month in 2019 before the pandemic, a development that will offer support for the economy after it shrank over the summer. Japan tourism sees monthly tourist numbers return to pre-Covid level The number of visitors was about 2.52 million, compared with roughly 2.50 million in October 2019, Japan’s National …

Japan to lift COVID-19 border controls before holiday week
1 year, 7 months ago

Japan to lift COVID-19 border controls before holiday week

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan will lift most of its coronavirus border controls, including a requirement that entrants show proof of three vaccinations or a pre-departure negative test, beginning Saturday as the country’s Golden Week holiday season begins and a large influx of foreign tourists is expected. All entrants with symptoms will still be required to take COVID-19 tests after arriving until …

Improving virus policy to reap tourists
1 year, 7 months ago

Improving virus policy to reap tourists

China Daily  

Domestic travel bookings for the five-day holiday that starts on April 29 this year have seen a surge of over 700 percent from the same holiday last year, the latest data from online travel agency Trip.com Group showed. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning has announced that starting April 29 all passengers bound for China need to undergo just …

Improving virus policy to reap tourists
1 year, 7 months ago

Improving virus policy to reap tourists

China Daily  

Domestic travel bookings for the five-day holiday that starts on April 29 this year have seen a surge of over 700 percent from the same holiday last year, the latest data from online travel agency Trip.com Group showed. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning has announced that starting April 29 all passengers bound for China need to undergo just …

China defends its move against South Korea, Japan Covid travel curbs: 'Reasonable...'
1 year, 11 months ago

China defends its move against South Korea, Japan Covid travel curbs: 'Reasonable...'

Hindustan Times  

Chinese state media defended on Wednesday the retaliatory measures against South Korea and Japan over their COVID-19 travel curbs as "reasonable", while Chinese tourists decried Seoul's "insulting" treatment on social media. China defends its move against South Korea, Japan Covid travel curbs. South Korean foreign minister Park Jin has said that Seoul's decision was based on scientific evidence and that …

Japan to require COVID-19 tests for all visitors from China
1 year, 11 months ago

Japan to require COVID-19 tests for all visitors from China

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Tuesday that Japan will tighten border controls for COVID-19 by requiring tests for all visitors from China starting Friday as a temporary emergency measure against the surging infections there. “We have decided to take a temporary special measure to respond to the situation.” Despite widespread outbreaks that are straining medical resources and …

As COVID-hit China opens up to travel, others secure their doors
1 year, 11 months ago

As COVID-hit China opens up to travel, others secure their doors

Al Jazeera  

Japan joined India Tuesday in imposing restrictions on Chinese visitors as Beijing relaxed its norms for travellers. Japan will tighten border controls for COVID-19 by requiring tests for all visitors from China starting Friday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced, even as Beijing said it would scrap mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals. The developments come days after the World Health Organization …

Companies welcome end to China quarantines for visitors
1 year, 11 months ago

Companies welcome end to China quarantines for visitors

LA Times  

China has ended COVID-19 curbs that confined millions of people to their homes, but hospitals have been flooded with patients. Companies welcomed China’s decision to end quarantines for travelers from abroad as an important step to revive slumping business activity while Japan on Tuesday announced restrictions on visitors from the country as infections surge. He said ending the quarantine “clears …

Planning New Year Trip Abroad? 5 Destinations You Must Avoid Amidst COVID-19 Surge
1 year, 11 months ago

Planning New Year Trip Abroad? 5 Destinations You Must Avoid Amidst COVID-19 Surge

News 18  

With offers flooding in and travel companies looking to boost sales after two long, painful lockdown-infused years, the festive winter season might be an excellent time for a vacation. Japan Media coverage from last week revealed that Japan was registering over 2 lakh cases per week. On Wednesday, December 21, the number of cases in the country crossed the 2 …

Japan travel guide: Everything you need to know
2 years, 1 month ago

Japan travel guide: Everything you need to know

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Top regions and cities Most visits begin in Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, and so they should – this neon-drenched, swallow-you-whole …

Foreign visitors flock to Japan after tourism reopening
2 years, 1 month ago

Foreign visitors flock to Japan after tourism reopening

CNN  

The number of foreign visitors to Japan rose to nearly 500,000 in October, the first month it fully reopened to overseas visitors after more than two years of Covid restrictions, more than doubling the volume from September. The number of foreign visitors, for both tourism and business, rose to 498,600 in October, more than double September’s 206,500 and surging a …

Japan’s wave of tourists after borders reopened sends hotels, taxis hunting for staff
2 years, 1 month ago

Japan’s wave of tourists after borders reopened sends hotels, taxis hunting for staff

Hindustan Times  

Japan’s transport and hospitality industries are struggling to find enough staff to keep up with a rebound in demand, with the number of visitors more than doubling after borders reopened a month ago. Now, with the borders fully open to vaccinated travellers since Oct. 11, the island nation is poised for a tourism boom, thanks to strong demand and a …

Japan tourism in recovery mode after months-long Covid-19 travel curbs
2 years, 2 months ago

Japan tourism in recovery mode after months-long Covid-19 travel curbs

Hindustan Times  

Kyoto is an old city in Japan that is famous for sightseeing and is visited by a number of tourists throughout the year. Recently, a 'Tourism Expo Japan 2022' was organized in the city, where travel agencies and local tourism organizations put up their stalls to tell the audiences about their services. Hiroyuki Takahashi, Chairperson of the Japan Association of …

Tourists flock to Japan after pandemic border restrictions are lifted
2 years, 2 months ago

Tourists flock to Japan after pandemic border restrictions are lifted

LA Times  

Eager to admire colorful foliage, eat sushi and go shopping, droves of tourists from abroad began arriving in Japan on Tuesday with the end of pandemic border restrictions that had been in place for more than two years. That of course includes hopefully meeting new people, eating the food that I’ve missed, like good tonkatsu, being in nature at that …

Japan reopens to tourists with shuttered souvenir shops, hotel staff shortage
2 years, 2 months ago

Japan reopens to tourists with shuttered souvenir shops, hotel staff shortage

Hindustan Times  

As Japan throws open its doors to visitors this week after more than two years of pandemic isolation, hopes for a tourism boom face tough headwinds amid shuttered shops and a shortage of hospitality workers. Japan reopens to tourists with shuttered souvenir shops, hotel staff shortage Arata Sawa is among those eager for the return of foreign tourists, who previously …

Japan will finally open up to independent travellers on 11 October
2 years, 3 months ago

Japan will finally open up to independent travellers on 11 October

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Japan, one of the last major nations to retain strict Covid controls on visitors, will finally …

Japan to loosen travel restrictions imposed during pandemic
2 years, 3 months ago

Japan to loosen travel restrictions imposed during pandemic

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Japan’s strict border restrictions will be loosened next month, the prime minister announced Thursday, allowing tourists to easily enter for the first time since the start of the pandemic. In a news conference at the foot of Central Park in New York, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said independent tourists would again be welcomed as of Oct. 11, …

Japan mulls scraping daily overseas arrival cap by October
2 years, 3 months ago

Japan mulls scraping daily overseas arrival cap by October

Hindustan Times  

Japan is making arrangements to end its daily limit on arrivals from overseas by October, and will consider removing other remaining barriers to foreign tourism at the same time, the Nikkei reported without saying where it obtained the information. Japan mulls scraping daily overseas arrival cap by October The removal of the 50,000 people-per-day cap alone won’t return Japan’s border …

Japan to ease COVID-19 border controls from Sept. 7
2 years, 4 months ago

Japan to ease COVID-19 border controls from Sept. 7

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday announced plans to ease border controls from early September by eliminating requirements for pre-departure COVID-19 tests for travelers who have received at least three vaccine doses, and he will also consider increasing daily entry caps as soon as next month. “We plan to gradually ease border controls to allow entry procedures …

Japan to ease pandemic-related border controls from Sept. 7
2 years, 4 months ago

Japan to ease pandemic-related border controls from Sept. 7

LA Times  

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced plans Wednesday to ease border controls from early September by eliminating requirements for pre-departure coronavirus tests for arriving travelers who have received at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses, and to consider increasing daily entry caps as soon as next month. Kishida, after holding virtual meetings with government ministers and medical advisors earlier Wednesday, told …

Japan eases foreign tourism ban, allows guided package tours
2 years, 6 months ago

Japan eases foreign tourism ban, allows guided package tours

LA Times  

Japan on Friday eased its borders for foreign tourists and began accepting visa applications, but only for those on guided package tours who are willing to follow mask-wearing and other anti-COVID measures. As the country cautiously tries to balance business demands and infection concerns, the Japan Tourism Agency said tourist groups were being accepted from 98 countries and regions, including …

Japan, wary of foreign 'bad manners', cautiously eases borders to aid tourism
2 years, 6 months ago

Japan, wary of foreign 'bad manners', cautiously eases borders to aid tourism

Hindustan Times  

Japan's easing of a two-year ban on foreign tourists seeks to balance the enormous economic importance of tourism with concerns that travellers would trigger a Covid outbreak, insiders say. Japan, wary of foreign 'bad manners', cautiously eases borders to aid tourism Under the decision, Japan will allow in a limited number of foreign tourists on package tours starting June 10. …

Japan to resume tourism in June; only packaged tour for now
2 years, 6 months ago

Japan to resume tourism in June; only packaged tour for now

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan will open its borders to foreign tourists in June for the first time since imposing tight pandemic travel restrictions about two years ago, but only for package tours for now, the prime minister said Thursday. Beginning June 10, Japan will allow the entry of people on tours with fixed schedules and guides, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. …

Japan extends strict border measures as coronavirus cases soar
2 years, 11 months ago

Japan extends strict border measures as coronavirus cases soar

Raw Story  

Japan will extend measures barring almost all new foreign arrivals until the end of February and reopen mass-vaccination centres as it battles an Omicron-fuelled coronavirus surge, the government said Tuesday. "We will keep the current border control policy until the end of February while taking necessary measures from a humanitarian viewpoint and considering the national interest," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio …

Japan’s travel ban spells anguish for foreigners, businesses
3 years ago

Japan’s travel ban spells anguish for foreigners, businesses

Al Jazeera  

Tokyo’s strict border controls to keep Omicron out are throwing travel plans into disarray. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described the restrictions as “temporary, exceptional measures that we are taking for safety’s sake until there is clearer information about the Omicron variant.” The tough response has been praised by some pundits as Kishida’s most decisive move since taking office, offering the …

A day after announcing travel ban, Japan confirms its first Omicron variant case
3 years ago

A day after announcing travel ban, Japan confirms its first Omicron variant case

LA Times  

Passengers walk through the lobby at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan, on Tuesday. Japan on Tuesday confirmed its first case of infection from the new Omicron coronavirus variant, detecting it in a Namibian diplomat who recently arrived from his country, officials said. A genome analysis at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases confirmed Tuesday that the Namibian diplomat was …

Japan to bar all foreign visitors over Omicron variant
3 years ago

Japan to bar all foreign visitors over Omicron variant

Al Jazeera  

Prime minister says the new rule, which goes beyond initial restrictions on arrivals from southern Africa, will take effect on Tuesday. Japan says it will bar the entry of all foreign visitors from around the world, just weeks after a softening of strict entry rules, following the emergence of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. “We will ban the …

Japan to expand COVID curbs amid ‘unprecedented’ surge in cases
3 years, 4 months ago

Japan to expand COVID curbs amid ‘unprecedented’ surge in cases

Al Jazeera  

Latest move will place more than 70 percent of Japan’s population under some sort of COVID-19 restrictions. “New infections are rising at an unprecedently fast pace,” Economic Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a panel of experts reviewing the proposal for expanded restrictions. “Not just in the national capital region, but starting with the Kansai region and northern Kanto region, the number …

Japan to limit hospital care as COVID-19 cases hit new high
3 years, 4 months ago

Japan to limit hospital care as COVID-19 cases hit new high

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Japan’s government is introducing a contentious new policy in which coronavirus patients with moderate symptoms will isolate at home instead of in hospitals, as new cases surge in Tokyo to record levels during the Olympic Games. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s plan, which aims to save hospital beds almost exclusively for those with serious symptoms or at risk of …

COVID cluster at Olympic hotel as Tokyo cases surge
3 years, 5 months ago

COVID cluster at Olympic hotel as Tokyo cases surge

Live Mint  

A COVID-19 cluster at a Japanese hotel where dozens of Brazilian Olympic team members are staying raised new concerns about infections at the Tokyo Games, as the host city recorded its highest number of new cases for six months. The Russian women's rugby sevens team were also in isolation after their masseur tested positive for COVID-19, the RIA news agency …

Tokyo Olympics 2020: US health officials, State Department warn against all travel to Japan as Games loom
3 years, 6 months ago

Tokyo Olympics 2020: US health officials, State Department warn against all travel to Japan as Games loom

Firstpost  

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee said it still anticipates that American athletes will be able to safely compete at the Tokyo Games. “Because of the current situation in Japan even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to Japan.” The State Department’s warning, which followed the CDC …

Japan looking to halve number of official travellers to Games
3 years, 8 months ago

Japan looking to halve number of official travellers to Games

The Hindu  

Japan's government will begin talks soon on potentially halving the number of official travellers to the country for this year's Olympics to around 30,000 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday. Olympic organisers said on Monday that Japan would not allow in volunteers from overseas except for those deemed essential, amid public concerns over the novel coronavirus. …

Ban on overseas Olympics fans shakes up Japan tourism
3 years, 9 months ago

Ban on overseas Olympics fans shakes up Japan tourism

Live Mint  

Toshiko Ishii spent $180,000 renovating her traditional Japanese inn in expectation of a flood of tourists for the Tokyo Olympics, but now she won't be hosting a single overseas fan. After Olympics organisers announced a ban on spectators from abroad, those working in Japan's tourism industry are counting their losses. Bolstered by the Rugby World Cup, Japan welcomed a record …

Japan finds new Covid-19 strain, while immigration centre reports infections
3 years, 10 months ago

Japan finds new Covid-19 strain, while immigration centre reports infections

Hindustan Times  

Japan confirmed a new variant of Covid-19, and an infection cluster emerged at a Tokyo immigration facility, presenting new challenges as the country tries to overcome a third wave of the pandemic. FILE PHOTO: Pedestrians wearing protective masks amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, walk on a street in Tokyo, Japan, February 2, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo The new variant has …

Japan Finds Covid-19 Variant in 3 People With No Record of Travel to UK
3 years, 11 months ago

Japan Finds Covid-19 Variant in 3 People With No Record of Travel to UK

News 18  

Japanese doctors have detected a fast-spreading variant of the new coronavirus first discovered in Britain in three people who had not travelled there, the Health Ministry said on Monday. The three, aged from their 20s to their 60s and living in Shizuoka prefecture, about 200 km west of Tokyo, first had symptoms in early January, the ministry said. A health …

Japan poised for state of emergency as Covid-19 cases soar
3 years, 11 months ago

Japan poised for state of emergency as Covid-19 cases soar

CNN  

Tokyo CNN — Japan may enter a state of emergency this week as the country grapples with soaring coronavirus cases, a number of which have been linked to a new, potentially more infectious variant. Speaking at a New Year press conference Monday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said an emergency declaration was being considered, and would apply to Tokyo and the …

Japan will ban entry to foreign nationals after Covid-19 variant detected in country
3 years, 11 months ago

Japan will ban entry to foreign nationals after Covid-19 variant detected in country

CNN  

CNN — Japan will ban foreign nationals from entering the country from Monday through the end of January after several cases of the new Covid-19 variant were recorded in the country, the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The move came after the Tokyo metropolitan government on Saturday confirmed two new cases of Covid-19 variant involving people …

Japan sees five new COVID strain cases, PM urges ‘quiet New Year’
4 years ago

Japan sees five new COVID strain cases, PM urges ‘quiet New Year’

Al Jazeera  

PM Yoshihide Suga calls for strict quarantine measures at airports and on those returning from the UK. Japan has confirmed its first five cases of the new, faster-spreading variant of the coronavirus in passengers arriving from the United Kingdom as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urges the nation to spend a “quiet New Year” period. The New Year period is an …

Japan to allow 'large-scale' overseas visitors for Games - report - Sports News - Sportstar
4 years ago

Japan to allow 'large-scale' overseas visitors for Games - report - Sports News - Sportstar

The Hindu  

Japan aims to allow “large-scale” numbers of overseas visitors to attend next year’s Tokyo Olympics without mandatory vaccinations or quarantine provided they submit negative COVID-19 test results and download tracking apps, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday. The report, which did not identify the source of the information or detail how many visitors would be allowed, also said Japan …

Japan to lift international travel ban for 10 countries from October 2020
4 years, 2 months ago

Japan to lift international travel ban for 10 countries from October 2020

India Today  

Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, countries had put a ban on travel. According to Reuters, starting next month, Japan will remove the international travel ban for about 10 countries. They hope that this step would inspire other countries to remove travel curbs for the people of Japan. According to the local news organisation Nikkei, while picking these 10 countries, …

Tokyo Olympics: Japan to require COVID-19 tests for athletes
4 years, 3 months ago

Tokyo Olympics: Japan to require COVID-19 tests for athletes

The Hindu  

Organisers of next year's delayed Olympic Games will require coronavirus tests of foreign athletes upon their arrival in Japan, draft measures released on Wednesday show. Although foreign athletes and other participants will not have to undergo a two-week quarantine period, virus tests will be required on arrival and departure, under the plan. Read: Organisers also propose to limit travel within …

Tokyo Olympics: Japan may ask foreign athletes for activity plans - Sports news
4 years, 3 months ago

Tokyo Olympics: Japan may ask foreign athletes for activity plans - Sports news

The Hindu  

Japan will consider asking foreign athletes participating in the delayed Olympic Games next year to submit plans laying out their base camp locations, training sites and host towns as part of COVID-19 countermeasures, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Wednesday. While athletes will not have to undergo a two-week quarantine period they will be required to be tested for the novel …

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