Traveling to Japan became easier on October 11, but travelers are required to show proof of triple vaccination or a negative COVID -19 test result.
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Japan Opening Tourism – Latest Updates
November 2 – International travelers to Japan exceeded 200,000 in September
Slowly but surely, foreign visitors are returning to Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, 206,500 foreign tourists visited the nation in September.
The number has never exceeded 200,000 since the pandemic began. South Korea had the most visitors with 32,700, followed by Vietnam (30,900), the United States (18,000) and China (17,600).
Since March, the government has gradually relaxed border controls, resulting in a sharp increase in foreign tourists compared to 2021, when Japan’s borders were virtually sealed. Compared to September last year, the number of tourists has increased by more than 11 times.
October 13 – Japan reopens its borders, but hotels are understaffed and stores closed
Compared to a record 31.8 million tourists in 2019, only slightly more than 500,000 people have visited Japan so far in 2022.
The government’s goal, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, is to generate 5 trillion yen (34.5 billion euros) in annual spending on tourists. But for a sector that has shrunk because of the pandemic, that goal may be too lofty.
Maria Satherley, a 70-year-old New Zealander, describes the Terminal 1 departure area as “like half a ghost town”
Most of the 260 stores and restaurants at Narita Airport, Japan’s largest international airport located about 70 kilometers from Tokyo, are closed.
September 29 – Japan to allow international tourists on Oct. 11
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that independent travelers will be welcomed back to Japan on Oct. 11. The daily cap on the number of tourists arriving will also be lifted on that day.
Travelers from around the world will be able to enter Japan with proof of triple vaccination or a negative COVID -19 test result. The country will not require a visa for short-term visitors from qualified countries, including the United States.
“I hope many people will utilize them,” Kishida said at a news conference. “I want to support the travel, entertainment, and other industries that have been struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.”
Related: U.S. Airlines Respond Rapidly To Japan’s Reopening
How safe is Japan at the moment?
The CDC has recently placed Japan at Level 3 risk (High Level of COVID-19 in Japan).
Who can visit Japan?
Individual tourists from multiple countries.
COVID-19 situation in Japan
As of October 13, Japan has seen 21,656,190 cases of COVID-19, and 45,693 people have lost their lives to the virus.
What to do in Japan during pandemic
Domestic travel has been largely unimpeded in the country ensuring that Japanese citizens continue visiting their own tourism sites.
This means that many attractions have begun to reopen for tours.
This includes a wide array of Japan’s most popular sites, including the Tokyo Tower, Imperial East Gardens, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo National Museum, and more.
Below is a list of the most popular tourist attractions open in Tokyo and their current state of business.
- Tokyo Tower (reopened)
- Tokyo Government Building observation decks (closed indefinitely)
- Kyu Shiba Rikyu (reopened)
- Tokyo Disneyland (reopened)
- Tokyo DisneySea (reopened)
- Guided tours of the Imperial Palace (reopened)
- Imperial East Gardens (reopened)
- Hama Rikyu (reopened)
- Rikugien (reopened)
- Edo Open Air Museum (reopened)
- Shinjuku Gyoen (reopened)
- Koishikawa Korakuen (reopened)
- Kiyosumi Garden (reopened)
- Showa Memorial Park (reopened)
- Ghibli Museum (reopened)
- Institute for Nature Study (reopened)
- Sumida Hokusai Museum (reopened)
- Tokyo National Museum (reopened)
- Tokyo Skytree (reopened)
- Sumida Aquarium (reopened)
- Edo-Tokyo Museum (reopened)