TOKYO, Aug 31 (NNN-NHK) – Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, said today that, the daily cap on arrivals to the country will be raised from 20,000 to 50,000 on Sept 7.
Kishida told a press conference that, tourists coming to Japan will no longer need to be on package tours with tour guides, as the country further eases its border controls, despite the nation being in the grip of a seventh wave of COVID-19 infections.
“We have seen international exchanges gaining traction in various parts of the world. We are raising the daily cap on new arrivals to 50,000 from Sept 7, to join the trend and make sure the benefits of the weak yen are felt,” Kishida said.
The Japanese government has been steadily easing its strict border controls, which for a long time were the most rigid among the Group of Seven (G7) major developed nations.
The government’s ultra-strict border controls had drawn staunch criticism from the tourism sector, overseas educational institutions and business lobbies, among others, and Japan has been looking to bring its entrance protocols in line with other major economies.
The latest easing of Japan’s COVID-19 border controls, follows the government saying, on Aug 24 that travellers coming to Japan will be exempt from taking COVID-19 tests before departure, if they have received three vaccination shots.
The eased testing requirements will also come into effect on Sept 7, the government said.
Kishida also said, the rollout of an Omicron variant-specific vaccine will be brought forward from Oct, with government sources saying inoculations could begin in late Sept.
The country, however, is still grappling with a seventh wave of COVID-19 infections and record cases, as the highly transmissible BA.5 Omicron subvariant of the virus continues 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.
Kishida himself tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug 21, and since then had been working from his official residence and attending meetings online.
Having recovered from the virus, the Japanese leader resumed his official duties in person today.– NNN-NHK
