Following nearly three years of unwieldy, somewhat opaque restrictions, Japan has finally announced that it will be welcoming back individual tourists commencing October 11th – the long-delayed reopening devotees of Michelin-starred tsukemen, world-class skiing, and distillery excursions have been waiting for.
In a press conference at the New York Stock Exchange earlier this Thursday (via Nikkei Asia), Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that the country, “will relax control measures to be on par with the US, as well as resume visa-free and individual travel.”
The latest rolling back of pandemic-era regulations means that tourists are now free to plan their own travel itineraries – a crucial shift from the previous arrangement, whereby international visitors were only allowed to visit as part of a guided tour, arranged using a designated travel agency.
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Additionally, the October 11th deadline will see Japan’s government adopt a visa-free arrangement for nationals traveling from 196 countries (including Australia) – on par with pre-pandemic numbers. Officials have confirmed that the daily limit on travelers arriving from abroad, currently capped at 50,000, will be scrapped.
This development comes at an opportune moment, as neighbouring countries such as Taiwan and the HKSAR move toward a less stringent model of travel-related COVID prevention. Visitors who arrive beginning in mid-October have tonnes to BE excited about: including the opening of the world’s first ever Ghibli theme park and the commencement of the traditional koyo (autumn leaves) season – a picture-perfect backdrop against which to experience some of the country’s most beautiful autumn vistas.
You can learn more about Japan reopening below.
