Covid-19: Japan reopens its doors to tourists

“I’m happy to be in Tokyo, it’s a very old dream come true,” Adi Bromstein, 69, told AFP at Tokyo-Haneda International Airport on Tuesday morning after arriving from Israel. “We had planned this trip before the pandemic hit and we waited and waited,” the retiree added.

Visitors from 68 countries and territories have been granted visa-free stays in Japan since Tuesday if they can present proof of vaccination against Covid-19 or a negative test conducted within three days of departure.

The archipelago, which attracted 31.9 million foreign visitors in 2019, abruptly locked its borders in spring 2020 at the start of the pandemic. In 2021, fewer than 250,000 foreign visitors managed to set foot on Japanese soil.

“We bought our tickets two years ago, but we had to postpone this trip three times,” said Ngoc Hieu Nguyen, 57, who arrived with his wife from Toulon via Munich on Tuesday.

The Japanese government has opened its doors to tourists since June, but only on organized tours. The device was approved for individual stays in early September, but still through a travel agency.

The new arrivals must adapt to the more stringent hygiene practices in Japan, where wearing a mask is formal in transport and shops, and is observed by many people, including outdoors.

The Japanese government on Friday approved a law amendment that would allow hotels to accept customers who refuse to wear masks or respect hygiene precautions.

Japan is counting on the fall of the yen, which has lost 25% against the dollar since the start of the year, to attract tourists and contribute to the revival of its economy.

However, rising fuel prices, higher flight losses from 2020 and the war in Ukraine, which has forced flights from Europe to pass through Russia, could put a damper on air ticket prices.