Japan to allow 20,000 daily international arrivals from June
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- 20 May 2022
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Japan will double the cap on overseas arrivals to 20,000 people per day starting next month as it continues to ease border controls triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the top government spokesman said Friday.
The government will also ease COVID-19 testing and quarantine rules for people arriving in Japan, dividing countries and regions into three groups according to the infection situation.
Travelers from the group with the lowest infection rate will be exempt from testing upon arrival in Japan and quarantining at home, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference. They will still need to show a pre-departure negative test result.
Around 80 percent of entrants are likely to be from countries and regions that fall into that group, Matsuno said, adding that the breakdowns will be announced next week.
"We believe (the review) will make the entry of visitors smooth," he said.
Matsuno did not specify when Japan will start accepting foreign tourists again, saying that preparations are under way to do so.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said his government will further relax border controls to bring them in line with other Group of Seven nations in June.
The review comes as Japan has seen the infection situation stabilize in recent weeks.
Japan effectively closed its doors to nonresident foreign nationals to prevent a surge in infections driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus late last year. The measure drew criticism at home and abroad that it was too strict.
In recent months, the government has gradually increased the number of people allowed to enter Japan in stages, with the current daily cap at 10,000.
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