Japan clarifies new border rules as it moves to allow most individual tourists to enter

Foreign tourists who aren’t traveling as part of group tours will soon be able to come to Japan under eased tourism restrictions — as long as they book flights and accommodation through a travel agency, a government official in charge said Thursday.

“The key is to have a sponsor in Japan, like a travel agency, and that they know the whereabouts of the traveler on a given day,” the official said, who asked not to be named in line with ministry guidelines. “They will also offer information on Japan’s social distancing rules and be the contact person if travelers get sick.”

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that nonescorted visitors on package tours will be allowed in from Sept. 7. That would include more flexible tours that only include flights and hotels and can be booked by individuals, the official said, in contrast with the strict group tours that have been permitted since June.

With the eased restrictions, the only tourists who won’t be allowed will be those who want to stay in accommodations not offered by travel agencies in their “package tours,” such as private rentals and smaller inns, as well as backpackers who don’t want to book hotels beforehand.

“The revision caters to customers’ needs for greater freedom in travel,” the official said. “We hope more foreign tourists will come to Japan.”

But with travelers still needing to apply for a visa, and the daily arrival cap to be set at 50,000, it is unclear how many foreign tourists will be willing to come to the country.

Japan has been allowing in foreign tourists since June, but only on guided tours. Currently, foreign tourists need to reserve a guided tour and then apply for a visa — a time-consuming process that discourages potential visitors.

The daily arrival cap will soon be set at 50,000, up from the current 20,000. The cap is set at 50,000 to ensure airport staff are able to handle the more complicated immigration process that’s in place due to the coronavirus, the official said. The cap will also allow the government to respond quickly should a new variant of concern emerge, the official added.

In July, the most recent month for which data is available, a daily average of 14,345 people arrived in Japan, including Japanese and foreign residents, according to the Immigration Services Agency.
*Source: The Japan Times, author KANAKO TAKAHARA