Loved for its unique blend of vibrant urban culture and natural beauty, the country is lifting strict regulations on foreign tourists, according to a tweet Thursday from Taro Kono, Japan’s digital affairs minister. “Finally, Japan will reopen borders,” the tweet said. “Visa exemption is back, with no daily limit and free individual visits.” The new policies start on October 11. “We will lift the cap on the number of people entering Japan, we will lift the ban on individual travel and we will lift the ban on visa-free travel,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday at a press conference in New York, where he was attending. meeting of the UN General Assembly. Referring to the lifting of restrictions, Kishida said that “on the same day, we plan to launch a campaign to offer domestic travel discounts and event discounts to Japanese residents, and we hope that many citizens will take advantage of the offer to support the hotel . travel and entertainment sectors that have taken huge hits during the pandemic.” The move marks a major policy shift after nearly 2 1/2 years of strict Covid-19 restrictions on who could enter the country and under what conditions. These restrictions include caps on the number of daily arrivals allowed, strict coronavirus testing rules and requirements to join must-see tour groups. Top Image: View of Mount Fuji and Chureito Pagoda at sunset. (Travel mania/Adobe Stock) CNN’s Forrest Brown contributed to this report.
