The Japanese government recently announced that it will cautiously begin accepting foreign tourism again in June. Much to the chagrin of Japanophiles around the world, Japan has been largely closed off to travel to an extent not seen since the 1800s. For a time, not even students or businessmen could successfully enter the country. In March of 2022, Japan reopened the doors to business travelers, students, and individuals married to Japanese nationals. Thankfully, worldwide immunity efforts have continued to dampen the severity and spread of the coronavirus, and with the Japanese tourism industry tugging at the sleeves of the government, it seems Japan is almost ready to accept all manner of foreigners onto its shores once again.
With some…reservations.
Japan still takes the coronavirus very seriously. A segment of the mask-happy society here is cagey with the idea of letting foreigners, particularly those with a penchant to walk around maskless, from re-entering the country. However, the government is aware that the foreign capital could help jump-start the economy again, bringing much-needed relief to beleaguered areas like Asakusa and Kyoto that once relied heavily on tourism. Hotel chains from Okinawa to Sapporo are starved of their income, and everyone from rickshaw runners to souvenir store owners are eagerly awaiting the day that their businesses can flourish again. Suffice to say, there’s a lot of pressure, from both inside and out, to reopen the country.
The Japanese government acquiesced. Sort of. At the end of May, Japan attempted a tourism test run by letting around 50 foreigners from the US, Australia, Thailand, and Singapore in on guided tours. At the experiment’s conclusion, the plan was to introduce more foreigners on these tours in June. The tours are rather regimented and inflexible; itineraries are orchestrated by travel agencies, so if you were hoping to walk around and get lost somewhere in downtown Chiyoda, Tokyo, you’re out of luck. The chaperoned tours will also be attended by government minders to ensure covid prevention measures are enforced, a move that some feel is reminiscent of a tour to China or North Korea. Japan plans to reopen tourism with these guided tours on June 10th. Travelers from any of the four countries mentioned earlier must be triple vaccinated to be eligible.
Depending on how the month of June pans out, we may see a gradual slackening of control measures for inbound tourism in the following months. A tourist from Thailand recently tested positive for covid on May 30th while on a tour in Oita prefecture, which for some, might sound like “Welp, six more weeks of no-entry!” But before you fall into despair, this is a good exercise to see how covid is handled when it does crop up. The tourist only presented with a sore throat and no fever, and on a positive note (no pun intended,) their travel companions tested negative thus far. It doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom! Foreign tourism will bounce back eventually.
Maybe this isn’t the good news you were hoping for, but I sympathize with it. To sweeten the summer months a bit, the J-list store is running a special promotion at the beginning of June: 15% off all in-stock products and a $25 shipping coupon on orders of $150 or more. Go check it out!
Sources: Bloomberg, Japan Times
