Destination

Japan Is Open For Tourism And Had Over 200K Visitors In September

Published

6 months ago

July 3, 2024

Traveling to Japan became easier on October 11, but travelers are required to show proof of triple vaccination or a negative COVID -19 test result.

Japan Opening Tourism – Latest Updates

November 2 – International travelers to Japan exceeded 200,000 in September

Slowly but surely, foreign visitors are returning to Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, 206,500 foreign tourists visited the nation in September.

The number has never exceeded 200,000 since the pandemic began. South Korea had the most visitors with 32,700, followed by Vietnam (30,900), the United States (18,000) and China (17,600).

Since March, the government has gradually relaxed border controls, resulting in a sharp increase in foreign tourists compared to 2021, when Japan’s borders were virtually sealed. Compared to September last year, the number of tourists has increased by more than 11 times.

October 13 – Japan reopens its borders, but hotels are understaffed and stores closed

Compared to a record 31.8 million tourists in 2019, only slightly more than 500,000 people have visited Japan so far in 2022.

The government’s goal, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, is to generate 5 trillion yen (34.5 billion euros) in annual spending on tourists. But for a sector that has shrunk because of the pandemic, that goal may be too lofty.

Maria Satherley, a 70-year-old New Zealander, describes the Terminal 1 departure area as “like half a ghost town”

Most of the 260 stores and restaurants at Narita Airport, Japan’s largest international airport located about 70 kilometers from Tokyo, are closed.

September 29 – Japan to allow international tourists on Oct. 11

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that independent travelers will be welcomed back to Japan on Oct. 11. The daily cap on the number of tourists arriving will also be lifted on that day.

How safe is Japan at the moment?

The CDC has recently placed Japan at Level 3 risk (High Level of COVID-19 in Japan).

Who can visit Japan?

Individual tourists from multiple countries.

COVID-19 situation in Japan

As of October 13, Japan has seen 21,656,190 cases of COVID-19, and 45,693 people have lost their lives to the virus.

What to do in Japan during pandemic

Domestic travel has been largely unimpeded in the country ensuring that Japanese citizens continue visiting their own tourism sites.

This means that many attractions have begun to reopen for tours.

This includes a wide array of Japan’s most popular sites, including the Tokyo Tower, Imperial East Gardens, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo National Museum, and more.

Below is a list of the most popular tourist attractions open in Tokyo and their current state of business.