Japan to possibly waive tourist visa for incoming vistors

International travelers to Japan may be able to get into the country a little easier as the Japanese government is considering waiving tourist visa requirements from approved countries. This will ease border restrictions put in place during the Covid pandemic. 

Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Prime Minister could announce as early as this week that international travelers will be able to enter the country without going through travel agency bookings. Under Japan’s existing rules today, international travelers must register with a licensed travel agency before applying for a visa for entry. They may also remove a daily cap on arrivals by October, which currently is limited to 50,000 people a day. 

With the yen being weak, the island country hopes this will attract more travelers to visit. Since Japan reopened to tourists in June 2022, only about 8,000 have arrived. A stark difference from the 80,000 visitors per day prior to the beginning of the pandemic.