Will Japan actually open to unrestricted tourism in October?

If you’ve had a hard time keeping up with Japan’s latest travel changes, join the line. It’s been an excruciating few months for tourism operators, who have endured confusing announcements, backflips and a general lack of clarity on the government’s plans for in-bound tourism.

However, there now appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, with a Fuji TV report suggesting that Japan intends to drop its entry cap on arrivals, remove the requirement to book through a Japanese travel agency and reinstate its visa waiver program, in effect returning travel to its pre-pandemic state. The announcement is expected to come “as early as the end of this week“, and will likely come into effect in October.

A report published today by Nikkei Asia has added more weight to the claim:

“Japan will drop a ban on individual tourist visits and remove a cap on daily arrivals, Nikkei has learned, moving closer to pre-pandemic rules as the country looks to ride a global travel rebound”, it said.

It’s understood that tourists will need to have been vaccinated three times or supply a pre-arrival test result.

The news follows comments made on Sunday by Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Seiji Kihara, on the expected benefits of a tourism revival. Kihara even made reference to Japan’s famous powder snow – a detail that will have been noted by ski resort operators around the country.

“Amid the weakening yen, inbound [tourism] will have the greatest effect” he said. “And there are the autumn leaves and powder snow. There are many foreign visitors who want to come visit Japan.”

Only last week were changes applied to Japan’s border policy, so the comments from Kihara and subsequent reports suggest a significant change in tactics.

On September 7, the daily arrival cap was increased from 20,000 to 50,000 and the pre-arrival PCR test requirement dropped. In addition, visitors no longer have to travel as part of a guided tour, however there is still a need for travel to be booked through an accredited Japanese travel agent, as well as a visa application process for all foreign travellers.

This change was initially lauded as an improvement to June’s strict group travel update, however the sentiment quickly changed as crucial details emerged – not least the requirement both flights and accommodation would need to be booked through the Japanese travel agent.

“Travel bookings have increased since the easing was announced last month, but a true recovery will be delayed as long as visitors are still required to get visas to enter the country”, remarked a Japan Airlines executive in a recent article published by Reuters.

When the expected update does eventually come, one thing is certain: we’ll hear a collective sigh of relief from ski tourism operators around the country who have pinned their hopes on the return to a “normal” season. Not to mention, some comfort for the thousands of skiers with pre-booked travel to Japan, who can now get on with looking forward to their holiday.