The government is planning to allow independent tourists to come to Japan and exempt them from visas if they have been vaccinated three times or submit a pre-arrival test result, Fuji TV reported Monday. It also intends to abolish the daily arrival cap, which is currently set at 50,000, the report added.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly plans to make a decision as early as the end of this week, with an eye to implementing the revisions by October.
If the plan goes ahead, it would mark a major shift in Japan’s border restrictions, which have been conservative compared with those of fellow Group of Seven members. Up until now, the government has eased access to the country in baby steps amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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