Japan PM hints at June reopening for tourists

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Japan PM hints at June reopening for tourists | Secret Flying

Japan to accept tourists from June.

 

Japan’s prime minister has hinted that Japan could open to international tourists as early as June, although it’s likely to be a staged process across several months rather than a come-one, come-all campaign.

 

At an event in London on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that Japan plans to bring itself in line with other G7 members, easing travel restrictions starting next month.

 

“We have now eased border control measures significantly, with the next easing taking place in June, when Japan will introduce a smoother entry process similar to that of other G7 members,” Kishida said.

 

He later added a note of caution, telling reporters he needed to look at the state of infections after a series of public holidays in late April and early May known as Golden Week.

 

The G7 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States – are currently all open to international visitors, with some (such as the US and Italy) still requiring tests or proof of vaccination to enter.

 

According to Fuji News Network, Japan may also start accepting small group tours from certain countries on a trial basis in May.

 

Those wishing to visit must have undergone three Covid vaccination shots and be part of a package tour with a fixed itinerary, Fuji News Network said.

 

The announcement has been welcomed by Japan’s tourism industry, which has been urging the government to allow in more overseas visitors to take advantage of the weakening yen.

 

Several tourism-related stocks gained on the news. Japan Airlines Co. climbed as much as 4.5%, while Japan Airport Terminal Co. surged 6.8%.

 

“Japan was very slow in the economic recovery compared to the U.S. on ‘living with the virus,’ so in that sense, the reopening of Japan will help to boost expectations for inbound recovery,” said Ayako Sera, a market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Ltd.

 

Although Prime Minister Kishida did not mention the use of facemasks, the government advises using them and the overwhelming majority of Japanese continue to wear them, both indoors and out.

 

More than 80 percent of Japan’s population is fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins University, and a little more than half of the country has received a booster shot.