Japan, which has been closed for most visitor arrivals since March 2020, is gradually trying to reopen for international tourists. Business visitors and students have been allowed to enter with visas.
Japan is doubling the international arrivals cap of 10,000 to 20,000, including returning citizens and removing arrival testing and quarantine requirements from destinations representing 80% of arrivals.
Excerpt from Japantoday:
Japan will double the cap on overseas arrivals to 20,000 people per day starting next month as it continues to ease border controls triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the top government spokesman said Friday.
The government will also ease COVID-19 testing and quarantine rules for people arriving in Japan, dividing countries and regions into three groups according to the infection situation.
Travelers from the group with the lowest infection rate will be exempt from testing upon arrival in Japan and quarantining at home, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference. They will still need to show a pre-departure negative test result.
Around 80 percent of entrants are likely to be from countries and regions that fall into that group, Matsuno said, adding that the breakdowns will be announced next week.
Conclusion
This merely helps nationals and residents of Japan and those allowed to enter on visas (students & business travelers).
It is, however, a good sign that they will move away from testing on most arrivals (roughly 80%) because it is not sustainable to do it on a scale when incoming visitor numbers are of any significance.
At least these changes make vacationing easier for Japanese when they travel to countries which citizens are currently banned from entering Japan.
