Japan Reinstates Visa-Free Travel & Removes Daily Arrivals Cap On October 11, 2022

The Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Fumio Kishida, said in a speech in New York on Thursday that the country would again welcome tourists visa-free and remove the arrivals cap on October 11, 2022.

The country has mostly stayed closed for leisure visitors since March 2020, although a few tourists have been allowed to enter since June, first on guided tours and then on non-guided ones.

The demand for guided and non-guided tours has been abysmal, as visitors must apply for visas and arrange tours and accommodation through Japanese travel agencies.

Japan’s Reopening For International Visitors:

• Japan Non-Guided Tour & ERFS Issuance For Tourist Visa Purposes
• Japan’s Prime Minister Set To Announce Easing Of Entry Changes In New York
• Japan Set To Announce Entry Changes As Early As This Week
• Japan To Remove Daily Arrivals Cap & Remove Visa Requirement “Not So Distant Future”
• Japan’s Non-guided Tours Partially Clarified
• Japan Increases Daily Arrivals Cap To 50,000 & Soon Allows Tourists On Non Guided Tours
• Japan Drops Pre-Departure PCR-RT Test Requirement September 7, 2022
• Japan Plans To Remove Covid-19 Test Requirement, Raise Daily Arrivals Cap To 50,000 & Tours Without Guides?
• Japan Opens eVISA Applications For Citizens Of The US & Canada On August 18, 2022
• Japan Tourism Trial Disaster, Tight Entry Requirements Continue & Long Term Goals
• Japan Tour Canceled After Thai Visitor Tests Positive For Covid
• Japan Allows International Visitors On Package Tours From June 10, 2022
• Japan Doubles Arrivals Cap & Testing Changes June 1, 2022
• Japan Tourism Trial Disappointment
• Japan Begins Tourism Trial In May For Fully Vaccinated From United States, Australia, Thailand & Singapore

Conclusion

This was a long overdue decision by Japan’s Prime Minister, which will partly salvage the popular winter and sakura seasons.

The air capacity might become the next bottleneck, as airlines have cut flights to Japan because of the entry bans and longer flight times required to avoid the Russian airspace.

I had arranged a tourist visa through the ERFS system to enter Japan in October and will probably use it, as I am scheduled to arrive on October 10, a day before the visa requirement is abolished.