If you’ve been thinking about planning a trip to Japan, now is the time to do it!
The Japanese government has just announced that starting from June 10, tourists will be welcomed on package tours. This is great news for holidaymakers and travellers who want to explore this fascinating country.
Foreign travellers will be allowed to enter Japan on package trips beginning June 10, according to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, paving the way for the full resumption of inbound tourism, which has been suspended for more than two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We will resume accepting tourists on package tours with guides from the 10th of next month,” Kishida said in Tokyo. “Step by step we will aim to accept (tourists) as we did in normal times, taking into consideration the status of infections.”
Although Kishida said that Japan’s strict border controls were necessary to buy time to vaccinate the population and ensure that proper health care measures were in place, he added that the government will ease restrictions from here on.
The move comes after Japan began a trial of package tours involving foreign tourists on Tuesday.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, travellers will be classified as being in one of three groups (Blue, Yellow and Red). Those in the 98-country Group Blue, which includes the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, China, South Korea, and Thailand, will not be required to be vaccinated, undergo PCR testing upon arrival in Japan, or go through any sort of quarantine period.
For travellers in the yellow group, an on-arrival test and 7-day home quarantine (or 3-day home quarantine + negative result of a voluntary test) are required, however, those who obtain a valid vaccination certificate are not required to have on-arrival test, home quarantine and other measures.
For travellers in the red group, an on-arrival test is required. 3-day quarantine at a government-designated facility is required, however, those who obtain a valid vaccination certificate may have 7-day home quarantine (or 3-day home quarantine + negative result of a voluntary test) instead.
Despite the relaxation of measures, it is important to note that travellers have to be on package tours in order to enter the country. This means that they have to be part of a group that is organized by a tour company and that has a schedule.
For more information about the classification of travellers and entry requirements, click here.
Source: Japantimes, NikkeiAsia, Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
