Japan lowers Covid restrictions and opens borders to 106 countries

When it comes to pandemic travel restrictions, few places have locked down tighter and longer than Japan.

After two years of firmly closed borders, the Land of the Rising Sun will lift its entry ban on 106 countries like the UK, US, Canada and France. Up to 10,000 people will be able to visit per day, as long as they are triple vaccinated and can provide a negative pre-departure test.

However, tourists should not pack their bags just yet.

The new ruling will only apply to business travellers, foreign students and researchers. Foreigners travelling for tourism are still denied entry and visa exemption agreements Japan has previously had with certain countries are still suspended.

"In reality, there will be no change to who can enter Japan," a government official told the Japan Times. "There won't be anyone new who will be able to enter Japan as a result of this change."

The news comes as Japan branches for a potential resurgence of Covid-19, with numbers of new infections continuing to rise.

On Friday, April 8, the country reported 52,000 new infections, with 8,112 of them in Tokyo.

Although there was speculation in February that Japan would open to international tourism for the famous cherry blossom season (March to May), the prospect seems unlikely.

However, if Japan's reopening plan is anything like other countries', this next stage is a promising step towards a time when international travellers can visit once again.