Japan to waive tourist visa requirements 

Japan’s government is planning to waive tourist visa requirements from some countries as part of a further easing of COVID-19 border control measures.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may decide as early as this week on the easing, which would also allow individual travellers to visit Japan without travel agency bookings, Fuji News Network reported on Monday.

Reports say the government may scrap a daily cap on arrivals by October.

Japan did not require tourist visas for 68 countries and regions before the pandemic.

Also Read: Taiwan to resume visa-free entry for some countries

Deputy chief cabinet secretary Seiji Kihara said on a television programme on Sunday that “a weak yen is most effective in attracting inbound tourism,” adding that further steps must be taken to draw in foreign visitors.

Japan last week raised the daily ceiling of inbound travellers to 50,000 from 20,000 and eliminated a requirement for pre-departure COVID tests, easing what has been among the most restrictive border measures among major economies.

Zainab Sa’id