Japan may raise daily limit on arrivals, waive Covid-19 tests

TOKYO • Japan may lift requirements for pre-departure Covid-19 tests for incoming travellers and raise the daily cap on entrants, the domestic media reported.

Japan has some of the strictest pandemic border measures among major economies, requiring incoming travellers to present a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours before departure.

The government may soon waive tests for vaccinated passengers in a few weeks, Nikkei reported late on Monday. A daily cap of inbound travellers may be raised from 20,000 to 50,000 as early as next month, Fuji News Network said yesterday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno declined to comment on the timing of any border easing, saying it would depend on Covid-19 conditions in Japan and overseas. "Along with taking every measure to prevent contagion, we'll also promote economic activity," he told reporters.

Japan in June opened up to tourists for the first time in two years, though visitors must get visas and stick to package tours.

REUTERS