TOKYO (REUTERS) - Japan plans to double its daily number of foreigners entering the country up to 20,000 from next month, the top government spokesman said on Friday (May 20).

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a regular news conference that travellers from most countries, about 80 per cent of the total foreign entrants to Japan, would not be required to provide proof of negative Covid-19 tests, nor would they have to quarantine on arrival.

This included people from all other members of the G-7 group of developed economies.

Japan is accepting business travellers, foreign students and academics but not tourists, except a limited number in a trial of package tours.

Mr Matsuno said experience with the trials would be used in later decisions to further reopen.