Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A number of major business groups and chambers of commerce in Japan have welcomed the government’s decision to open up Japan’s borders to foreign travelers.

A joint statement said: “We applaud the government’s steps over the past few months to bring Japan’s border control measures into closer alignment with those of its G7 and other major global partners. These additional steps will help to ensure that Japan’s entry policies are better aligned with those of G7 partners and will contribute to a more rapid recovery of Japan’s economy.”

The joint statement was made by Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ), Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (CCCJ), French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (CCI France Japon), German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan), Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ICCJ), and European Business Council in Japan (EBC).

The statement said: “We welcome the announcement that Japan will begin to gradually re-open its borders to foreign tourism and eliminate on-arrival COVID-19 testing requirements for many travelers from the major partner countries who are currently permitted to enter Japan.”   

The business groups welcomed Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s recent pledge to introduce smoother entry processes similar to those of other G7 members but urged further liberalization of entry requirements: “We recommend the government take several additional steps to further ease border control measures to facilitate an environment where people, goods, money and digital technologies can move freely, thus advancing Japan’s economic growth.”

They recommended restoring visa waiver eligibility and eliminating requirements for new visas or travel approvals for business travelers already in possession of valid business visas for business travelers from Japan’s G7 partners.

In addition, the groups wanted to see Japan rapidly resuming individual tourist travel, and for pre-arrival COVID-19 testing, accepting validity of less costly COVID-19 testing methods and reporting of test results in a broader range of forms. Furthermore, eliminating COVID-19 testing at airports for all arriving passengers; and reopening to international travelers all of Japan’s international airports. and finally, completely lifting the daily cap on international arrivals.

Under current conditions, foreign tourists visiting Japan will be required to be part of a package tour, wear masks and spend their entire stay chaperoned by local guides, and they will also have to take out private medical insurance in case they contract the virus.

While Japan’s government has relaxed its guidance on mask-wearing, most people still wear face coverings, even outdoors. Visitors will be expected to cover up indoors and observe social distancing when they remove their masks outdoors.

Entry will initially be restricted to people from 98 “low risk” countries, including the US, Britain, Australia, China, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand.