Arab News Japan

Japan’s border opening does come with strings, those visiting from the approved list of countries will also be required to tour the country with a minder to ensure COVID-19 prevention measures are met.

The minders will be escorting the 50 visitors to approved locations around the country.

On May 24, the first group of seven tourists came into Japan, arriving into Narita airport from Hawaii and Los Angeles. There will be two itineraries, one of which will arrange trips to Iwate Prefecture’s Hanamakionsen hot spring resort and the Mogami River in Yamagata Prefecture, and the other includes Tochigi Prefecture’s Nikko Toshogu shrine and Zenkoji temple in Nagano Prefecture.

Those coming from Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States would not need to quarantine on arrival, but the minders will also be monitoring symptoms during the trip.

According to VICE World News, director of the new market development office at the Japan Tourism Agency’s International Tourism Department, Tatsuya Fujioka, shared how the itinerary will contain a fixed tour, including eating meals and visiting the sights together 

People looking to join the experiment will have to sign a form agreeing to the rules, one of which includes downloading a tracking mobile application.