Japan to Allow Small Groups of Vaccinated Tourists to Visit With Travel Agent

Japan will allow small groups of tourists on package tours into the country this month on an experimental basis, a first step in welcoming back the foreign travelers who have been shut out for most of the coronaviruses.

Travelers from the US, Australia, Thailand or Singapore who have received three vaccinations and have medical insurance will be allowed in as small groups on package tours, the Japan Tourism Agency said in a statement on Tuesday. Groups will need preset itineraries and must be accompanied by travel agency staff.

The zeal with which Japan's population has supported strict border measures as a tool in controlling the spread of Covid-19 is behind Japan's caution in reopening. According to a poll conducted by Yomiuri last week, only about half of Japanese respondents are in favor of easing border controls in June.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will need to manage the public's expectations as he approaches an upper house election that will test his mandate. The last parliamentary election for the lower house was held a few weeks after the new prime minister was elected.

The Japan Tourism Agency said that six travel agents would be participating in the project.

The country will be reopened to tourists this summer, with local media reporting that the government will accept more visitors in June. The reports said it will double the limit on arrivals from overseas to 20,000 people per day, and exempt some from testing at their point of departure.

mask recommendations are not legally binding in Japan. Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan's top government spokesman, said last week that masks should be worn when people are outside.