FRANCES MAO is a news correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation.

A crowd of pedestrians cross Tokyo's central Shibuya crossingImage source, Getty Images
Image caption, Foreigners will be able to holiday in Japan again from October

After more than two years of closed borders due to the Covid epidemic, Japan will allow vaccinations for foreign tourists.

From 11 October, tourists will be able to visit the country without a visa.

There is a cap on daily arrivals.

Visitors will need to submit a negative Covid test result in order to enter.

Government and local businesses will be a beneficiary of the anticipated influx of travellers, as the Japanese currency has fallen in value against the US dollar.

The Prime Minister said that Japan would relax border control measures.

Visitors have been allowed since June, but they have to be on tours.

The domestic travel incentive scheme will offer discounts on travel, theme park prices, sporting events and concerts. Japanese residents and citizens will be able to get a subsidy.

In other countries, similar programmes have been put in place to encourage locals to spend their money. The cost of living has been a big concern for locals.

Due to Covid health concerns, the world's third-largest economy kept its borders closed.

The country's vaccination rate is one of the highest in the world.

Many locals in Japan readily adopted protection.

  • Japan
  • Coronavirus pandemic