Japan To Reopen for Group Tours in June

Japan will reopen to foreign tourists participating in fixed itineraries and packaged tours starting June 10, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed on Thursday.

“Active exchanges between people are the foundation of the economy and society. From the 10th of next month, we will restart the admission of tourists on guided package tours,” he said at the Future of Asia conference in Tokyo.

Japan will also raise its daily international arrivals cap from 10,000 to 20,000 beginning next month to accommodate these tourists. The country also plans to welcome back international flights at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido and Naha Airport in Okinawa starting in June.

The news comes just weeks after Japan began offering limited package tours to vaccinated travelers from the U.S., Australia, Thailand and Singapore. Currently, only business travelers, foreign workers and approved visitors are allowed into Japan with proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours.

The return of packaged tours next month is encouraging news, nonetheless.