Japan has announced it will reopen to tourists from 98 countries and regions starting 10 June, ending a two-year pandemic closure, but travellers will only be allowed in with tour groups.
The decision comes after the government last week said it would test allowing small group tours with visitors from the United States, Australia, Thailand and Singapore from this month.
Yesterday, the government revised border controls to resume accepting package tours from 98 countries and regions. Japan will also expand the number of airports that accept international flights to seven, adding Naha in its southern Okinawa prefecture and New Chitose near Sapporo in northern Hokkaido.
For most of the pandemic Japan has barred all tourists and allowed only citizens and foreign residents entry, though even the latter have periodically been shut out.