The Japanese government continues to turn a deaf ear to calls from the country's business community. The latter is calling for a Japan fully reopenedwhile the rest of Asia - with the notable exception of the China - is once again welcoming international visitors. Japanese and foreign companies based in the country believe that the continuation of the policy of closing the country is increasingly marginalising Japan.
However, the government has just made two concessions. But always at a minimum. In a press release published on Wednesday 6 April, the government declared that Japan would " lifting the ban on entry to 106 countries" . A piece of information that sowed confusion. Above all, it gave the false hope that tourists would soon be able to wander around the Land of the Rising Sun.
Cosmetic changes
" In reality, there will be no change in the number of people authorised to enter Japan" said a Ministry of Justice official to the English-language daily, Japan Times. " No new category of person will be able to enter Japan as a result of this change." continued the official. This means that only foreign students, researchers and businessmen will be able to obtain a visa. Tourist visitors will still have to wait, and probably for a long time.
This last case illustrates just how difficult it is to navigate the bureaucratic wording of Japan's entry restrictions, one of the most complicated in the world for a foreigner wishing to enter the country.
The only change is that 106 countries are now classified as "Level 1" risk of infection.. This means that you can (officially) come from these countries. This will include France and a large part of the European Union. From "Level 3" onwards, the Ministry of Justice automatically bans arrivals from these countries.
The facts, the number of arrivals from abroad remains limited. The country has set a quota of 7,000 international arrivals per day. From Monday 11, this limit will be raised to 10,000 euros.. Other measures - PCR test, three-day quarantine - remain in place.
Tourism killed off by public opinion
The reluctance to reopen is purely political. The Bloomberg news agency reported in an article that more than two-thirds of Japanese support the government's restrictive policyThe Japanese government's attitude is based on the old nationalist demons that have always troubled the Japanese archipelago. Many Japanese, for example, questioned the surge in tourism in recent years, which many saw as an invasion.
This position is opposed by the country's tourism professionals. Tourism in Japan has seen remarkable growth over the last decade: from 6.22 million international passengers to 31.88 million in 2019. New infrastructures, including numerous hotels, accompanied this development. The number of accommodation units rose from 81,400 in 2011 to 88,900 in 2019.. The same applies to business tourism. The number of international congresses jumped from 1,892 in 2011 to 3,621 in 2019..
The Covid reality destroyed this remarkable boom. By 2021, the country will have welcomed 245,862 international travellers. This is less than in 1964, also the year of the Olympic Games, which welcomed 352,832 foreign visitors!
