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  Prime Minister Kishida makes announcement in New York. Domestic travel discounts will be introduced at the same time.
  
  

Japan announced on Thursday (Sep 22) that it will lift tough COVID-19 restrictions on foreign tourists, reopening the borders after two and a half years.

Speaking at the New York Stock Exchange, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the pandemic had interrupted the free flow of people, goods and capital that had helped the nation flourish.

From Oct 11, Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US, as well as resume visa-free travel and individual travel,” said Kishida, who is in the city for the United Nations General Assembly.

Japan, along with China, has been a holdout in continuing tough restrictions on visitors as much of the world has moved on from the pandemic.

But unlike China, Japan never imposed a strict lockdown during the crisis.

Tourists who come to Japan will enjoy a weak yen, which has plummeted so low against the dollar.

Japan’s move to scrap most restrictions on foreign tourists comes as the country’s deadliest wave of the pandemic recedes.  It also coincides with the yen slumping to its lowest levels against the dollar in almost a quarter of a century, making the archipelago an inexpensive, attractive destination for visitors from overseas.

Good for a real estate investor to invest in the real estate market in Japan.

Koji Kitada. Licensed real estate real estate agent.