Japan has announced plans to waive tourist visa requirements for some countries as part of a further easing of COVID-19 border control measures.
Reports say the government may scrap a daily cap on arrivals by October.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may decide on the easing as early as this week, allowing individual visitors to visit Japan without using travel agencies, according to local news.
Prior to the pandemic, Japan did not require tourist visas for 68 countries and regions.
Deputy chief cabinet secretary Seiji Kihara said on Sunday that “a weak yen is most effective in attracting inbound tourism,” adding that further steps must be taken to draw in foreign visitors.
Japan last week raised the daily ceiling of inbound travelers to 50,000 from 20,000 and eliminated a requirement for pre-departure COVID tests, easing what has been among the most restrictive border measures among major economies
