As of April 29, Japan is no longer requiring incoming arrivals to provide proof of their Covid-19 vaccine or a negative Covid-19 test, opening the door even to a full return to normal.
The move to do away with the Covid restrictions follows Japan’s decision to do away with the mandatory mask mandate that took affect on March 13th followed by Japan lowering the risk level of Covid-19. Japan has been one of last Asian countries to do away with it’s Covid restrictions and is hoping the move will mean more tourism and of course, more revenue. The move to lower the risk status is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue for the country.
As someone who is preparing to visit Japan again this year, this is exciting news as it takes away a few to-dos on the checklist before even boarding the plane. I am still a cautious person so I will likely wear a mask on the plane, but am relieved to hear I won’t have to always have it one throughout the trip.
I hope people that are visiting will still continue to show respect and understanding, especially if a store asks for you to put a mask. They are not asking for a lot, so be kind and just mask up for a bit. Most Japanese will still mask up, especially on the trains and other mass transit, so it shouldn’t be that surprising.
Let’s all hope that these restrictions never return and the world can continue to get back to a new kind of normal.
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