Japan looking into relaxing border restrictions for tourists

As the number of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in Japan continues to drop, the easing of border restrictions for foreign visitors – including those from Qatar – is now being reviewed by the authorities, Japanese ambassador Satoshi Maeda has said.

“Although it’s still unclear due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant, the increase in the number of coronavirus infections in Japan has now subsided and border measures are being reviewed in the direction of relaxation,” the envoy explained at a recent press briefing in Doha.Maeda noted that they have been receiving inquiries from Qataris regarding travel to Japan, “so the embassy will continue to work with them”.With daily direct flights between Doha and Tokyo, it is learnt that the number of visitors from Qatar to Japan had been increasing in previous years, but was stalled by the pandemic.In the pre-pandemic era, Japan was a favourite leisure destination for citizens and residents of Qatar due to its variety of tourism offerings.Besides Tokyo, a huge number of travellers also visit cultural capital Kyoto – a famous spot for gardens, imperial palaces, and temples, among other attractions.The envoy said that Japan is looking forward to welcoming visitors from Qatar “when the corona situation settles down and the issuance of tourist visas resumes”.“We will continue to promote the charms of Japan with an eye to expanding exchanges with Qataris after the situations related to corona are better,” added Maeda, who recently led Japan’s National Day celebration on February 21, which also marked the 62nd birthday of the emperor of Japan in Doha at Marsa Malaz Kempinski.