Effective October 11, 2022, the ban on short-term visas will be lifted for foreign travelers entering Japan, including for business travel.  This relaxed measure will apply to foreign travelers from 68 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong.  All travelers from countries not subject to the lift on the ban of short-term visas will continue to require a separate visa application for entry into the country, regardless of purpose of travel.^*

Also on October 11, 2022, the limit on the number of travelers entering the country will be eliminated entirely.  The cap on entry was recently increased to 50,000 in early September.

As discussed in prior articles, the restrictive measures have been place for much of the COVID-19 outbreak.  As the Japanese government continues to relax its entry restrictions into the country amidst a historically weak Japanese yen, the Japanese government hopes this will promote tourism in Japan and encourage spending by foreign travelers.

* Please visit this link for further information on the current entry restrictions and quarantine measures.