“Japan is open for business!” “Kyoto wants you back!” “Book now before the crowds!”
With the lifting of almost all entry restrictions on Oct. 11, Japan is closer now to returning to the way things were before shuttering its borders in early 2020. “Closer” is the operative word here, however — in absolute terms, the country may still be far from embracing life as it was before the pandemic.
For travel agents in Japan currently dealing with an influx of requests from eager would-be tourists, getting one point across is key: Japan may be open, but not everything is back to normal.