Japan on Tuesday opened its borders to nonresident foreign nationals who are entering the nation for purposes other than tourism — the first time such entries have been allowed on a general basis in more than three months — giving a ray of hope to those who are eagerly waiting to come to the country for study, research and business.
But it may be a while before airports such as Haneda, Narita and Kansai are flooded with new arrivals, since Japan still has a cap of 5,000 people allowed to enter the nation every day — bumped up from 3,500 on Tuesday — which includes returning Japanese nationals and foreign residents.
And it will be even longer before foreign tourists can experience Kyoto’s temples, the anime mecca of Akihabara in Tokyo or Niseko’s powder snow in Hokkaido.