Following an easing of border rules meaning that many people entering Japan aren't tested for the coronavirus upon arrival, the number of positive cases found during airport screening has fallen sharply, health ministry statistics show.
With the nation now open to foreign tourists on guided tours and the cap on daily arrivals having been raised — moves that could lead to an influx of people entering Japan without airport testing — experts are urging caution in case a highly pathogenic variant is detected abroad.
On June 1, the government eased its entry restrictions, exempting visitors from 98 countries from coronavirus testing at airports, while at the same time doubling the cap on daily arrivals to 20,000. Visitors coming from 99 other countries who have received three vaccine shots are also exempt from testing at airports.