Japan’s tourism industry is opening for business again.
From the streets of Kyoto to the slopes of Hokkaido, retailers, restaurants and hotels are seeking to recover the revenue they lost during the pandemic with the full return of overseas visitors starting Oct. 11.
One of the last remaining rich economies with tight border controls, and with the yen at quarter-century lows against the dollar, Japan is now an affordable and attractive destination for overseas visitors. That’s welcome relief given 4,000-plus enterprises folded after retailers adopted curbs in early 2020 on operating hours and the country closed its borders to tourists.