As Japan’s border fully opens to foreign visitors on Tuesday, so too does a national travel subsidy program aimed at turbocharging the domestic tourism industry’s post-pandemic recovery.
The National Travel Discount program — which is available only to those with residency status in Japan and does not extend to overseas visitors arriving on tourist visas — uses government subsidies to fund discounts on meals, shopping and accommodation worth up to ¥11,000 ($77) per traveler per day.
“We hope that by making full use of the National Travel Discount program, people will be able to enjoy long distance trips using public transport, including on weekdays,” said tourism minister Tetsuo Saito at a news conference on Sept. 26.