With throngs of foreign tourists visiting Japan for the first time in years, the country is gearing up for its first post-pandemic summer — a sweltering one — and safety will be a prime concern as visitors look to cut loose at festivals and fireworks shows.
Nearly 11 million people visited Japan in the first half of the year, about 64% of the pre-pandemic level in 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. And major travel agency JTB estimates that the number of foreign visitors to the nation will jump to 21 million this year, bouncing back to about two-thirds of the 2019 level.
But with last year’s crush disaster in Seoul — killing at least 158 people — still fresh in people’s minds, concerns remain over what would happen if something similar happened in Japan, ahead of upcoming summer events like fireworks festivals and outdoor concerts.