Foreign visitors in Japan surge after tourism reopening

Very few tourists in that photo. They should have gone down to Akiba instead, but of course, the image of those tourists is probably not what they were after.

... though it was still down 80% on 2019.

The reality.

Very promising news, but still only about 1/4 or 1/5th of Japans target. The winter months should see a big boost in foreign inbound tourism. Especially if the yen remains so weak.

Great news. Stepping towards pre-2020 and the new norm. Going through Shinjuku twice a day, recently, I've seen many non-Japanese tourists. All wearing masks and seemingly enjoying themselves. How could that be?

See that happy face with no mask.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is counting on tourism to recharge the economy - especially with the yen hovering near a 32-year low against the dollar.

Charging the bank accounts of tourist/retail adjacent rentier investors.

Japanese public: About 1000 an hour.

@Elvis is here

All wearing masks and seemingly enjoying themselves. How could that be?

Did you happen to see the one photo attached to this article? Four tourists, no masks.

But good for them! Tourists enjoying the uncrowded outdoor air shouldn't be impacted by the neuroses of others about outdoor masking.

This was expected, and actually prayed for, particularly by Kishida, so he can point to an "improving economy".

Remove the Hypocritical PCR or Triple vax mandate and you will see a lot more tourists! Dump the useless masks while you're at it!

Did you happen to see the one photo attached to this article? Four tourists, no masks.

Yes. So what? My post above still applies.

LDP government benefits tourism group at first. because influential politician of party is chief of tourism association of Japan.

On the other hand, its tourism-first policy hurried easing restriction, caused Covid19 surge, now new cases at Japanese society is worst in whole world.

One news show reported about family who infected at travel destination.

And, Covid19 deaths at Japan is directly proportional to cases.

Is it just a coincidence that we’re seeing a surge of foreign tourists and what looks like the 8th wave of Covid infection at the same time?

… and what looks like the 8th wave of Covid infection

Will we stay home? Will we avoid trains? Will we cancel gatherings with family and friends? No, no, no.

What a difference a few years, a few vaccinations, and a little education makes.

Saw a visiting family the other day…..all masked. But youngest kid must have been tired and freaking out the locals. Unmasked he was basically wiping his face back and forths across the table where they put the bread for customers. And the parents were oblivious.

Love how foreigners are so self absorbed that they think people here want tourists. Yes the related industries do for obvious reasons. But other people really don’t….

And, Covid19 deaths at Japan is directly proportional to cases.

Many here say who cares that at 100 per day, there are 350,000 deaths per year from COVID. This country is already declining by over 1 million people a year, what's another 350,000 on top of that, right?

Remove the Hypocritical PCR or Triple vax mandate and you will see a lot more tourists! Dump the useless masks while you're at it!

Maybe it will go up a bit. However, tourism in Japan and many other countries, especially Asian ones, will not be back to pre-pandamic levels until China re-opens.

Unfortunately the number of COVID cases is rising as well. Must be a link.

ZorotoToday  07:53 am JST

And, Covid19 deaths at Japan is directly proportional to cases.

Many here say who cares that at 100 per day, there are 350,000 deaths per year from COVID. This country is already declining by over 1 million people a year, what's another 350,000 on top of that, right?

Umm you may want to check you maths 101 there champ....oh dear

I guess it does include all those coming for business.

Was in Narita last week. It was actually pretty busy. A big change. But many shops have disappeared and still few are open

Getting to visit Japan without worrying about overcrowding makes me really jealous of those 4 in the picture.

... though it was still down 80% on 2019.

The reality.

Exactly! The BS title of this article. U have to filter through the BS to find the actual situation

though it was still down 80% on 2019.

The entry requirement is still responsible for it, as visitors need to show proof of three shorts, and keep a mask on in crowded indoor spaces.

In the photo, masks clearly have been removed for the photo op. If you look careful, you can see creases in their faces where the masks were.

Mask it up foreigner!

Is it just a coincidence that we’re seeing a surge of foreign tourists and what looks like the 8th wave of Covid infection at the same time?

Yes. The clue to that is "8th wave".

Unless the cases are all based in parts of Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara. 100,000 cases is not caused by a small number of vaccinated tourists.

In the photo, masks clearly have been removed for the photo op. If you look careful, you can see creases in their faces where the masks were.

I've zoomed in and looked carefully and you absolutely can't see that - it isn't even in high enough resolution to see it. In one photo there looks like a crease above the chin, but to me that looks like the natural shape of the face.

It seems like you see what you want to see. Imagine wanting to see masks that much!

Welcome to Japan! We all missed you! ; - ))

Beautiful, Good for Japan, Good for the world.

Tourism is just another tool to connect the world, learn and understand one another.

I've zoomed in and looked carefully and you absolutely can't see that 

%^) You need new glasses and a better smartphone.

In the photo, masks clearly have been removed for the photo op. If you look careful, you can see creases in their faces where the masks were.

I zoomed in, and looked correctly, and sorry to tell you, this wasn't clear at all. In fact, I can't even see it unclearly. I don't see these supposed creases.

Which doesn't surprise me, as I don't ever recall getting any kind of 'crease' on my face from a mask, except maybe behind my ears.

If you look careful, you can see creases in their faces where the masks were.

I've zoomed in and looked carefully and you absolutely can't see that 

I zoomed in, and looked correctly, and sorry to tell you, this wasn't clear at all

My Goodness!

People are really obsessed with masks!

The kimono photo above looks nice.

And it will be millions by 2023..

GO JAPAN!!!.

Awesome!

Yes, that’s very nice and beautiful, but only for the news. That simply can’t be good for environment and also most part of the involved businesses. My guess is that with those still small tourists numbers the environmental impact is relatively big and the profits, if any, relatively low.

Is it just a coincidence that we’re seeing a surge of foreign tourists and what looks like the 8th wave of Covid infection at the same time?"

Yes it is. Japan was amongst the worst if not the worst for number of infection during the summer when there were no tourists coming in, despite your racist nuance comment. Can you explain that fact?

I am arriving on Friday for a month, and my Japanese-born and raised friend will finally be back to visit her mother, arriving on Sunday. She will be back for two weeks. We are both glad for the opened borders and are bringing money to spend.

No Chinese = No money.

Good news?

I have already started having to wait in line, now, for my favorite restaurants.

Fewer seats on the buses and trains recently also.

Be careful what you wish for.

*sorry. On the right. People are obsessed with directions too.

The number of foreign visitors to Japan rose to nearly 500,000 in October,

An average of 6 million a month.

A year!

The number of foreign visitors to Japan rose to nearly 500,000 in October,

An average of 6 million a month.

Huh? You can't get an 'average' from a sample size of one.

Actually, maybe you can, I don't know the rules of creating an average. But even if it technically is an average, it's not one you'd want to use for extrapolating anything.

Also, 500,000/1 = 500,000, not 6 million.

Good luck with communicating tourists. After two years of service industry staff being basically unemployed or working in supermarkets, their English skills have probably diminished to the level of certain NHK news translators.

As an ongoing annoyance, the number includes workers, not just tourists. However for tourists in particular, you don't just announce a border opening and then get a stampede. Many folks out there will have to book time off work before they can go on any big trip. Last month's number will only be a fraction of pent-up demand to visit Japan.

International tourism isn't very good for the environment, but its good for most other things. As a country Japan is too inward looking and does too much navel gazing, so more exposure to other forms of thinking, behaviour, lifestyles, ... sounds like a big positive to me.

Reduce long distance travel costs and it will surge even more

@kohakuebisu  

As an ongoing annoyance, the number includes workers, not just tourists. 

Exactly! The number includes all foreign residents (including permanent residents) entering the country and all passengers of any nationality (including Japanese) entering Japan for the purpose of transiting.

There’s definitely a “surge” going on since October…. Higher and higher each day .!:

So foreign tourists who are fully vaccinated and boosted are to blame for the rise in Covid in Japan? Where the cases have been high all along? You don't see other countries pointing at Japanese tourists and accusing them of spreading the virus.

Anyway, it's nice to see tourists in Japan again.

Would love to go to Japan one day.

Japan still too expensive for airplane tickets..

Glad it will not comeback as pre-covid.

I prefer from far when there are mostly Japanese, with behaviour making it so enjoyable.

I went in September and was only hakujin in the few hundred guests hotel. Lovely.

Bad taste to me to wear kimonos when you don't even know how or why wearing it.

Bad taste to me to wear kimonos when you don't even know how or why wearing it.

Oh get off your high horse.