Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement on Wednesday that Japan would finally drop the negative test requirement for entry. Until then, it had been required that an inbound travelers to Japan submit a negative PCR test within 72 hours of them departure to Japan.
As many other countries have started to move on from stricter testing requirements around travel, Japan has been one of the few to maintain their testing requirements. This has proven to be a challenge for many travelers as the process for PCR testing in foreign countries may vary greatly. The increase of rapid antigen testing has also decreased the specific type of PCR testing required by Japan.
While the other restrictions related to daily arrival caps, and ban on independent tourists remain in place, this is seen a step towards returning to normal. The Japan government is expected to continue to ease rules and restrictions related to entry into Japan over the next several months.
While tourism was once an accerlating force in the Japanese economy, the restrictions put in place during Covid-19, brought that growth to a screeching halt. Even with looser policies, it expected that tourism to Japan will not recover for several years.