Cruise ships return to Japanese ports after 3-year COVID gap

Japan takes first step toward regaining 2m cruise passengers annually

20230301N Japan cruise drums

Japanese taiko drum players greet the Amadea cruise ship March 1 at a port in Shizuoka, Japan. (Photo by Hiroto Okura)

Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO/SHIZUOKA, Japan -- An international cruise ship docked at a Japanese port Wednesday for the first time in three years, another milestone toward the country regaining the tourist traffic that declined sharply during the pandemic.

The Amadea arrived during the morning at the Port of Shimizu in Shizuoka, the city nestled close to Mount Fuji. The liner carried more than 500 people, most of them hailing from Germany.

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