ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
Travel & Leisure

Tears and relief as Japan fully reopens to foreign travelers

Weak yen has tourism sector hopeful for a bonanza

People arrive at Narita International Airport in Chiba prefecture on Oct. 11. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)

TOKYO -- An elderly woman sat impatiently in her wheelchair in the arrival lobby of Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday morning. When her elder sister came in from a flight from Seoul, they hugged for the first time in three years in a long tearful embrace.

The 76-year-old South Korean resident of Tokyo had been kept apart from her sibling by Japan's strict entry rules imposed at the onset of the pandemic. Their reunion will be just one example of a family reunited after Japan fully opened its borders on Tuesday.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Discover the all new Nikkei Asia app

  • Take your reading anywhere with offline reading functions
  • Never miss a story with breaking news alerts
  • Customize your reading experience

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more