Updated 2nd September 2026
It was the moment we’ve all been waiting for. In October 2022, after over 2 years and a half, international tourists without a visa could enter Japan freely.
Japan had some of the world’s toughest border restrictions to prevent the spread of Coronavirus since shutting borders down in spring 2020 until 11th October 2022 when the Japan borders opened again to individual travel.
For those who are entering Japan after 29th April 2023, registering your quarantine information is no longer required.
However, there are a few things you should know before travelling to Japan so you can go through immigration and customs quicker and smoother. Read on for the key changes and what you need to know when travelling to Japan now.
Japan borders open: Current Key details
- Visa-free, independent travel is permitted for over 60 nationalities. The full list of nationalities can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.
- If you are a citizen of a country on the list, you do not need to apply for a visa to Japan before travelling. As before the Coronavirus restrictions you can fly to Japan and you will receive a 90-day tourist visa on arrival.
- Presenting a valid vaccination certificate including a negative PCR test result at the airport is no longer required.
- Before booking any travel arrangements we would recommend double-checking the latest Japan border measures which can be found on the MOFA website.
How to enter Japan: Fast track by following the steps below
JNTO have put together an easy to follow guide for visiting Japan after 29th April 2023 split into 3 sections – before departure, at the airport and after arrival which you can find on their Process Map & Checklist.
The main requirement and recommendations before flying to Japan currently are:
Required item
- Reviewing the latest visa requirements for your country for the latest updates.
Recommended items for Fast track into Japan after 29th April 2023
- Creating an account on the Visit Japan website. You’ll then receive a QR code after registering and adding in your details. Showing this QR code at Immigration and Customs will reduce the amount of time you spend for each process.
- Making sure you have comprehensive travel insurance. Although it won’t be speeding up your entry into Japan, it will protect you financially in the case of unforeseen circumstances.
At the airport
At Immigration and Customs show your QR Codes that you receive from the Visit Japan website or app. This will speed up the process at Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka and New Chitose Airports.
What to expect after arriving in Japan
Face masks are absolutely the norm in Japan even if they are not legally mandatory. Japanese people started wearing them a long time before the Coronavirus pandemic in order to prevent themselves and others from getting viruses and infections or during the hay fever season.
In Japan, it is actually a common courtesy to wear a mask in public when you have a cold or flu especially if you’re coughing and/or sneezing.
To keep in mind, the recommended masks are non-woven surgical masks and you can buy these at pharmacies or convenience stores across the country.
A weak yen to note especially compared to the dollar and other major currencies.
Japan is often considered an expensive country for travel. However, this weakened yen along with low inflation in Japan will certainly lead to the feeling of cheaper trips.
More QR Codes and less use of cash for payments. Japan is widely known as a cash-based society. However, surveys show more than a 40% decrease in cash usages since 2021.
Having had the highest infection numbers recorded during several Covid-19 waves in Japan has led to an increasing number of options for payments as well as more QR codes in restaurants and cafés.
Cashless Payment options
While the most popular app PayPay requires a Japanese phone number to use, there are two other options for tourists. The first is Line Pay which is a digital payment system operated by Line – the famous messaging service app.
Even if you don’t know Line, you’ll probably have seen the Line characters already.
Line Pay is free to use but you need to have the Line messaging app to set it up. After you have set it up, simply top up your balance with cash at convenience stores. You can then use Line Pay at store, restaurants and for online shopping.
A second option is using an IC card. These are mainly cards used for public transportation including trains and buses. But that’s not all.
You can also use them to pay for things at convenience stores, vending machines along with ome stores and restaurants.
The main IC cards are Suica and Pasmo. You can top them at stations, convenience stores or through your mobile phone. To buy a new card, simply pick one up at a pretty much any train station ticket machine for a 500 yen deposit.
What’s new now after Japan borders are completely open?
One of the big attractions that opened while the borders were closed was of course Super Nintendo World. It’s a world first with augmented reality rides based on Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Adventure. There’s also a treasure-hunt style interactive attraction where you retrieve keys to defeat Bowser Junior. Being part of the USJ Osaka theme park it gives one more reason to visit if you weren’t already going for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Another opening that has been causing excitement for children and adults alike is Ghibli Park. This theme park opened its doors in Aichi Prefecture on November 1st 2022. Rather than rides or attractions, you’ll be able to explore the architecture and studio exhibitions that reveal the secrets behind major Studio Ghibli films like My Neighbour Totoro.
The last recommendation is not something new. However, as it is held once every 3 years, it is well worth considering if you are in Japan before November 6th. The Setouchi International Art Festival is held on a dozen island in the Seto Inland sea and includes both indoor and outdoor artwork such as the Red Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama on Naoshima island.
It’s truly exciting to know that we can travel again to Japan freely after borders were open again.
However, remember that there are a lot of like-minded people who had been waiting patiently and some not so patiently to visit Japan. Plane tickets, accommodation, and tours have been booking up fast since 2022.
We would suggest checking a booking site such as Expedia for hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto first. Remember that Ryokan will typically be more expensive than hotels and as there are fewer rooms, you’d probably want to make this a priority especially if you are thinking of staying in Hakone.
You may also have questions on the best way to travel in Japan and how to build your itineraries to truly experience all that Japan has to offer. While we are happy to help provide information on the website and are building out a travel section, if you are looking for award-winning experts specialising in Japan travel and with a team on the ground in Japan, we would recommend getting in touch with InsideJapanTours.
For those who are interested in Japanese Food, check out our food section. Or you can head to our Instagram account for posts of fantastic restaurants, festivals, and travel experiences.
Featured Image by Bobby Hendry on Unsplash
