October 20

The number of foreign visitors to Japan is on the rise thanks to eased border controls. Foreign arrivals in September topped 200,000 for the first time since February 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic had a major impact.

The Japan National Tourism Organization estimates that 206,500 people visited the country last month. That's up 21.6 percent from August.

Starting on September 7, foreign travelers who have been vaccinated at least three times no longer need a negative PCR test result. Group tours without a guide are also allowed.

32,700 visited from South Korea, 30,900 from Vietnam and 18,000 from the United States.

xinhua