Japan reopened its borders to foreign visitors on Tuesday, fully lifting anti-Covid health restrictions that had been in place for nearly two and a half years, AFP and Agerpres reported.

Tourists from 68 countries and territories, including the European Union and the United States, will enjoy a visa-free stay in Japan from Tuesday if they present a Covid vaccination certificate or a negative test upon entering the country.

The archipelago, which welcomed a record 31.9 million tourists in 2019 and had hoped for 40 million next year, when the Tokyo Olympics were originally scheduled to take place, closed its borders in the spring of 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2021, less than 250,000 foreign visitors were able to enter Japan, and the Olympic Games in Tokyo were held practically behind closed doors.

The abrupt closure of Japan’s borders to visitors, including students and business travelers, was popular at home but criticized abroad.

Tourists will be required to wear masks in hotels and shops in Japan

The Japanese government has allowed tourists access to the country since June, but only as part of organized trips, then for individual stays, but through a travel agency.

The new arrivals will have to adapt to the still very strict sanitary measures in Japan. Wearing a mask is still systematic in transport and shops, but it can be observed even on the street.

The coronavirus pandemic has killed about 45,000 people in Japan, a country of nearly 126 million people, far fewer than many other industrialized nations, and the prospect of reopening borders to tourists has alarmed local authorities.

The Japanese government recently approved an amendment to the law that allows hotels to turn away customers who do not want to wear a mask.

Japan is one of the last countries in the world to reopen its closed borders due to the pandemic, while New Zealand took the decision in late July, two months after Chile.

Australia reopened its borders last October after 18 months of isolation.