Japan to ease border curbs for business travel, Nikkei says

Japan is considering easing its Covid-era entry restrictions for visitors on short business trips, foreign students and technical trainee workers, the Nikkei reported without citing how it obtained the information. The changes would shorten quarantine restrictions from 10 days to three days for those in Japan for short business trips or Japanese nationals returning from business trips, and could be announced as early as this week to take effect this month, the Nikkei said late on Monday. The policy changes would also allow new entrants such as foreign students and foreign workers in Japan’s technical trainee program. Japanese officials didn’t give concrete comments on Tuesday on whether the country is set to ease restrictions. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan was looking at easing its border controls in stages while evaluating the infection and vaccination situation globally. The government’s top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, said meanwhile it was under active consideration. The island nation enacted one of the strictest border policies among developed nations during the coronavirus pandemic, effectively banning most foreigners from entering the country unless they already held a visa. <br/>