The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in November increased 1.9-fold from the previous month to 934,500, government data showed Wednesday, as the country removed almost all COVID-19 entry restrictions in October.
The figure was down 61.7 percent from November in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
The increase came after the government removed its cap on daily arrivals and a ban on individuals and non-prearranged trips on Oct. 11.
The government lifted entry restrictions that required foreign tourists to travel on package tours and obtain a visa if they were citizens of one of 68 countries and regions with which Japan had a waiver agreement before the pandemic, according to the Foreign Ministry.
