Japan Lowers International Travel Advisory for US, Other Countries

Government officials in Japan announced on Friday that it would lift its coronavirus-related advice against international travel to over 100 nations, including the United States.

According to Kyodo News, the Japanese Foreign Ministry lowered its travel advisory for 106 countries to Level 2 from Level 3, which advised against all nonessential international travel.

While Japanese tourists can now visit Britain, France, Germany, the U.S. and more, the government revealed 56 nations and regions remained under the Level 3 warning, including 40 in the Middle East and Africa, 10 in Europe and six in Latin America.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi previously lowered 39 nations and regions to Level 2, including China, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia.

"Although the situations are different among nations and areas, the number of new COVID-19 infections and deaths has been on a decreasing trend globally, and risks of dying and developing serious symptoms have been reduced on the back of progress in vaccinations," Hayashi said.

Japan has been one of the hardest countries to visit during the pandemic, banning tourists and continuing to disallow most international students and business travelers from entering, a decision that many believe hampered the country's economic recovery.