Japan opens up to foreign tourists after two years

Don't get too excited just yet. It's only for a limited number of selected and approved, organized tour groups (which are composed of travel agents and other travel professionals, and stick to specific, government pre-approved itineraries). Still extremely restricted. Can't go on your own, can't go where you want to go, can't go without minders.

Yes, it's progress, but it's a small step. It's still going to be months before Japan really opens to tourists in any way most of us would recognize.

I've got a Peru trip lined up for August, so hopefully Japan will be fully open by autumn, the colors in Kyoto should be spectacular around that time!

We’re planning for Sept 2023. Hopefully it will be fully open by then.

April and September - the perfect times to go! It will be an April for me but not for a couple of years. I haven’t been back since 2009, so it’s about time.