Japan to speed up entry process amid record wave of tourists

Foreign visitors arriving in Japan may get to breeze through immigration soon, as the country looks for new ways to amplify a tourism boom that is boosting its economy.

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The government will introduce a new pre-clearance system from January 2025, starting with tourists from Taiwan, national broadcaster NHK reported on July 19.

Visitors will get to complete most of their immigration screening before departure to help shorten the time taken for entry procedures on arrival, according to NHK.

The decision comes amid record numbers of tourists already visiting the country. Around 17.8 million people came in the first half of 2024, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation. June also marked the fourth straight month with more than three million visitors.

The slump in the yen has turned Japan from a pricey bucket-list trip to a relatively inexpensive tourism and shopping destination. At a meeting to promote tourism on July 19, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was set to declare that 8 trillion yen (S$68.3 billion) of foreign visitor spending is within sight in 2024.