Relief tinged with unease as Japan reopens after two ‘really tough’ years

In Kyoto, local shop owners are ready to welcome back tourists but there is a way to go before a return to pre-Covid days

After more than two years of near-total isolation, Japan has reopened its borders to overseas visitors - but the road back to the pre-Covid tourism boom could be long and bumpy.

Last week, the country lifted some of the strictest pandemic border controls in the world when it removed a 50,000 daily cap on arrivals, reinstated waivers for short-term visas and dropped a rule requiring tourists to visit as part of group tours.