132: Japan reopens its borders. Are tourists ready to return?

<div>Not since 1853, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders to trade, has a reopening been so newsworthy. This time, instead of Black Ships, the country faced a trickle of tourists looking to hit up Kyoto and indulge in their pop culture obsessions. <br> <br> Ahead of the reopening on Oct. 11, the Japanese people asked themselves what to do if the new arrivals didn’t wear masks, would this event precede a new wave of COVID-19, and will long-dormant sectors of the economy finally get a boost? <strong>Kanako Takahara</strong> joins us on this episode to explain the new guidelines for coming to Japan, and <strong>Will Fee</strong> talks about what he saw at Haneda Airport on opening day and what the legacy of the closed-border policy might be for foreign residents.<br> <br> <strong>Read more:</strong><br> <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/09/22/national/japan-border-incremental-steps/">Why Japan has been taking incremental steps to open its borders</a> (Kanako Takahara, The Japan Times)<br> <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/10/12/national/domestic-travel-campaign-confusion/">Confusing mix of policies sours start of domestic travel discount campaign</a> (Kanako Takahara)<br> <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/09/21/national/unmarried-couples-reunite-struggle/">Even as Japan’s border creaks open, unmarried couples still struggle to reunite</a> (Will Fee and Kanako Takahara, The Japan Times)<br> <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/10/09/national/japan-reopening-expectations/">What to expect as Japan opens back up to the world</a> (Will Fee, The Japan Times)<br> <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/10/11/national/border-reopening-few-tourists/">Japan’s eagerly anticipated reopening gets off to a slow start</a> (Will Fee, The Japan Times)<br> <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2022/10/15/travel/tourism-japan-borders-complications/">‘Undesirable consequences’ may await Japan’s well-meaning tourists</a> (Owen Zeigler, The Ja