Research by domestic travel giant JTB Corp showed that around 24.5 million Japanese planned to holiday for at least one night in Japan during the golden week season, more than in 2019.

“This is the first ‘proper’ golden week holiday that we have been able to enjoy since 2019 and everyone is very happy to see travel restrictions being relaxed,” said Kazuhiro Ito, an official with the Japan Association of Travel Agents, adding that while travel overseas “is only coming back slowly, travel within Japan is very busy over the holiday season as everyone wants to go somewhere again” after the difficult pandemic period.

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Japan to downgrade Covid-19 threat status to that of seasonal flu

Japan to downgrade Covid-19 threat status to that of seasonal flu

Ito had hoped to head overseas but shelved that plan because “prices are just too high” and is planning to “catch up with family and friends instead”.

The government lifted all remaining coronavirus border controls on Saturday, meaning that anyone arriving in Japan no longer needs to provide evidence of three vaccinations or a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure. That is likely to change the minds of many travellers who have been put off a visit by the paperwork.

“It has been great to see them after such a long time,” said Fred Lutece, a sommelier and French tutor recently reunited with seven relatives for the first time since 2018, when he was last in France.

“The virus has made things so difficult and then the price of flights rose, but finally we can see each other in person again,” he said.

Lutece’s father, two sisters and their children are spending 10 days in Japan, visiting Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima. It is the first time in the country for most of the family, including Lutece’s 78-year-old father.

“They love Japan,” said Lutece, who enjoyed seeing his family trying the different types of food, seeing the sights and meeting the people. “It was particularly special for my father, who had only flown twice before in his life, to and from a holiday in Greece.”

On May 8, the Japanese government will downgrade the coronavirus to a less dangerous disease, a move expected to instil new confidence in the public and encourage people to be more adventurous with their travel plans this summer. Much has also been made in the Japanese media of the emperor appearing in public without a mask.

Yet others caution that it would be a mistake for the nation to entirely let its guard down.

“Different people have different perspectives, of course, but from a healthcare perspective we still need to be careful,” said Yoko Tsukamoto, a professor of infection control at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido.

Japan aims to smash tourism record in 2025 as travellers eye ‘dream holiday’

“If all the restrictions are lifted too early then the virus, or a new strain, could very easily get into hospitals or care homes for elderly people, and we have seen in the past that can be disastrous,” she said.

“I firmly believe that the worst [of Covid] is now behind us as Europe and North America downgraded their restrictions some time ago and there have not been any dangerous surges in cases, but we cannot relax entirely,” she added.

Tsukamoto visited Malaysia in March and has few concerns about travelling overseas now, but plans to stay closer to her home in Sapporo during the golden week holidays.

“It’s going to be very busy with so many people travelling again so I’ve decided to catch up with friends and family around Sapporo,” she said. “It’s going to be really nice just getting back to normal.”