TOKYO // The Japanese government wants to attract more Muslim tourists from the Middle East and last year eased visa restrictions for citizens of several regional countries, including the UAE and Jordan.
While Emiratis can apply for a multiple-entry visa to Japan that is valid for three years, Jordanians are exempted from visa fees.
“I think [Japan] is opening up slowly,” says Shusaku Hinoki, at the inbound tourism unit of Freeplus, a Japanese private tourism company.
“There has been some movement for restaurants to open up for Muslims, and preparing halal food,” he says.
Apart from the Middle East, there are an increasing number of tourists from Muslim countries in east Asia, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, to Japan. Read more
