It¡¯s been nearly three months since Japan nudged the door open and welcomed foreign travelers ¡ª on strict, guided tours ¡ª after over two years of COVID-19 border restrictions.

But, perhaps predictably given the criteria for entry, foreign tourists have returned in a trickle rather than a wave.

The overall number of foreign arrivals to Japan in July stood at 178,679, topping 100,000 for the fourth straight month following the easing of COVID-19 border control measures in March. However, the number of tourists was only 7,903 in July while the figure was just 252 in June, released by the Immigration Services Agency.