A poll of Japanese teenagers found that they generally supported the opening up of borders to international tourists after more than two years of tight restrictions.
The Nippon Foundation conducted an online survey in late October, targeting 1,000 participants aged 17 through 19, to find out how young people view the relaxation of Japan’s COVID-19 border measures.
The results revealed that 74.7% of all respondents “support” or “somewhat support” changes making entry easier for foreign visitors, the number for which has dropped significantly since 2020. At 78.4%, boys in particular supported the move.
Among the reasons for agreeing with easing border measures, an overwhelming 63.7% said it “will lead to economic recovery,” followed by 36.3% who “want to quickly return to pre-pandemic daily life,” and 35.9% who think it “will lead to regional revitalization.”
In contrast, many of the respondents who were against relaxation of the border measures raised concerns about overseas travelers bringing COVID-19 or other infectious diseases into the country.
Along with relaxation of border measures, 67.5% of respondents thought that the recent depreciation of the yen would lead to an increased number of foreign tourists visiting Japan. Meanwhile, only 36.3% felt that outbound tourists from Japan would increase.
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)
Read in other languages