Japan is now open to Filipino tourists provided they book their trip through an accredited Japan-based tour operator.

The eased entry protocol took effect Friday, covering leisure travelers from 98 countries and territories on the “blue list”, including the Philippines, United States, Britain, China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand, according to Kyodo News Agency.

“Yes (Filipinos can come) but it is not yet fully opened. It’s just for participants of a package organized by an agent in Japan,” Counselor Hideki Makino of the Japanese Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Friday.

The Embassy said Japanese tour operators will handle the application of tourists. Once the guided tour is finalized, tourists may then apply for a visa through a travel agent.

The Embassy said fully vaccinated individuals are exempt from quarantine but would have to present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test result taken within 72 hours prior to departure. (PNA)