Fumio Kishida

Japan has announced to reopen visa-free travel for tourists in to the country, as COVID-19 recedes in the country. This marks some of world’s toughest border control being lifted. Visitors will now be welcomed to Japan after two years of pandemic isolation. With this, the tourism industry is expected to boom in the coming months. Just over half a million visited Japan in 2022, compared to 31.8 million in 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will most likely attend the official farewell ceremony of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. He is also expected to hold a meeting with current Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. The state funeral is scheduled to take place on September 27, in Tokyo. Notably, Abe was assassinated while giving a campaign speech on July 8, in the city of Nara.

The 64-year-old Fumio Kishida will become Japan's new Prime Minister as he won the ruling party leadership election in a run-off vote. The former Foreign Minister defeated former Defence and Foreign Minister Taro Kono in a second-round run-off vote. Two female contenders, Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda, dropped out after the first round. Kishida is regarded as soft-spoken and belongs to a Hiroshima family of politicians.