Japan will allow Brazilian tourists to visit the country on short stays without visas starting Sept. 30, the government said Thursday, creating a reciprocal entry exemption between the two nations following a summit earlier this year.
As this year marks the 115th anniversary of Japanese emigration to Brazil, the reciprocal visa exemptions are “expected to further deepen people-to-people, cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries and to promote tourism,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Japan’s visa exemption for Brazilian visitors staying for a maximum of 90 days was announced by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in May.
In 2019, Brazil scrapped its visa requirement for entry by Japanese travelers to the South American nation for short stays, with the aim of reviving a tourism industry that had been sluggish due in part to a deterioration of the domestic security situation.
Brazil, however, said in March it would reinstate the requirement for citizens of Japan to secure tourist visas from Oct. 1 unless Tokyo takes measures to accept visa-free travel for nationals of the South American country. Australia, Canada and the United States were also given the same ultimatum.
The latest decision by Japan spurred Brazil to withdraw the requirement, the ministry said.
Lula, who took office in January, visited Japan in May to attend outreach sessions of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima.