Paris (France) 2022-09-22T22:30:00.000ZAfter more than two years of restrictions related to Covid-19, Japan has decided to reopen its borders to tourists.The announcement was made this Thursday (22/09), in a message posted on Twitter by the Minister of Digital Policy, Taro Kono."Finally, Japan will reopen its borders," Kono said on Twitter, ahead of an expected speech by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in New York."The visa waiver is back, with no daily limits and free individual visits," he added, without specifying the effective date or how many countries the measure would apply to.He also said the country would remain prudent to "not repeat the same mistakes."Daily arrivals to Japan have been steadily increasing since the beginning of the year and recently reached 50,000.In June, the Japanese government authorized the return of foreign tourists, but only as part of package tours.This device was expanded in early September to authorize individual stays, but still through a travel agency.Finally, Japan will reopen the border.Visa waiver is back, no daily limit and free individual visits.The country's government also required, until now, that travelers be vaccinated three times and present a negative test for covid-19, upon arrival in the country.Japan did not resort to lockdown during the pandemic, but the use of masks, without being imposed by the authorities, remains widespread in public places and transport.The devaluation of the yen, which has lost 20% of its value against the dollar since the beginning of the year, should make Japan even more attractive to many visitors.An inflow of foreign exchange could help stem the fall of the national currency and give a boost to the economic recovery.The death rate from the coronavirus has been relatively low in the country (less than 35 deaths per 100,000 population).Japan should, however, take some time to reach again the 31.9 million foreign visitors per year, as in 2019, with a financial return of around € 34 million annually.In Japan, most of this money, at the time, was generated by Chinese visitors, who bought a lot of electronics and cosmetics in the country and represented, along with the inhabitants of Hong Kong, 37% of foreign visitors to the country.But because China has adopted a strict policy regarding the virus, many Chinese cannot leave the territory for now.Tourists from other countries, however, should take advantage of the reopening of Japanese borders.Foreign analysts believe, however, that this demand will not come from European travelers, who will have to choose to save in the face of high inflation and the effects of the Ukraine war, which does not appear to be close to an end.You who have come this far and who believe in an autonomous media committed to the truth: we need your contribution.Information must be free and accessible to all, but producing it with quality comes at a cost, which is essentially borne by our solidary subscribers.Choose the best way for you to contribute to our journalistic project, which looks at the world from Latin America and Brazil.Against fake news, quality journalism is the best vaccine!Opera Mundi was created in 2008. It covers more than a decade of coverage of the international political scene, from a unique Brazilian perspective.Only the support of netizens allows us to survive and expand the project.Thanks.Bonn (Germany) 2022-09-23T12:48:00.000ZDespite opposition from Kiev and the international community, so-called referendums began on Friday (23/09) on Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow.For Kiev and the West, it is "a farce".The parliaments of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, recognized by the Kremlin on February 21, announced the referendum on Tuesday, which was joined by the Kherson and Zaporijia regions in the south, partly under Russian rule. .Together, the four regions correspond, more or less, to the size of the territories of Portugal or Hungary.The vote will continue until next Tuesday (27.09) and has the support of Russia.The insurgents want to speed up the vote amid the successes achieved by Ukraine in its counter-offensive, which has resulted in the retaking of territories in the south and east of the country.The controversial vote in the occupied regions, on the eve of the seven-month war, came to be considered more seriously by Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a series of setbacks by Russian troops.Russia wants to use the alleged results of the referendum to justify the incorporation of areas occupied by separatists loyal to the Kremlin and uses the argument of "the people's right to self-determination".The Kremlin justified the invasion of the neighboring country by reaffirming the need to "liberate" Donetsk and Lugansk, the two provinces that make up the Donbass region, where the majority of the population adopts the Russian language."Since the beginning of the operation, we have said that the peoples of the territories should decide for themselves about their destinies, and the current situation confirms that they want to be the masters of their own destinies," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.Separatist leader Denis Pushilin spoke of a historic day in the "People's Republic of Donetsk"."This referendum is crucial, it is a step forward for a new reality," he said, in a video posted on Telegram.In the Zaporijia region, voting takes place only in the parts controlled by Russian troops.The regional capital itself is controlled by Ukraine.The Lugansk region announced that citizens who fled to Russia would also be able to vote.Hours after the referendums were announced, Putin announced a partial military mobilization, in which 300,000 reservists must be summoned - which provoked protests with more than 1,400 detainees and attempts to flee the country en masse, with crowded flights.Neither Ukraine nor the international community will recognize the vote as they consider the referendums to be false, as they are held without Ukraine's consent, under martial law and not in accordance with democratic principles.Furthermore, the free work of independent international observers was also not possible.In the new referendums, Russia follows the same model adopted at the time of the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. A "referendum" would have resulted in 97% support for separation from Ukraine, but the vote was never recognized internationally.The European Union (EU) and the United States have repeatedly condemned these votes, which they consider illegitimate and fraudulent.German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the "referendum" is in clear violation of international law."It is very, very clear that this staged referendum will not be accepted as it is not covered by international law or the understanding reached by the international community," he said.If Moscow formally annexes the separatist-controlled regions, Putin would essentially be challenging the US and its European allies to risk direct military confrontation with Russia, the world's biggest nuclear power.You who have come this far and who believe in an autonomous media committed to the truth: we need your contribution.Information must be free and accessible to all, but producing it with quality comes at a cost, which is essentially borne by our solidary subscribers.Choose the best way for you to contribute to our journalistic project, which looks at the world from Latin America and Brazil.Against fake news, quality journalism is the best vaccine!Opera Mundi was created in 2008. 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