The Queen Beetle departed from the port of Hakata, in Fukuoka, carrying some 130 people on board.

This first trip responds to compliance with the relaxation of border measures adopted by the government of Japan last month, aiming to boost the deteriorated inbound tourism.

The JR Kyushu company launched the high-speed ferry service back in 1991. To date more than 6.5 million people have been moved between Japan and South Korea, the Kyodo agency reported.

In October, Japan removed the mandatory requirement that foreigners travel in package tours or through domestic agencies.

It also abolished the limit of 50,000 daily arrivals and resumed short-term visa-free entry for travelers out of 68 countries and exempting immigration procedures from before the pandemic.

Tokyo considers that the depreciation of the yen could be a stimulus for foreign tourists, whose currency would contribute to the recovery of the Japanese economy.

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