Sabah Government Welcomes Japan's Revised Travel Advisory for East Coast

26 December 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sabah Government welcomes the Japanese Government's recent revision of its travel advisory that had previously restricted its citizens from visiting the east coast of Sabah, according to Datuk Seri Christina Liew, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment.

Describing the development as a positive step forward, she noted that the revision represents only a partial lifting of the ban. Japanese nationals are now permitted to visit Tawau, Sandakan, and Lahad Datu, but travel to the islands off Semporna remains prohibited.

"I understand that this revision occurred just a couple of days ago," Liew stated in a press release on Thursday. "The Consul-General of Japan in Kota Kinabalu, H.E. Yamashita Yoshito, has confirmed that it is not a complete lifting of the travel advisory."

It has been noted that the advisory is available only in Japanese on the website of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Minister expressed optimism that the travel advisory will be fully lifted in the near future, allowing for greater tourism flow between Japan and Sabah.

In 2019, Liew had visited Japan to advocate for the advisory's removal and engage with Japanese officials on the matter.