TOKYO -- Japan will consider resuming issuance of long-term visas to foreign business travelers as coronavirus cases decline and other countries make progress on vaccinating their populations, Nikkei has learned.

The move would be part of a broader relaxation of travel curbs that will also include shorter quarantine periods for vaccinated visitors. These measures could be announced this week and are expected to be implemented as soon as early next week.

To qualify for a shorter quarantine, travelers must have received vaccines greenlighted for use in Japan: those from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. The many Southeast Asians who received Chinese-made shots and the 15 million Americans who took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, for example, will be stuck with the 14-day quarantine period for unvaccinated travelers.

Tokyo is scaling back an immigration clampdown that had been imposed in January in response to the emergence of more-contagious coronavirus variants. The focus on business travel aims to promote a return to economic normality.

Long-term business visas are often issued to managerial and medical professionals. Details such as which professions will be eligible for visas under the revised restrictions will be worked out by the government and the ruling coalition.

Companies receiving foreign nationals will be required to monitor their activities. The government is prepared to return to more stringent rules if domestic cases start to rise again.

This follows news Monday that the government plans to start letting in foreigners for short business trips, study abroad and technical training.

Technical interns are in high demand in fields such as agriculture and nursing care, which have pushed for Tokyo to loosen entry controls. Technical interns and foreign students accounted for about 70% of the 370,000 people who were unable to enter Japan despite having precertification for residency as of Oct. 1.

Despite the size of the queue, Japan will continue to limit the number of foreign nationals allowed in per day, to reduce the risk of a fresh wave of coronavirus cases. The current ceiling of 3,500 will be gradually raised to around 5,000.

"A phased relaxation [of the daily cap] is practical considering the risk of a new variant" emerging, said Hiroki Seto at Sompo Risk Management.

The shorter quarantine requirements were introduced for smoother business travel.

Vaccinated travelers, including both Japanese nationals and foreigners with visas, will be required to spend as little as three days in isolation, down from 10 now, contingent on a negative test at the end of that period. Visitors on short business trips will also be eligible for a reduced three-day quarantine if vaccinated.

The three-day term was chosen "based on past results in other countries," a government representative said, without going into further detail.

By contrast, the U.S. vaccine requirement for foreign nationals taking effect Nov. 8 covers shots listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization, including those from China.

Asked whether Japan would expand the list of eligible vaccines, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Tuesday that "we will consider it based on conditions including accumulated knowledge about their effectiveness and controls in other countries."

Corporate Japan is welcoming the relaxation of entry curbs.

"It's a positive for business," Sojitz Chief Financial Officer Seiichi Tanaka said in a virtual news conference, adding that "there were negotiations that couldn't proceed because of the restrictions on overseas travel."

Restaurants that rely heavily on foreign part-time workers are responding positively. "We welcome this step toward economic normalization," said a human resources representative at pub operator Watami.

"It's significant that they're not just shortening the quarantine period, but also streamlining the process in various ways," said a senior official with the Keidanren business lobby, which has pushed for the easing of travel restrictions.

The lobby plans to submit a set of recommendations for further measures to this end, including the elimination of post-entry quarantines, in a set of recommendations to be submitted to the government soon.

Other major economies are also moving to ease entry controls. While the U.S. is mandating vaccines for foreign air travelers, it has no self-isolation requirement. The European Union is encouraging members not to limit travel by those who have received vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency.