Bookings start for trips to and from Tokyo under subsidy program

Japanese travel agencies and hotels began Friday accepting reservations for domestic trips to and from Tokyo starting Oct. 1 under the government's subsidy program, which was launched in July excluding the capital due to a spike in coronavirus cases there.

The central government hopes the "Go To Travel" initiative, which currently offers a 35 percent discount and will cover half of travelers' costs from Oct. 1, will stimulate domestic travel hit hard by the virus pandemic.