At the end of March, ­Japan’s National Tourism ­Organization unveiled a glossy website aimed at international visitors looking to experience the country’s famous hospitality. An introductory video presents sweeping views of lush green islands dotting a cerulean bay, sleek hotel rooms boasting breathtaking views and a mouthwatering close-up of elegantly prepared seafood.

Good luck experiencing any of it in person.

In a normal year, this would be peak season for tourism to Japan. But as the cherry blossoms burst into bloom along Kyoto’s ancient, temple-lined alleys and boat tours ply the waters of Tokyo’s flower-lined rivers, Japanese tourists largely have the spectacular display to themselves.

The country sealed its borders to most foreign travelers early in the pandemic and has only recently begun to allow a slow drip of students and businesspeople to return — a sharp contrast to most of its Asian neighbors who, with the major exception of China, have substantially eased their travel restrictions.

Those hoping to visit ­Japan for fun shouldn’t hold their breath. Despite the national tourism organization’s wishful thinking, Koichi Wada, the head of Japan’s tourism agency, told parliament last month that “it’s ­exceedingly difficult to forecast the long-term trends for inbound tourism.”

The reasons are clear: As much of the rest of the world has decided to pretend the pandemic is over, Japanese politicians and the public have maintained a more cautious approach. While there is no definitive evidence that the border controls have kept case numbers low, they have been enormously popular with people at home. More than 65% of respondents in a recent poll by the public broadcaster NHK approved of the measures or felt they should be strengthened.

And with an important parliamentary election coming up in July, the country’s political leadership is unlikely to do anything that might endanger their party’s chances of winning a comfortable majority, i.e., risking a rise in coronavirus cases by reopening the country to tourism.

It’s not clear when restrictions might be rolled back, but it certainly won’t happen before the election, said James Brady, the head Japan analyst at Teneo, a risk advisory consulting firm.

But there may be some incremental movement once votes are in. Then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida “would have the flexibility to start rolling things back and opening up,” Brady said, adding that the other major factor will be the Japanese government’s assessment of how the pandemic is playing out in China and South Korea, Japan’s two largest sources of tourism.

Even then, policymakers — with an eye on public sentiment — are likely to remove the restrictions bit by bit. The idea that Japan has had the most stringent travel restrictions on foreigners among the Group of 7 nations has played well domestically, regardless of whether they have had any actual impact on the country’s ability to control the virus, said Hideki Yamamoto, a professor of health policy at Teikyo University.

The fact is Japan has had much more success fighting the pandemic than virtually all other wealthy nations, managing to keep infection numbers and overall death rates comparatively low without resorting to the hard lockdowns seen in some other countries. Even at the height of the pandemic this past February, daily case counts only once exceeded 100,000.

It’s unclear what accounts for Japan’s success in fighting the virus. Most experts credit the public’s embrace of public health recommendations along with high vaccination rates — nearly 80% of the population has received at least two shots and more than 40% have three. But other, sometimes eccentric, theories have also been tossed around, ranging from Japan’s preference for bowing over handshakes to hardier genetics.

Whatever the real reason, the public perception is that the restrictions on foreigners have been highly effective. (Most people ignore the inconvenient fact that Japanese nationals have been able to leave and enter the country as they please.)

Of course, not everyone supports keeping the country closed to tourists. The restrictions have crushed some local economies that have come to rely on guests from China, South Korea and more distant locales. Ski resorts in the Japanese Alps, spa towns in Kyushu and tropical islands far off the beaten path have all found themselves in dire financial straits.

Shutting down the country’s tourism industry likely cost Japan at least $90 billion in 2020 alone, according to one study by a professor at Kansai University.

Businesses anxious for the return of tourists have been helped out by large government subsidies and also a boost in domestic tourism that has come as Japanese travelers have become more reluctant to risk the complications, and possible health implications, of taking vacations abroad.

Japan is allowing 7,000 people to enter the country each day, a number that includes students, business travelers, residents and Japanese nationals. Entry requirements remain stiff for most travelers.

In an email, Japan’s cultural affairs agency, which assisted with the creation of the new tourism website, said that — while it’s unclear when tourists might be able to return — “there will definitely come a time when it will be possible to visit Japan.”

Until then, “we’re promoting Japan’s charms online.”

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