Japan to issue tourist visas to Chinese individuals starting Wednesday

Monday 29th June, 02:55 PM JST

TOKYO —

Japan will start issuing tourist visas to Chinese individuals Wednesday, responding to demands from Chinese people that they be able to enjoy their stay in Japan without the presence of tour guides, a Foreign Ministry official said Monday. Applications for the visa will be accepted at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing and the consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou during the first year. The service will be expanded to other diplomatic offices in China if conditions are judged appropriate. The latest move is in line with a bilateral agreement reached during Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso’s visit to China in April.

The visas will be issued when an individual ‘‘meets certain requirements’’ in terms of income, occupation and other factors, as well as the individual’s family members. Japan basically has in mind the wealthy class, the official said. So far, Japan has accepted Chinese tourists traveling in a group attended by tour guides from both the Chinese and Japanese sides. Including individual Chinese tourists, Japan expects the total number of Chinese visitors to Japan to increase by 250,000 to 1.25 million in 2010 from 2008, generating an estimated 40 billion yen, the official said.

Kyodo

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9 Comments

timorborder at 03:24 PM JST - 29th June

So it is good bye to South Americans of Japanese descent, and hello to Chinese tourists (nod, nod, wink, wink).
moonbeams at 06:27 PM JST - 29th June

This is sick discrimination. Shame
jonnyboy at 07:05 PM JST - 29th June

why on earth has japan been restricting travel to chinese nationals at all up until now? i can understand china restricting the movements of the japanese, but vice versa? i thought it was only china that was the repressive regime? whatever happened to taking the moral high ground/soft diplomacy?
illsayit at 07:15 PM JST - 29th June

whatcha y'all talking about they can get a visa? couldnt they get one before?! I thought things were open?
griff at 07:28 PM JST - 29th June

whatcha y'all talking about they can get a visa? couldnt they get one before?! I thought things were open?

it seems not. are there any other countries with such restrictions placed upon them? i thought japan was a 1st world nation
Den Den at 11:25 PM JST - 29th June

Cool, I can give em a job for 350 yen an hour.
maglev101 at 11:36 PM JST - 29th June

out of all nationalities, chinese tourists spend the most on overseas trips.
OssanAmerica at 12:24 AM JST - 30th June

why on earth has japan been restricting travel to chinese nationals at >all up until now?

Probably because so many Chinese seek to emigrate to a wealthier country like Japan, or send money back home and as a result often go AWOL after entry.

i can understand china restricting the movements of the japanese, but >vice versa?

China doesn't have a problem with Japanese (or anyone else for that matter) overstaying their visas and remaining in China.

i thought it was only china that was the repressive regime? whatever >happened to taking the moral high ground/soft diplomacy?

This isn't repression. Censoring the news, historical facts, commentaries for the purpose of maintaining control over a country's own populace is repression. Immigration rules which prohibit or limit nationals from LEAVING the country would be repression. Immigration and entry rules towards foreigners ENTERING the country are not.
bdiego at 03:10 AM JST - 30th June

Exactly, I personally know dozens of friends and relatives that are actively planning to illegally immigrate to Japan and the US as we speak. Get a clue.