On December 25, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya visited Beijing and revealed a plan to relax visa requirements for Chinese tourists, according to a Nikkei report.
The key measures include:
*Introducing a 10-year multiple-entry tourist visa.
*Extending the stay period for group tour visas from 15 days to 30 days.
*Chinese citizens aged 65 or older will no longer need to provide employment proof for individual visa applications.
*The three-month entry rule for 3-year multiple-entry individual visas will be scrapped.
These eased measures are expected to take effect in spring 2025 after preparations are completed.
International flights between China and Japan have restored to 75% of 2019 levels, with Japan ranked as the top overseas destination for Chinese tourists this year.
Trip.com Group’s data show that bookings to Japan by Chinese tourists have increased by over 160% year-over-year, with Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka being the most popular destinations.
From January to October, South Korea led with 732,100 visitors to Japan, while mainland China followed closely with 582,800 visitors.
Despite slower recovery in China-Japan routes compared to Japan-South Korea routes, Chinese tourist arrivals are nearly on par with South Korean numbers.
With the simplified visa policy, China is expected to soon surpass South Korea and reclaim its position as Japan’s largest source market for inbound tourists.
