Japan will further ease the visa requirements for Chinese citizens of as part of its plan to attract 40 million foreign tourists every year by 2020.
Japan's ministry of foreign affairs said on its website the 5-year multi-entry visas for the Chinese will be extended to 10 years, particularly for business people, academics and artists. Previously, multiple-entry individual visas were issued to high-income Chinese tourists with a 5-year validity.
The single-entry visa application procedures will be simplified for students from 75 universities under the direct supervision of China's ministry of education. These include registered undergraduates and post-graduates, as well as alumni who have graduated from the 75 schools within three years.
The plan was adopted at a meeting of a ministerial council that works on promoting Japan as a tourism-oriented country, the Japan Times said. The new visa rules are expected to be carried out before this summer.
This announcement was made after Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, last month in Beijing. This was the first since the meeting held in Seoul in November 2015.
Japan is one of the favorite overseas destinations for Chinese holidaymakers. Data from the Japan National Tourism Organization shows the number of Chinese tourists to Japan more than doubled last year to five million.
Apart from Japan, many other countries have already issued 10-year visas for Chinese citizens. In November 2014, the US started issuing multi-entry business and tourist visas valid for up to 10 years for Chinese citizens.
Apart from the Chiense, Russians and Indians will also benefit from Japan's more liberalised visa rules.
