During his visit to Beijing on December 25, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya announced the relaxation of visa requirements for Chinese citizens, including the establishment of a 10-year tourist visa and the extension of the stay period for group travel visas from 15 days to 30 days, in order to promote economic and cultural exchanges between China and Japan.

Iwaya made the remarks at a high-level dialogue to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Japan. Chinese participants included Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and foreign minister. The move also echoes China’s reintroduction of a visa exemption policy for short-stay Japanese citizens since November.

Currently, the “multiple-entry tourist visas” used by Chinese citizens for personal travel are valid for three years and five years. The newly established 10-year visa is mainly for the wealthy class, and the issuance conditions include higher annual income and asset requirements, aiming to provide convenience for the wealthy class to promote their consumption in Japan.

    The number of days of stay for tourist visas for group travel will be increased from 15 to 30 days. This move will enable travel agencies to arrange longer trips while increasing the choice of travel destinations, including the opportunity to visit regional cities rather than just areas with convenient transportation.