Japan eases visa requirements for Chinese applicants

Japan's new visa policy for Chinese citizens will take effect next Monday, the Shanghai Morning Post reported on Wednesday.

Japan will relax requirements for three-year, multi-entry visas and the availability of five-year, multiple-entry visas for high-income groups, said a consul at the Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai.

The economic status for Chinese people applying for three-year, multi-entry visas has been lowered from "sufficient" economic capacity to "certain" economic capacity, and five-year, multi-entry visas are open to high-income Chinese tourists.

The consulate will decide what constitutes a "high-income tourist" after considering all aspects of applicants.

The old visa policy will still apply to tourists with visas issued before January 19.

A three-year, multiple-entry visa is still free.

As for applications for five-year, multiple-entry visas, if tourists enter Japan for the first time through one of three earthquake-stricken areas - Fukushima, Iwate or Miyagi - and spend at least one night there, visas will be free.

But if they land elsewhere in Japan, they will be charged 400 yuan ($64.50).

From January to November last year, 2.22 million Chinese visited Japan, a year-on-year rise of 82.2 percent. 80 percent were visiting Japan for the first time.