With effect from 1 July 2009, Japan will issue visas to individual mainland Chinese tourists with ‘good references in terms of occupation, financial resources and other factors'.
The policy change is in line with the country's bilateral agreement signed during Japan Prime Minister Taro Aso's visit to China in April 2009.
Prior to this, Japan only issued visas to mainland Chinese tourists travelling in groups of five to 40 people accompanied by Japanese and mainland Chinese tour guides, as well as issuing visas to two to three people travelling as a family (also with a tour guide), given that the family has an annual income of US$36,700.
Japan expects the total number of mainland Chinese visitors to increase to 1.25 million by 2010.
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