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China Opens Door for Citizens to Travel to Japan
Chinese citizens are allowed to visit Japan at their own expense from September, according to a recent Sino-Japanese agreement.
Japan thus becomes the seventh country that officially receives Chinese tourists, following Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
At present, however, only residents in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong are permitted to travel to Japan at their own expense.
The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) will designate 21 travel agencies in the three places to host tourists to Japan, sources said.
The visa to Japan is for 15 days and remains effective for three months. It will be issued by local Japanese embassies and consulates. Each tour group should consist of at least five people, but no more than 40.
An official from the China International Travel Service (CITS), the country's largest travel agency, noted that Japan will be very attractive for Chinese tourists, but travel cost in Japan is very expensive.
"Even a bowl of noodle will cost about 60 to 70 yuan (about eight U.S. dollars)," he said, "People may have to pay 20,000 yuan (2409.6 U.S. dollars) for an eight-day visit to Japan."
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