A long-anticipated proposal to grant 10-year multiple-entry visas to high-income Chinese tourists, extend group tour stays from 15 to 30 days, and ease paperwork for elderly travellers has yet to be implemented.
The plan, announced by Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya during a visit to Beijing in December, was described by another government source as “a card played to get China to resolve pending issues”, referring to Beijing’s then-unresolved ban on Japanese seafood imports.
But members of the foreign affairs committee of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) criticised the move as “premature” and warned it could exacerbate overtourism. A senior Foreign Ministry official confirmed the visa easing timeline remained “undecided”, saying only that the government “will continue careful examinations”.
