Starting July 1, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has started an FIT policy for Chinese travelers.

This new policy means that Chinese tourists will be able to choose and independently visit any scenic spots in Japan.

Prior to July, tourists from China were required to travel in groups under the strict control of a travel agency during their trip in Japan.

Last month, Japan published a White Paper that says in 2005, Japan received 6.73 million inbound tourists, an increase of 9.6% compared with the year before.

The Japanese government targets to receive 10 million inbound tourists each year by 2010 when the estimated Chinese outbound tourists will reach about 50 million, so attracting more Chinese tourists is a key for them to achieve this goal.