Personal Tourist Visa To Japan Available From July

According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from July 1, 2009, Chinese visitors will be able to apply for personal tourist visas to Japan.

Currently Chinese visitors can only travel to Japan in a group of at least four people accompanied by travel agency staff.

The first 12 months will be operated as a trial period and only Japanese embassies and consulates in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou can accept visa applications. When the time is ripe, says the ministry, all the Japanese embassies and consulate in China, except for the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong, will be able to accept applications.