TOKYO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Thursday relaxed visa rules applicable to Chinese nationals to encourage more tourists to visit and help boost the nation's flagging retail sector.
In July 2009, Japan began granting individual tourist visas to Chinese nationals who earn 250,000 yuan (36,000 U.S. dollars) a year or more, but the conditions have been eased to encourage more Chinese people to choose Japan as their vacation destination spot.
"Chinese middle-class families with certain income level and employment status can also make individual trips to Japan, without joining group tours," Takahisa Kashiwagi, executive director at the Beijing office of the Japan National Tourism Organization ( JNTO), was quoted as saying recently.
