Japan okays multiple-entry visa to Chinese tourists

Tokyo - Japan will grant multiple-entry visas from July to Chinese tourists travelling to quake and tsunami hit areas, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The country was devastated by the twin disasters in 2011 that killed thousands of people. The programme requires tourists to stay at least overnight in one of the three prefectures affected  by the quake -- Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi.

Chinese tourists can enter Japan as many times as applied for within three years with a maximum stay of 90 days per visit. They will be free to stay anywhere in Japan from their second visit  onward, Xinhua reported.

The programme is aimed at achieving a recovery in the number of people visiting Japan after the disaster, the ministry said. The number of visas issued to Chinese nationals by Japan had  dropped to 742,982 in 2011, compared to 1.13 million in 2010.