Niseko open up to Chinese Skiers! July 16 2009, 1:21pm via thevaleniseko.com

On July 1st, Chinese wishing to visit Japan will find it easier to obtain a travel visa.  The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the changes to encourage more Chinese tourists to Japan.

Previously legislation prevented independent travelers to Japan. Visa applications had to be done through tour companies in groups of a minimum of four people. Despite this strict regulation Chinese visitors to Japan rose by more than 500% in four years; from 64,426 people in 2004, to 350,811 in 2008 (Asahi Shimbun). Chinese visitors to Niseko grew by over 450% between 2004 and 2008 (Kutchan government data).

Under the newly introduced legislation travel visas will be issued to independent travelers provided they earn at least JPY 3,500,000 (approx US$35,000) a year. It is anticipated Japan will receive a surge of wealthy Chinese visitors.

We hope many Chinese will visit Niseko, thanks in part to a mega-hit movie at the Chinese box-office last year which was set in Hokkaido (“If you are the one”), and thanks in part to the superb NPB website will soon be translated into Chinese along with the existing English, Japanese and Korean pages.