Japan may allow more China tourists

The Liberal Democratic Party is considering a plan that would call on the government to expand visa issuances for Chinese tourists.

LDP lawmakers said Thursday the move is in line with the government's "Visit Japan" campaign to double the number of foreign visitors to Japan by 2010.

An LDP panel on the campaign decided the same day to compile an interim report by March 19 on specific campaign measures, including the expansion of visa issuances for Chinese, they said.

The tourism campaign gives priority to the United States, South Korea, China and Taiwan.

The number of Chinese visitors to Japan has been limited to around 30,000 annually because Japan only issues tourist visas for group tour participants from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong Province.