A few years ago, Chinese tourists engaged in bakugai (explosive shopping spree) in Tokyo's Ginza district made headlines.

But that seems to be a thing of the past, as more Chinese tourists now seek services and experiences unique to Japan. And one of the most prominent fields is medical services.

"In recent years, a larger number of patients come to Japan for therapy and health checkups," said Li Xin, vice president of Hibikojyo, a medical service agency based in Tokyo that has offices in several cities in China, including Beijing and Shanghai. This is "because more hospitals in Japan are ready to receive foreign patients and have loosened the admission criteria," such as accepting more intermediate and advanced cancer patients, he said.