Forward momentum in Asian relations is always welcome, but the path to better international understanding seems to zigzag more than flow straight ahead. A case in point occurred last week, when the Japanese government started issuing tourist visas to Chinese individuals. That sounds like a solid sign of improved ties between Asia's two largest powers.
Until now, tourists from China could come to Japan only in a group attended by tour guides.
However, a closer look at the details of the new visa situation reveals that money is more the issue than intercultural exchange. Apparently, individual visas to Chinese will be issued only when individuals meet certain requirements. Initial reports from the English-language press in Hong Kong and in China indicate that those "certain requirements" are an annual income of ¥3.5 million. This is a substantial sum in a country where the average annual income of urban workers is somewhere between ¥350,000 and ¥420,000. In other words, only wealthy Chinese need apply.