Japan opens door wider to tourists

TOKYO: Japan hopes the opening of its borders to individual tourists from China will boost its economy, said Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) commissioner Yoshiaki Hompo.

The nation began issuing tourist visas to Chinese individuals yesterday, allowing them to visit Japan for the first time without tour guides.

"Japan and China are the world's second and third largest economies. The meaning of issuing tourist visas to Chinese is far more profound than any other similar issuance," Hompo said.