BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- A group of Japanese tourists welcomed the first sunrise of 2025 at a section of the Great Wall in Beijing, observing a customary Japanese practice known as "hatsuhinode." Their journey was made significantly easier by China's recently reinstated visa-free policy for Japanese citizens.
China waived visa requirements for ordinary passport holders from Japan and eight other countries starting Nov. 30, 2024, a move that was well-received by the tourism market.
Travel agencies have reported a significant surge in bookings for China tours, with Japanese travelers eager to explore the cultural, historical and natural attractions of their neighboring country, especially after the disruption of the pandemic.
According to Hankyu Travel International Co., Ltd., one of Japan's largest travel agencies, bookings for China-bound tours between late November and late December surged by 427 percent compared to the previous month.
Shanghai has been one of the most popular destinations for Japanese travelers. After a flight of just 2.5 hours, 82-year-old Masaatsu Kubo arrived in the metropolis in east China for the first time, traveling from his hometown in Takamatsu, Japan.
"My wife often travels to Europe and America, but this time, I must tell her to come to Shanghai as soon as possible. She's already 79, and we can't delay any longer," he said.
While cruising along the Huangpu River, Kubo couldn't stop admiring the dazzling night views along the Bund. "I worked in Tokyo in my younger years, and Shanghai's night view is just as magnificent as Tokyo's."
During their trip, Kubo and his group, composed mainly of elderly travelers, also leisurely explored the ancient Yuyuan Garden, enjoyed traditional Chinese tea snacks and indulged in a crab feast at a well-known local restaurant.
Unlike first-time visitor Kubo, Yuko Furuya, a fan of China's giant pandas, recently made her third visit to the country. This time she came without applying for a visa. "Now, I can fly to China anytime to see the pandas," she said.
"The visa-free policy is a major boon for panda fans in Japan, allowing them to travel easily and spontaneously," said Wang Jing, head of the Japan division at a travel agency based in Sichuan.
"We are seeing growing interest not just in Beijing and Shanghai, but also in destinations like Xi'an, Chengdu and Hangzhou," said Ouyang An, director of the China National Tourism Administration Tokyo Office.
The growing enthusiasm for travel to China among Japanese tourists is also backed by China's increasingly optimized tourism infrastructure, and more tourist-friendly services, such as convenient payment tools. Furuya noted that during her visit to the Bifengxia panda base in Ya'an, Sichuan Province, she traveled by China's high-speed rail, subway and taxis, and found the transport very convenient.
The resumption of visa-free travel for holders of ordinary Japanese passports comes at a time when China is actively seeking to promote inbound tourism, facilitate business and people-to-people exchanges, and enhance its global openness.
China's National Immigration Administration on Tuesday announced that China saw 64.88 million cross-border trips made by foreigners in 2024, up 82.9 percent from a year earlier. Among them, more than 20 million inbound trips by foreigners were made visa-free, a year-on-year increase of 112.3 percent.
"The visa-free policy is a practical way to build trust and understanding between China and Japan," said Chen Zilei, director of the Japan Economic Research Center at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.
"It also sends a strong message about China's commitment to opening up and promoting people-to-people connections," Chen added.
Data from Chinese online travel agency Ctrip shows that from Dec. 31, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025, the overall number of inbound tourism orders in China doubled year on year, with orders for inbound tourism from Japan soaring by 145 percent.
With international flight routes between the two countries operating at 75 percent of pre-pandemic levels, airlines and travel agencies are optimistic that the visa-free policy will further boost cross-border exchanges and create more business opportunities.
The experiences shared online by early birds of the visa-free policy also gave a boost to the China Travel trend in Japan. Following the success of his earlier Shanghai content in 2024, Japanese travel blogger Osada recently released videos of his trip to Beijing. He explored Qianmen Street at night, hiked the Great Wall, and visited Houhai, describing them as "unparalleled experiences."
Commenting on one of his posts, a Japanese netizen wrote: "The kindness of the Chinese people moved me; they are so nice, I want to go to China." ■