The Number of Visas Issued to Visitors to Japan Is a Record High

choi

訪日外国人への発給ビザ数 過去最高に. NHK, May 25, 2015.
www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20150525/k10010090501000.html

Note:
(a) 日本發入境簽證爆增中國人佔70%. BBC Chinese, May 25, 2015
www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/trad/worl ... japan_china_tourism

is a poor translation. For example, the translation says, "NHK周一（5月25日）引述外務省公布的統計說，去年日本駐外使、領館對外國人發放入境簽證約287.38萬件，超過前年訪日外國人已開始增加時的1.5倍。"  Does that mean an increase of 50% or 150%. (The answer is the former.)

So I elect to have the primary material, NHK,
(b) my own rough translation:

Last year, the number of visas issued to foreign visitors to Japan increased, to become 1.5 times of that (number) of the year before last--a record high. (Japan's) Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MFA] made it a policy to staff more in embassy and consulates in China, to issue lots of visas.  Due to depreciation of Japanese yen [relative to US dollar], tourists from Asia hiked. According to MFA, overseas embassies issued a total of 2.87 million visas, a 54% increase than the year before last, a record high.  Sorted by the nations, China received more than 70% of those visas, followed by the Philippines and Indonesia (in that order).  Since the beginning of this year, the number of Visas to Chinese is more than twice that for the same period of last year. MFA wonders whether fewer restrictions to Chinese would-be visitors (put in place last January) plays a major role.  MFA contemplates a hike of visa fees, due to staff swelling and higher expense in visa paper and printing.
(c) Japan allows passport holders of Hong Kong, Macau, Korea, Taiwan and US to visit visa-free not more than 90 days. Similarly S Korea permits passport holders of Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Taiwan and US to do the same.


(2) Japan's Tourist Industry Trumps Korea's. Chosun Ilbo, May 23, 2015.
english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/05/23/2015052300473.html

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