Japan Raises Visa Fees as Chinese Tourists Pull Back

Chinese tourists, already pulling back from Japan amid deteriorating relations between Beijing and Tokyo, will face sharply higher visa costs starting July 1 under a fee increase approved by the Japanese government.

Japan’s cabinet on June 19 formally approved raising foreign-visitor visa fees to five times their current levels. The fee for a single-entry visa will rise to 15,000 yen, from 3,000 yen, or about 630 yuan ($93). The fee for a multiple-entry visa will increase to 30,000 yen, from 6,000 yen, or about 1,260 yuan. The new fees will apply to applications submitted on or after July 1.