Tokyo's shopping districts see an increasing number of mainland tourists as Japan eases travel restrictions
Not long ago, Toshiko Marks needed to do a spot of shopping in Tokyo's Ginza district, long considered the most exclusive retail district in Japan.
To her surprise, what was once the credit-card playground of the well heeled had changed dramatically. It was still busy with consumers snapping up brand-name products, but now they were mostly Chinese tourists.
'They seemed to be buying up everything they could get their hands on - cosmetics brands such as Shiseido, clothing, anything,' said Marks, a professor of cultural understanding at Shumei University.
'It reminded me of when Japanese tourists first had the money to go on what were then exotic holidays - to places such as Paris and London - and bought things that we could buy in Japan, but it was just somehow better to be able to buy them there and have them in bags that had Harrods or Galeries Lafayette on the side,' she said.
In July, the Japanese government eased regulations on Chinese tourists, the latest gradual relaxation in visa rules that saw the number of mainlanders visiting Japan hit a record one million last year. That figure is likely to be down marginally this year, according to the Japan National Tourist Organisation (JNTO), due to the global economic crisis and swine flu. Nevertheless, it is expected to rebound quickly.
Furthermore, the new administration of the left-leaning Democratic Party of Japan has indicated that its priorities in foreign relations would be Asia, as opposed to the United States.
'I think Japanese travel agencies can provide finely tuned services and hospitality, and this will help to dramatically increase the number of tourists coming to Japan,' Seiji Maehara, the tourism minister, said after meeting his Chinese counterpart last month.
Tourist visas were first granted to mainlanders in 2000, and only then if they travelled in tightly organised tour groups. The requirements were eased last year, when wealthy Chinese families were permitted to travel independently in Japan and visas could be obtained by individuals. Applicants are required to show they have an annual income of 250,000 yuan (HK$284,240).
Japan's position has been based on concerns that Chinese tourists may abscond once they are in Japan and remain illegally.
The regulations being proposed by Maehara's ministry would enable travel agencies to bring groups of Chinese tourists to Japan.
Shao Qiwei, Beijing's tourism minister, said that his agency would soon begin examining Japanese travel companies to determine the best business partners.
Japan's tourism industry has welcomed the developments.
'We are very keen to have a more open policy for Chinese tourists and we are doing all we can to attract more visitors from there, particularly at the luxury end of the market and those in the Mice sector - meeting, incentive, conference and event,' said Zenbon Tei, a JNTO spokesman in Tokyo.
About 77 per cent of mainland visitors spent time in Tokyo, he said, with shopping high on their list of priorities. Ginza, Shinjuku and Akihabara, famous for its cutting-edge electronic appliances, were the most popular areas.
The JNTO has run a mainland marketing campaign, targeting high-end customers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, assisted by cheaper and more frequent direct flights.
Tokyo is also hoping to expand other sectors. In a meeting in Seoul last month, Japan came out in strong support of a three-way proposal with China and South Korea for a student-exchange programme based on the European Erasmus scheme.
When implemented, university students from the three countries will be able to study at institutions in any of the countries without incurring extra tuition fees. Classroom credits earned overseas would be recognised at home.
