Starting October of this year, Japan is planning to simplify the visa application process for certain groups of Russian tourists in order to activate humanities exchange between both countries, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated during the press conference on the outcomes of the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“This year is the Year of Russian and Japanese Culture. In order to activate humanities cooperation between our countries, starting October of this year, we are planning to implement new measures on simplifying visa application for groups of Russian tourists,” he said. The prime minister did not specify what measures they would take.

Abe also said that Japanese fans were very pleased with the level of hospitality during the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia.

On January 1, Tokyo eased its visa issuance procedure for Russians. The corresponding agreement was dedicated to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Japan in December 2016.

For the most part, the relaxation of visa requirements concerned entrepreneurs, cultural figures and scientists. The multiple entry visa validity period for these categories of citizens expanded from three to five years. Besides, a system of multi-entry visas with a validity period of up to three years and a stay of up to 30 consecutive days has been introduced for the first time. Such visas will be issued for tourists as well. A requirement for obligatory possession of a guarantee letter from a Japanese citizen or a host party when independently organizing a trip to Japan was also abolished.

As a result, the number of Russian tourists visiting Japan grew by 40.8% in 2017 compared to the previous year, and surpassed 77 thousand people.