“The relaxation of visa requirements is expected to contribute to the improvement of convenience for tourists and increase in repeat visitors.

Filipinos planning to have a short-term stay in Japan will have an easier time getting a visa.

Effective Thursday, 1 August, the Japanese government has eased visa requirements based on Tokyo’s “Tourism Vision Realization Program 2018,” which seeks to further promote people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the Philippines.

According to the Japan Embassy in Manila, the scope of applicants eligible for multiple-entry visas for short-term stay with business purposes and for cultural and intellectual figures will be expanded.

Among others, the validity period of the visas will be extended from five to 10 years maximum.

“The abovementioned relaxation of visa requirements is expected to contribute to the improvement of convenience for tourists and increase in repeat visitors, as well as further advancement of people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines,” the embassy said in a statement.

The relaxation coincides with the 62nd year celebration of Tokyo and Manila’s normalization of diplomatic relations