Kyodo: Japan eyeing visa waiver for Pinoy tourists

The Japanese government is reportedly “making arrangements” to waive visas for tourists from the Philippines and two other Asian countries, according to a report on Kyodo News.

Citing “government sources,” the Kyodo report said the same arrangement is being considered for tourists from Indonesia and Vietnam.

The report said the proposed arrangement aims to draw more tourists from Southeast Asia, including the Muslim population in the region.

Japan is reportedly seeking to achieve its goal of increasing the annual number of foreign visitors to 20 million in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Apart from the Tokyo Olympics, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is eyeing tourism as a pillar of its strategy to spur the country's economic growth, the report also said.

Abe's government is trying to hammer out the arrangements together with Japan's ruling coalition, the report said. — KBK, GMA News