TOKYO - Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Tuesday that a previous plan to relax visa regulations for Chinese visitors would come into effect on Oct 17, with one of the objectives being to boost repeat arrivals and increase bilateral people exchanges.

The ministry said that its plans that were first announced on April 30 this year, involving the scope of Chinese nationals applying for multiple entry visas for short-term stay for the purposes of business and for cultural or intellectual figures, would be expanded, with the length of stay being upped from 5 years to 10.

Also starting in October, Chinese graduate students and alumni of the universities of the Ministry of Education of China will be allowed to submit a certificate of student status or graduation, instead of a document to confirm financial capability that was previously required, the ministry here also said on Tuesday.

The ministry said these new relaxed measures were being put into place to "further advance people-to-people exchanges with China, including improvement of convenience in business activities, as well as increasing repeat visitors and young visitors."