Chinese tourists are seen carry Japanese goods in Japan. [File Photo/163.com]

Japan's foreign ministry announced on Friday that Japan will take new measures to relax visa regulations for Chinese visitors, starting May 8, the Japanese Embassy in China said in a statement on its official website.

The new measures will lower economic requirements for Chinese nationals applying for multiple-entry visas, expand the number of counties in northeastern Japan that are open to Chinese nationals with multiple-entry visas from three to six, as well as simplify requirements for Chinese nationals applying for single-entry visas. The new measures will also allow Chinese nationals living abroad to apply for multiple-entry visas to Japan.

Over 6.37 million Chinese tourists visited Japan last year. According to the statement, Japan's foreign ministry hopes that these relaxed measures will attract even more Chinese visitors, in addition to advancing people-to-people exchanges between Japan and China.