JAPAN’S embassy in Manila yesterday said efforts are being taken to process Filipino tourist visas within five working days.
The embassy said this is part of the overall effort of their government to entice more Filipinos to visit Japan and to further enhance people-to-people relationship.
“Japan places great importance on its bilateral relationship with the Philippines and the people-to-people exchanges that form the foundation of that relationship,” the embassy said.
To recall, the embassy last month told Filipino travelers to apply for visa two months in advance.
The embassy said then that this was due to the rapid increase in the number of Filipino tourists, and that the examination of visa application for tourism purposes may take several weeks longer due to the influx.
Japanese Ambassador to Manila Endo Kazuya said 87,100 Filipino tourists visited Japan in November 2024 alone.
He said this was a 37 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.