Japan plans to allow longer stays for wealthy tourists

Japan is working on a plan to extend the maximum stay for foreign visitors who meet certain income and asset requirements to one year, aiming to encourage spending and real estate investment.
     Under the current system, foreigners who come to Japan for tourism may stay up to 90 days. By raising this cap for well-off visitors, the government hopes to attract investment in real estate such as vacation homes and condominiums, as well as make it easier to visit scenic spots in areas outside Tokyo and Kyoto.
     The requirements have not yet been determined. Australia, which has a similar system, limits applicants to those 55 or older with at least 65,000 Australian dollars ($59,956) in annual income and assets of at least 750,000 Australian dollars.
     The government aims to determine age, income and asset requirements by summer, using examples from other countries as a reference, and set up the program as early as this year.
     Japan hopes to double the number of foreign tourists to 20 million a year by 2020. This proposal will be incorporated in a revised plan for encouraging tourism to be completed in June.
     Another measure to be included is setting up a priority lane at Narita and Kansai airports next fiscal year, for foreign VIPs such as government officials and businessmen traveling first class. Such arrangements, which allow arrivals and departures to proceed faster, are common overseas, but none have yet been put in place in Japanese airports.

Nikkei