Some 2,000 tourists from China visited Okinawa on Apr. 22nd on a big cruise ship.

This was the first group of Chinese to visit Okinawa without having to apply for visas in advance based on the new government regulations simplifying the immigration procedures for visitors coming from foreign countries for short visits to Japan.

The ship was Super Star Virgo, owned by Star Cruises of Malaysia that is a large 75,338-ton cruise ship with a capacity of 2,800 passengers and the crew of 1,300. They left Amoy in Fujian, China, and sailed to Aja New Port, Naha.

A 41-year-old male tourist visiting Okinawa for the first time said, “The U.S. military bases on Okinawa are very famous in China, so I would like to see them.”

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