Indonesian Back Japan's Free Visa Policy

Jakarta (Antara) - Indonesian citizens are applauding the Japanese government's plan to implement a free visa policy for Indonesian tourists, which will come into effect next year. "It will absolutely ease and facilitate people to visit Japan. We can imagine that thousands of tourists will visit Japan every year, hence the visa is free," cultural staff officer of Japan Foundation Isma Savitry stated on Tuesday. He claimed that the free visa facility will draw several Indonesian students to travel or study in Japan. "I definitely support the policy. It will be very useful to know each other's cultures and through student exchange, we can gain more experience and can learn from the country," noted a man who has spent eight years of his life in Japan. The Japanese government has proposed to implement a free visa policy for Indonesians travelling to Japan, effective April 2015, as stated by Minister of Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa some time back. In a bid to reciprocate the Japanese government's initiative, the Indonesian government is also in the process of announcing free visa policy for Japanese citizens travelling to Indonesia, Marty noted. However, these free visas can only be availed by those holding e-passports. Travelers will be allowed to stay in Japan for less than 15 days, and they will have to register with the Japanese Embassy or Consulate General in Indonesia before arriving in Japan. Until this initiative comes into effect, Indonesians travelling to Japan will have to apply for a tourist visa. (*) By Roy Rosa Bachtiar