I heard about that regulation sometime before. But when my

I heard about that regulation sometime before. But when my sister who lives in US wanted to have a stop-over in Japan for sightseeing on her way to China in Oct, she was told by Japanese consulate that she needed a visa, and she got the following email for them:

Here is the list of your visa requirements. Please note that additional
documents may be necessary.

1. An application form completed and signed. Chinese citizens must
write their names in Chinese characters, as well as in Roman letters.
The application form must be fill out completely. For example, if the
applicant has no criminal record, please write "none" on the appropriate
line.
2. Valid passport with sufficient space for visa stamp.
3. A 2-inch square photograph, taken within six months of application.
This photo must be glued to the application form. NOTE: GLUE ONLY,
please do not staple or tape.
4. Green Card.
5. A printed reservation from the airline company, or the reliable
travel agency, showing travel to and from Japan, including dates and
flight numbers.
6. 3 most recent monthly bank statements (complete originals plus
copies of all pages)
7. A letter from the applicant's employer, directed to this Consulate,
noting salary, length of employment, position, and dates of vacation.

The process here usually takes four business days. If you have further
questions, please reply this email.

Visa Dept.
Consulate General of Japan

However, compared with what was required for Chinese passport holders several years ago, this is already a big improvement: They used to require applicants to submit much more documents, even their resumes!
Posted by JH at 2004-12-05 06:59:03
Commented on
Rejected by ANA and Postponed Travel