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The Japanese government will waive visa fees for foreigners who plan to visit the three disaster-hit prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima. The policy will be in effect for five years.

Government officials hope the fee waiver will boost tourism to the Tohoku region. Currently, a single-entry visa costs 3,000 yen and a multiple entry visa costs 6,000 yen.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about 77,000 tourists visited the three disaster-hit prefectures in 2010. Of that number, about 20,000 needed visas.

Source: Nikkei