U.S., Jan. 21 -- Japan ranked first on the list of popular overseas destinations for Chinese tourists in 2019, taking the top spot from Thailand. More travelers from China are planning their trips to the neighboring country, encouraged by a simplified visa application and expansion of direct flights.

Visa applications increase 28 percent year on year. Among those, the number of multiple visas increased by 87 percent.

Data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) shows that between January and October 2019, the number of tourists from the Chinese mainland to Japan exceeded 8.13 million, up 13.5 percent year on year. Ctrip expects more than 9 million Chinese visitors to Japan this year.

Japan is an appealing destination for Ch...