He Zhaolai, a retiree from Shanghai's Yangpu District, plans to take a trip to Japan with his wife in late June.

"I've learned that areas around Osaka were scarcely affected by the quake. It's worth going there in June, when the weather is nicer. The price for the trip is also quite good," he said.

However, some prospective tourists are still worried about the possibility of being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.

Zhou Qi, a white-collar worker who has decided to go to the Republic of Korea for her honeymoon in early July, said that even though she enjoys Japan, she chose the ROK for her honeymoon because she is worried about the chance of being exposed to radioactive material.

Although several travel agencies in the Chinese cities of Guangdong and Beijing have resumed booking trips to Japan, their prices have been significantly slashed to convince would-be travellers.

Liang Shaokuan, manager of the Xiaolan office of Guangdong's China International Travel Service, said that itineraries should be designed carefully to avoid areas that have been severely impacted by the quake. These "safe" itineraries will be much more acceptable for prospective tourists, Liang said.