Hi, my wife and I are planning a trip to Japan next year. During the trip, my wife was hoping to meet a friend who is disabled and mostly wheelchair-bound. Her friend lives in China, and currently the only way they can apply for a Japanese visa is through an approved travel agency in China.

The problem is that some of these agencies are asking for very large deposits alongside the visa application, which makes it difficult to proceed.

I’m wondering if anyone here has experience with this situation or knows of ways to apply for a Japanese visa from China for a disabled adult without such a prohibitive deposit. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

For context, my wife and I are based in the UK, though she is originally from China.

Thank you in advance!