Originally Posted by
Scifience
The people at the Chinese consulate in Osaka are generally a pain to deal with and will look for any excuse to get rid of you without having to do any paperwork. The best example of this is that they will attempt to refuse all applications for L visas, insisting that all applications must be made as part of a tour group... Arming oneself with printed regulations and being able to argue in Chinese or Japanese will generally get one of the girls behind the counter to acquiesce and accept the forms, but it's always a battle.
The best approach, in my experience, is to employ the services of one of the agencies across the street from the consulate. They'll be able to get you pretty much whatever you want if you pay enough (including two-year F visas and fake[?] invite letters), and should certainly be able to pull off a lowly transit visa for a reasonable charge.
Scifience, it's very interesting what you say, and I see that I'm not the only one who is having trouble with the people at the CG in Osaka.
In fact, every time I had to go to China from here there is one story or another. They now refuse to accept any L visa application made directly in person. Appearently is the "new rule": you must do it through the agency/vegetable store accross the street, although I am completely unable to see this new regulation stated anythere. This is very annoying.
Another time I applied for a double L, with an invitation made by a Chinese citizen including copy of the passaport, copy of the Hukou, address in China, dates, flights, etc., in order to do a private visit. Of course, they consider such application unacceptable. Instead of the original invitation letter, with the original purpose of travel stated, they ask you to pay the store in front of the GC to obtain fake documentation that, unlike the original one, will be accepted without problem
. If I was a suspicious person, I would be inclined to think that there is some business under the table going on there.