Hello. I'm a US citizen residing in Kagoshima, Japan, and wish to obtain a Chinese visa so that I can visit a friend in Guangzhou. If I understand correctly I have to apply for the visa in person at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, and that it takes four days to process. Do I also need to pick up the visa in Tokyo?

Once arriving in China, I need to present the visa, a two-way ticket, and hotel reservations. However, I plan to stay with a friend. Is it acceptable to provide her address instead of the hotel reservations?

Thanks in advance, Carl