American with permanent visa in Japan seeks Chinese multiple-entry visa

Hi...I'm an American living in Japan. I want to visit more parts of China this year and next as a tourist, but I have no set schedule or itinerary yet. I just came back from Shanghai and the tourist L I used was 29,000 yen (travel agent fees included) for a single-entry. Can I get a multiple-entry one for a one-year period even if I don't have specific dates or locations decided yet?