Toshihiro Nikai, center, head of the Japanese delegation, visits Dalian, a coastal city in Liaoning province, on Sunday. Wang Hua / for China Daily

Nikai, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's General Council, said all the delegation members joined voluntarily, showing the importance of people as ambassadors and the traditional ties between the neighbors.

Such exchanges should never be damaged, said Nikai, 76, calling for increasing exchanges between both countries' younger generations.

Nikai delivered a personal letter to Xi from Abe, Japan's Kyodo News said, without giving further details.

Wang Ping, a Japanese studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Beijing is likely to maintain its divided stance to the Japanese people and the administration until Tokyo stops meddling in regional affairs with the United States.

The strained ties risked driving tourists and investors away, a phenomenon that both sides know is unsustainable, she said.

Eiko Sato, who works for the Japan Association of Travel Agents, said tourism plays a key role in enhancing understanding. In 2013, Chinese tourists to Japan dropped by 6.5 percent year-on-year to 1.83 million. The number rebounded to more than 2.4 million last year.

"I was surprised and happy that Xi came to address the meeting, because we would feel we are welcome by the Chinese people and government," said Sato, an organizer of the delegation.

Zhang Xiaomin in Dalian contributed to this story.

zhaoshengnan@chinadaily.com.cn