(Yicai Global) Aug. 4 -- Leading online lodging marketplace, Tujia.com, which is often referred to as China's Airbnb, has signed a cooperation agreement with Lifull Stay, a Rakuten Inc. [TYO:4755] company specializing in vacation rental services in Japan. The deal allows Tujia to list its Japanese homestay offerings on Lifull's website as part of a move to meet a growing demand from Chinese tourists for accommodation in the country.

The Beijing-based e-commerce business, founded in 2011, grew rapidly after acquiring several peer companies. It currently has more than 500,000 private rental properties in 70 countries. Its Japanese branch opened last year, and the firm plans to increase the number of registered properties in the country to 200,000 by 2025.

Lifull Stay has previously entered into partnerships with vacation rental service providers in the US and Taiwan in a bid to catch up with Airbnb, the frontrunner in the short-term lodging industry.

The enterprise also plans to set up a dedicated website in line with a forthcoming private lodging law in Japan, which is expected to be introduced early next year.