Chinese tourists shun Japan in wake of Taiwan invasion row

"Chinese tourism to Japan almost halved in December amid a bitter diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo over the security of Taiwan. The number of tourists from mainland China dropped by about 45% from the same month a year earlier to about 330,000, Japan's transport ministry said on Tuesday. Despite the fall, Japan continues to be a popular destination for foreign visitors, with a record 42.7 million flocking to the country last year, comfortably surpassing the previous record, set in 2024, of almost 37 million."

"Chinese tourism started falling towards the end of last year after Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested her country could become militarily involved if China attempted to invade Taiwan. Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to annex Taiwan a self-governing democracy it regards as a Chinese province under what it calls reunification. Takaichi, a hawkish conservative, said a crisis in the Taiwan Strait could trigger the deployment of her country's self-defence forces if the conflict posed an existential threat to Japan."

"The remarks made weeks after Takaichi met Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Apec summit in South Korea, where they vowed to build constructive and stable relations triggered a furious backlash from China, which urged its citizens not to travel to Japan, citing safety concerns. Beijing later advised its young people not to study in Japan, while cultural exchanges were cancelled and the Chinese releases of Japanese films were postponed indefinitely. Japan warned its 100,000 or so citizens in China to take extra safety precautions and reminded expats to respect Chinese customs and exercise caution in their interactions with local people."

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan fell about 45% in December to roughly 330,000 compared with the same month a year earlier. Japan received a record 42.7 million foreign visitors last year, surpassing the previous record of almost 37 million set in 2024. The decline followed remarks by Japan's prime minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting possible military involvement if China attempted to invade Taiwan. China urged citizens not to travel to Japan and later advised youth not to study there, cancelled cultural exchanges, and postponed Chinese releases of Japanese films. Japan issued safety reminders for its citizens and expats in China. Prolonged tension over Taiwan risks Japan's tourism industry, which benefits from a weak yen and strong interest in cuisine and pop culture.

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