China-Japan Rift Hits Lunar New Year Tourism Flow
Chinese tourists are increasingly avoiding Japan as political tensions between Tokyo and Beijing deepen. As a result, it pushed the country out of the top 10 overseas destinations for Lunar New Year travel this season. New government data show that a sharp decline in visitor numbers underscores how diplomatic disputes over Taiwan are continuously shaping regional tourism patterns.
According to Japan’s transport ministry, arrivals from China have dropped significantly in December. It fell to nearly half of the figures that were recorded last year during the same period. Although Japan’s weak currency has fueled a broader tourism surge. Meanwhile, the ongoing geopolitical row appears to have discouraged many Chinese travelers from choosing the country as a holiday destination.
The downturn follows remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who suggested that Japan’s self-defense forces could be deployed if China attempted to invade Taiwan. China claims that the island is its territory and has repeatedly vowed to reunify it with the mainland. They also said that they can use force, if necessary. Consequently, Takaichi’s statement drew an angry reaction from Beijing, where officials urged tourists and students to reconsider travel plans to Japan.
South Korea Gains as Japan Loses Tourists
As a result, Japan is expected to welcome significantly fewer Chinese visitors during the festive travel rush. Media estimates suggest that arrivals from China could fall by as much as 60% compared with last year’s Lunar New Year period. Meanwhile, other Asian destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Russia are projected to receive higher numbers of Chinese tourists.
In contrast, South Korea is poised to become the most popular overseas destination during the 40-day holiday migration. It is expected to welcome over 250,000 Chinese travelers during this period. This represents an increase of about 1.5 times than the previous year.
Officials in China have also issued safety warnings about traveling to Japan, although no incidents that involves Chinese nationals have been reported. On Sunday, the Chinese consulate in Osaka again advised citizens to avoid visiting Japan following a fatal stabbing in the city. Authorities confirmed that the attack, which left one teenager dead and two others injured in a tourist area, did not involve Chinese victims.
China Criticizes Japan Over Taiwan Security Stance
Furthermore, the diplomatic dispute intensified after Takaichi told lawmakers in November that military involvement remained an option if a crisis in the Taiwan Strait posed an “existential” threat to Japan. Her refusal to retract the comment prompted criticism from China’s foreign minister Wang Yi. He accused her of attempting to revive Japan’s militarist past.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Monday, Wang said: “Japanese people should no longer allow themselves to be manipulated or deceived by those far-right forces, or by those who seek to revive militarism.”
In response, Tokyo lodged a formal protest and rejected the accusation. Japan’s foreign ministry stated that its efforts to strengthen defense capabilities respond to an increasingly severe security environment and “are not directed against any specific third country.”
Despite the warnings, some travelers remain undeterred. A Chinese man told the news agency that encouraging goodwill between ordinary citizens was essential. Similarly, a woman from Shanghai said that she still intended to visit Japan with her parents. She said, “The travel alert is aimed at promoting criticism of Japan. But my family has not been brainwashed.”
Web Resources on Japan’s Lunar New Year Tourism Drop
1. Reuters.com: China’s Lunar New Year travel rush is world’s biggest annual migration
2. TheJapanTimes: China warns citizens against Japan visits during Lunar New Year
3. AcademicBlock.com: China Urges Its Citizens to Avoid Traveling to Japan