Amid rising tensions over Taiwan, Chinese tourists are avoiding Japan, with a significant drop in visitors from mainland China. The number of Chinese tourists in December plummeted by 45% compared to the previous year, reaching approximately 330,000, according to Japan's transport ministry. This decline coincides with a heated diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Tokyo, where Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested potential military involvement if China were to invade Taiwan. Takaichi's remarks, made during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Apec summit in South Korea, sparked a strong reaction from China, which advised its citizens to avoid Japan due to safety concerns. The situation escalated further as China discouraged its youth from studying in Japan, canceled cultural exchanges, and postponed the release of Japanese films in the country. Japan responded by urging its citizens in China to enhance safety measures and reminding expats to respect Chinese customs and be cautious in their interactions. This prolonged tension over Taiwan poses a threat to Japan's tourism industry, which heavily relies on Chinese visitors due to the favorable exchange rate and growing interest in Japanese cuisine and pop culture. China has been the primary source of inbound tourism, with nearly 7.5 million Chinese travelers arriving in Japan in the first nine months of 2025, accounting for a quarter of all foreign visitors. Chinese tourists spent a combined $3.7 billion in the third quarter of the previous year, and each Chinese visitor spent 22% more on average than other visitors. Despite the slump, Japan's transport minister, Yasushi Kaneko, described the annual figure as a significant achievement, emphasizing the country's ability to attract visitors from other nations. The debate surrounding Japan's response to the China-Taiwan conflict has intensified, particularly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and doubts about US defense commitments under Donald Trump's presidency. Japan has strengthened its defenses in the region, including its outlying islands near Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Japan but claimed by China as the Diaoyu.
