626 Flights to Osaka Kansai Cut, the Most Among Airports
Following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks suggesting possible intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency, China has issued a travel and study advisory against Japan, leading Chinese airlines to cut over 900 flights to Japan.
On the 29th, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported, citing analysis from UK-based aviation data firm Cirium, that as of the 27th, Chinese airlines had decided to suspend 904 flights to Japan in December-16% of the 5,548 scheduled routes.
As of the 25th, the number of suspended flights stood at 268, but in just two days, this figure more than tripled. The suspended flights cover 72 routes, with a total of 156,000 seats affected. There are a total of 172 regular air routes between China and Japan.
Osaka Kansai Airport was hit the hardest by the reduction in flights to Japan, with 626 flights cut. This was followed by Narita Airport and Chubu Centrair International Airport near Nagoya, each with 68 flights suspended, and New Chitose Airport near Sapporo in Hokkaido with 61 flights affected. However, Tokyo Haneda Airport saw only 7 out of 989 Chinese airline-operated flights suspended, meaning it was largely unaffected.
Airfare prices on China-Japan routes are also falling. According to Japanese ticketing agency Airplus, the lowest round-trip fare in December for the Kansai-Shanghai route operated by Chinese airlines is about 8,500 yen (approximately 80,000 won), a significant drop from the 20,000 yen (about 188,000 won) range during the same period last year.
Japanese concerts and musicals in China also suspended
Due to the “Japan restriction order” (Hanilryeong), there have been a series of cancellations or postponements of Japanese artists’ performances and Japanese animation screenings in China.
Ayumi Hamasaki was scheduled to hold a concert in Shanghai on the 29th, but the Chinese organizer announced its cancellation the day before, citing "force majeure." Hamasaki wrote on her social media account, "On the morning of the 28th, I was suddenly asked to stop the performance," adding, "It is unbelievable and absurd." In addition, the "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon" musical, which was scheduled to be performed in Hangzhou and Beijing, was abruptly suspended, and the screening of the popular Japanese animation "Crayon Shin-chan" movie in China has been postponed indefinitely.
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