China Issues Another Travel Advisory for Japan Citing Major Earthquake Risks
The Chinese government has once again issued a travel advisory for its citizens regarding trips to Japan, citing earthquake risks in the country. This comes just over a month after China imposed a restriction on travel to Japan following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about possible intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
On December 11, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on social media that "since December 8, several consecutive earthquakes have occurred in the sea area near eastern Honshu, Japan, with the strongest reaching a magnitude of 7.5." The ministry, along with the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan, urged Chinese nationals to avoid visiting Japan in the near future.
It is not uncommon for Chinese diplomatic authorities to issue travel advisories for countries experiencing disasters or sudden emergencies. However, as this measure follows last month's travel restriction due to bilateral tensions, there is growing speculation that the control over Chinese visits to Japan will become even more pronounced.
Previously, on November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks in the House of Representatives suggesting possible intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency. In response, China issued strong criticism for several days and implemented retaliatory measures, including the travel restriction to Japan. At the time, China stated, "Recently, a Japanese leader has made an explicit provocative statement regarding Taiwan in public, which has seriously worsened the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan." The government also claimed, "This has created significant risks to the safety and lives of Chinese nationals in Japan," and called for Chinese citizens to refrain from traveling there.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shake hands ahead of the China-Japan summit held in Gyeongju on October 31. Photo by Yonhap News
Within hours of the travel restriction announcement, major Chinese airlines offered full refunds for flights to Japan, and bookings for group tours by Chinese tourists were canceled in succession. More recently, Chinese airlines have significantly extended the period for free cancellations or changes of tickets to Japan, from the end of this year to March 28 of the following year.
China, which has consistently ranked first in both the number of visitors and spending by tourists in Japan, is now effectively blocking its citizens from traveling to Japan. As a result, there are growing expectations that Japan's tourism industry will inevitably suffer revenue losses. If this situation persists, there are also concerns that it could impact domestic consumption in Japan.
Meanwhile, at 11:15 p.m. on December 8, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck off the coast of Aomori Prefecture in northeastern Honshu, Japan, injuring at least 50 people. Following the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued, for the first time, an "advisory for aftershocks off the coasts of Hokkaido and Sanriku." The purpose was to urge residents and travelers to prepare for emergency evacuation and other precautions, as there is a possibility of a larger earthquake occurring in nearby areas within the next week. If no additional major earthquakes occur, the advisory will be lifted at midnight on December 16.
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