The decline in the number of Chinese visitors to Japan has been statistically confirmed following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks suggesting possible intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
Chinese tourists are visiting a shrine in Tokyo, Japan, on the 20th of last month. Photo by AP Yonhap News
According to statistics on foreign visitors to Japan in November, released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) on December 17, the number of Chinese visitors to Japan during this period was 562,600. This represents a 3.0% increase compared to the same month last year, but a decrease of about 150,000 compared to the 715,700 Chinese visitors in October. Considering that the growth rate of Chinese visitors to Japan from January to November this year was 37.5% year-on-year, the increase has slowed sharply.
After Prime Minister Takaichi made remarks regarding Taiwan in the National Diet on November 7, relations between China and Japan rapidly deteriorated. In mid-November, China issued a travel advisory urging its citizens to refrain from visiting Japan, which appears to have had an impact.
Following the travel advisory, the number of flights between China and Japan dropped sharply, and major Chinese airlines extended the period for free cancellations and changes for flights to Japan until March next year. The number of hotel reservations by Chinese travelers in Japan also fell significantly.
According to Tripla, a Japanese accommodation booking site, the number of hotel reservations from China between November 21 and 27 decreased by about 57% compared to November 6 to 12, before the Chinese government's travel advisory was issued. As China’s travel advisory regarding Japan becomes more entrenched, the number of Chinese visitors to Japan is expected to decline further in the future.
The number of visitors from Hong Kong to Japan last month was 207,600, a decrease of 8.6% compared to the same month last year. The overall number of visitors from Hong Kong to Japan has declined this year, partly due to rumors of a major earthquake. The Hong Kong authorities, in line with China, also criticized Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan and reportedly canceled a series of official exchange events with Japan.
The number of Korean visitors to Japan in November was 824,500, a 10.0% increase compared to the same month last year. Korea ranked first among all countries and regions for the second consecutive month, following October. The cumulative number of Korean visitors to Japan this year stands at 8,485,300.
The total number of foreign visitors to Japan last month was 3,518,000, an increase of 10.4% compared to last year. From January to November this year, the total number of foreign visitors to Japan reached 39.06 million, setting a new all-time annual record. The previous record was 36.87 million, set last year.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) analyzed that, in addition to the China-Japan conflict, the depreciation of the Korean won has led Chinese tourists to choose Korea as a cost-effective travel destination. Improvements in Korea-China relations, such as the visa-free policy for group tourists, are also seen as positive factors contributing to the increase in Chinese visitors. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea from January to October reached 4.7 million, already surpassing the total for last year.
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