Chinese tourists shun Japan as Taiwan row deepens

Chinese tourists are continuing to shun Japan in large numbers, with the country falling out of the top 10 destinations for those celebrating the lunar new year abroad. Visits from China have slid dramatically since the end of last year as a diplomatic row over the security of Taiwan continues, and the number of Chinese visitors to Japan almost halved in December compared with the same period in 2025, Japan’s transport ministry said.

That drop comes even as a weak currency has helped fuel a wider tourism boom. The trend looks set to continue months after Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested her country’s self-defence forces could be deployed if China attempted to invade Taiwan.

China claims the self-governing democracy as part of its own territory and has vowed to unite it with the mainland. Takaichi’s remarks prompted an angry response in China, where officials urged tourists and students not to travel to Japan.

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