Several major Chinese travel agencies have halted sales of trips to Japan following a government advisory urging citizens to avoid the country amid escalating tensions over Taiwan. The move was triggered by remarks from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting potential military involvement in a Taiwan contingency. Cancellations have begun at Japanese hotels, and releases of Japanese films in China have been postponed.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks framing a Taiwan contingency as a 'survival-threatening situation' for Japan sparked the sharp deterioration in bilateral ties. China's Foreign Ministry condemned the comments as 'provocative' and issued a travel alert on Friday urging its citizens to avoid Japan. On Monday, industry sources reported that a major state-run travel agency in Beijing halted arrangements for personal and group tours to Japan from Sunday, suspended visa application services, and offered refunds to customers who had already purchased packages. Searches for keywords like 'Japan' and 'Tokyo' on its website yielded no results.
A private tourism company in the capital also stopped accepting new customers for Japan-bound trips. Between January and September 2025, about 31.65 million foreigners visited Japan, with roughly 7.49 million from China, a 42.7% increase from the previous year and the highest by country or region. In 2024, around 6.98 million Chinese traveled to Japan, per Japanese government data. Chinese tourists' spending from July to September reached 590 billion yen ($3.8 billion), the top figure by country or region according to the Japan Tourism Agency.
The day after the alert, major Chinese airlines allowed free cancellations or changes for Japan-bound flights. The impact extended to entertainment, with releases of Japanese films 'Cells at Work!' and the latest 'Crayon Shinchan' anime postponed in China. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning defended the alert as 'completely reasonable' at a Monday press conference, citing 'extreme and threatening remarks against China' from Japanese right-wingers and online.
In Japan, some hotels reported cancellations from Chinese customers. Imperial Hotel Ltd. noted cancellations or postponements by Chinese companies for rooms or events but saw limited effects on individual bookings. 'The effects have been limited as the breakdown of customers by country is spread out, although we will continue to monitor the situation closely,' an official said. Colowide Co., operator of Japanese-style pubs and restaurants, expressed concern: 'We could be affected if the travel restrictions are thoroughly enforced.' Kose Corp. official remarked that the sales percentage from Chinese customers is 'not as large as it used to be' compared to past shopping sprees.
In related developments, the Tokyo-Beijing Forum was postponed at the request of its Chinese co-organizer, citing Takaichi's 'provocative statement and saber-rattling.' China's Premier Li Qiang has no plans to meet Takaichi at the G20 summit in South Africa, with Mao Ning stating the comments have 'seriously damaged the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations.' Tourism and retail shares dived on Monday amid the spat.
