Chinese Tourists Ditch Japan for Third Month Running

Chinese visitors to Japan fell 45.2% in February compared with a year earlier, recent official data showed, as the fallout from a diplomatic dispute between the two countries continued for a third consecutive month.

Previously, Chinese travelers were the largest source of tourists to Japan, helping fuel a tourism boom driven in part by a weak yen that made shopping more affordable, Kyoko Hasegawa reported for Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Japan-China relations have deteriorated since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.

In January, however, South Korea overtook China as the largest source of visitors, a trend that continued in February, with arrivals from South Korea rising 28.2% to 1.1 million.

That compares with 396,400 visitors from mainland China, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

By contrast, 18 countries and regions set new records for visitor numbers in February, including South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

The number of visitors from Hong Kong also rose by 19.6% year over year. Although February is typically a low season for travel to Japan, this year saw an increase in visitors due to the timing of the Lunar New Year, with a notable uptick from East Asia.

Japan-China relations have deteriorated since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.

China, which considers the democratic island part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force, reacted strongly to the remarks.