Political Row with China Sparks Japan Tourism Slump After 4-Year Boom
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- Japan’s January 2026 tourist numbers dropped 4.9% to 3.6 million, the first decline in four years, mainly due to a 61% plunge in Chinese visitors amid bilateral tensions.
- Political friction with China caused a sharp fall in its tourists to Japan (down 60.7%), offsetting gains from South Korea and Taiwan, per latest JNTO figures.
- For the first time since COVID, Japan saw fewer foreign arrivals in January, hit hard by China’s advisories and holiday timing shifts.
The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan dropped in January for the first time in four years.
The decline was largely driven by a sharp 60.7% fall in arrivals from China, amid escalating political tensions between the two nations.
According to data released Wednesday (Feb. 18, 2026) by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), total foreign visitor numbers for January reached 3.5975 million, down 4.9% from January 2025.
Citing The Asahi Shimbun on Saturday (Feb. 21, 2026), the last similar drop occurred in January 2022, when COVID-19 restrictions still hampered global travel. Heightened bilateral relations are seen as a key trigger.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November statement on a potential Taiwan emergency drew sharp backlash from Beijing. Analysts link this episode to the two-month slide in Chinese travelers.
China’s government has repeatedly urged its citizens to avoid trips to Japan, especially ahead of holiday periods.
From a market perspective, South Korea led as the top source with 1.176 million visitors, up 21.6% from January last year. Taiwan followed with 694,500 arrivals, a 17% increase, while China recorded just 385,300.
Year-on-year, only three markets saw declines: China, Hong Kong (down 17.9%), and Malaysia (off 3.3%). Beyond politics, a shift in Lunar New Year holiday timing also skewed the figures.
Last year, the Imlek break began late January, but this year it falls mid-February, reshaping tourist flows.
Previously, Chinese visitors grew 3% in November 2025 year-on-year, but momentum slowed. December brought a 45.3% plunge—the first since January 2022—with the downturn deepening in January.
Ahead of February’s extended Imlek holidays, China’s Foreign Ministry again warned citizens against Japan travel. Three major Chinese airlines also announced free cancellation policies for Japan flights through Oct. 24.
Indonesianpost.com | Detik
