A single government advisory has sharply disrupted travel patterns between China and Japan, triggering a wave of cancellations that surprised even industry analysts.
Flight Demand From China To Japan Plummets After China Issues Travel Warning
On November 14, 2025, the government of the People’s Republic of China issued a travel advisory urging its citizens to avoid Japan, citing “significant risks” to Chinese nationals:
Since the beginning of this year, public security in Japan has been unstable, with a high number of criminal incidents targeting Chinese citizens. Multiple cases of assaults on Chinese nationals in Japan have occurred, some of which remain unsolved. The overall security environment for Chinese citizens in Japan has continued to deteriorate. Recently, Japanese leaders openly made provocative remarks concerning Taiwan, further worsening the atmosphere for China-Japan people-to-people exchanges and posing significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Japan solemnly remind Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future. Chinese citizens already in Japan should closely monitor local security conditions, enhance safety awareness, and strengthen self-protection. In case of an emergency, please promptly contact local police and reach out to the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in Japan for assistance.
Within days, Chinese carriers recorded roughly 491,000 cancelled tickets to Japan, representing anywhere from 30-80% to of total bookings on certain days.
The advisory followed outspoken remarks from Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Japan might intervene militarily if China attacked the Republic of China (Taiwan). Several major Chinese travel agencies responded by suspending Japan tour sales and pausing personal travel bookings.
Japanese tourism-linked stocks, including department stores, airlines, and retailers that rely heavily on inbound Chinese visitor spending, fell sharply after the announcement.
Why The Sharp Drop?
While travel demand fluctuates for many reasons, the speed and magnitude of these cancellations are highly unusual. Nearly half a million bookings evaporated in a matter of days, making this the most severe drop in China to Japan traffic since the early days of COVID 19.
In a one-party state, my theory is that travel to Japan is now viewed as disloyal and unpatriotic and that has pushed Chinese travelers to suspend trips they otherwise would not have for fear of repercussions over China’s controversial and secretive Social Credit System. The safety concerns are absurd: the Chinese national stabbed in Osaka….was stabbed by another Chinse national. Japan is remarkably safe.
Impacts On Japan’s Tourism Sector
China has been Japan’s largest single source of inbound visitors, accounting for roughly one quarter of arrivals. The sudden contraction exposes how dependent some sectors of Japanese tourism are on travelers from China.
Early estimates suggest losses could reach billions of yen if the downturn persists, but would that be a terrible thing? Certainly for those agencies and hotels that cater to the Chinese, but overall Japan ahs complained about over-tourism in hotspots like Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. Maybe the lack of Chinese visitors will make for a more pleasant experience for travelers from other nations.
CONCLUSION
China’s new travel advisory has sharply reduced demand for flights to Japan and created immediate pressure on Japanese tourism and airline revenue. Although the situation may stabilize as political messaging evolves, the scale of cancellations underscores how quickly travel flows can shift when geopolitical tensions escalate.
Look, I’ll never forgive Japan or their descendants for Pearl Harbor, but you were recently defending China by saving things weren’t as bad for workers there as most think. China is obviously the bad guy here and as Japan is one of the safest places on Earth for visitors. And hell, they all look alike so how are Chinese tourists even being singled out?
But Japan threatening to get involved in a skirmish between China and Taiwan is an instant way to realize the payback we got for them killing our brave soldiers was child’s play compared to what China will unleash.
Dave, we agree on very few things, but we agree absolutely on the Peoples’ Republic of China (CCP occupied mainland) being the bad actor here, and also on Japan being perfectly safe for nearly all visitors.
However, could you make your points without having to say things like ‘they all look alike’? (You undercut your own points with unnecessary xenophobia, man. Like, c’mon, just hold back on that stuff, please.)
That said, I disagree on your underestimating of Japan, which is still a formidable opponent, in no small part to their alliance with us, the United States and our allies, also include the Republic of Korea, the Republic of China (Taiwan, the one true China), the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Israel, and others (hopefully we haven’t lost India).
Lol what? You think like the US is some Angle or role model of the world. The US have killed more innocent civilians in the century
You mean angel.
The People’s Republic of China does this all the time. They have a ban on tourist travel to Taiwan. They banned travel to Palau, a previously popular destination. Now Japan has the warning.
The People’s Republic of China frequently slams Taiwan for being separatists. The People’s Republic of China is actually the separatists, who broke away from the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1949. Before 1949, there was just the Republic of China.
100%
Your assessment of the Chinese Civil War is incorrect. Saying that a previous government was overthrown by a new one is no basis for saying that the new government is a separatist. In fact, the ROC lost a war, ran away, a claimed it as theirs, althought it was under the authority of the PRC, of which they lost.
factsOverLies, more like ‘LiesOverfacts,’ because your statement was historically and legally inaccurate.
You are trying to erroneously frame ROC as a separatist entity that stole territory from PRC.
In reality, the Republic of China (ROC, the older government) acquired Taiwan from Japan in 1945. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC, the newer government, dominated by the Chinese Communist Party) conquered and still occupies the mainland of ‘China’ in 1949. but failed to conquer Taiwan. Today, the ROC and the people of Taiwan remain a free, independent, self-governed de facto sovereign country, separate from the CCP-occupied mainland.
You and I (and derek) may have different opinions about those facts, but those are the actual facts.
First, can we please refrain from personal attacks and biased language? As someone well-versed in Chinese history, as a matter of fact, the ROC itself overthrew the old Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, their rule was marked by turmoil, and their leadership lost the support of the citizens, which led to the Civil War.
Hold on now, who the hell is attacking/assaulting Chinese tourists? Violence is very uncommon in Japan unless you are involved with Yakuza. I smell bullshit regarding assaults on Chinese tourists!
Given that the Chinese government has engaged in multiple actions any reasonable person would find unacceptable. Like genocide against its own citizens that might rival what the Nazi’s did to the Jews. Secret police forces deployed to other countries to try and control its citizens. Violations of international agreements to numerous to catalogue here. And that it seems determined to ignite WW3 in the Pacific. It’s long past time to make China and its citizens unwelcome in the rest of the world. Cut them off and isolate them. No tourism or trade of any kind.
Thank you for not forgetting about the Uyghurs.
Japan has done far worse during World War 2. They mass killed innocent civillians, forced young women into sexual slavery, and even worse, conducted human experiments and biological warfarein Unit 731 with POWs and civillians they captured. This is as bad as the Nazis, but unlike the German government, they have refused to own up to their mistakes and do not teach this in their history classes.
Yeah, yeah… stuff that happened more than 80 years ago. What we have now is one country that’s rapidly becoming North Korea, and another that’s an open democracy. I know where I’d rather live, and it ain’t bloody China.
Well clearly you’ve never been to China. As someone who lives in the US and frequently travels to China, I can, in fact, say that China is quite a pleasant place to live in, with modern technology that makes life convenient. Can you name some negative aspects of living in China? Meanwhile, the US has been in political turmoil for the past few years..
I’ll name one huge dealbraker: The Great Firewall
Yes, and the Turks shouldn’t have committed a genocide against the Armenians. European powers shouldn’t have brought slavery to the Americas. The Crusades were a waste of life and resources. The people in Troy shouldn’t have let that horse in to the city. The Egyptians should have let Moses people go.
Your point may be valid, but it doesn’t take away from what the CCP has done to the Uyghur people.
Well said, Jerry.
And, in addition to the Uyghurs, there are other present-day crises, like in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, Haiti, the Sahel, DRC, Yemen. We can and should ‘care’ and ‘do something’ about those, too.
I’d add that the Turks also attempted that genocide against both the Armenians and Greeks (1910s-1920s), yet like the PRC/CCP, they, too, attempt to deny and diminish their historical harms against others.
For other historical atrocities, I’d add Rwandan genocide (1990s), Cambodia (1970s), the Holodomor (Stalin against Ukraine, 1930s), Belgian Congo (1980s-1900s), Taiping (China, 1850s), Trail of Tears (Native Americans), Mongols (1200s), Lushan (China, 750s). Of course, there are many other examples.
Specifically, in China, the ‘Great Leap Forward’ (Mao’s starving/executing of 30-45 million in 1958-1962).
So, anyone with a conscience should care and do what they can to stop these horrors and prevent them from ever happening again.
Oh, factsOverLies, your historical whataboutism to deflect from the PRC’s present-day human rights violations is telling. We can both acknowledge past harms and also stop and prevent present ones.
Winnie the Pooh,
No matter how much you lie and spin, it does not change the fact that the PRC is an evil entity
I’m sorry, but labeling a political party with a membership of over 100 million as “evil” is simply unacceptable. If the government were evil, it would not have been in power for almost 80 years. We need to stop with the Western bias.
Oh honey, never undersell how Chinese can butcher their own.
Read some books about culture revolution.
As one may remember well, tourism loves peace…
The citizens of the people’s republic are indeed likely to follow the ” advice “. I doubt the actual fear is from targeted violence in Japan. More like avoiding targeted repercussions at home.
Let’s see what week 2 looks like. And I’d be more interested to know what the % reduction is on non-Chinese airlines (Japan has a couple of airlines that fly to Japan, right?)
That said… Canadians still are not coming back to the US… 10 straight months of declining travel.
Can’t blame our friends and allies to the north. President Trump has single-handedly sabotaged one of our strategic relationship with each of our closest neighbors and trading partners. It’s bad politics, bad economics, bad leadership.
Will the fares go down from US to Japan ?