The number of Chinese visitors to Japan fell by more than 150,000 in a month after remarks by Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinting at involvement "in the event of a Taiwan contingency."
According to the "Statistics on foreign visitors to Japan" that the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) released on the 17th, 562,600 Chinese visited Japan in November. That was about a 3% increase from November last year, but a 21.4% decrease from October's 715,700. This contrasts with the double-digit year-over-year growth in Chinese visitors to Japan earlier this year.
It is seen as the effect of China issuing an "advisory against travel to Japan." On Nov. 7, Takaichi told the Diet in response to an opposition lawmaker's question, "If the U.S. military steps in to break (China's) blockade in the Taiwan Strait and elsewhere, a Chinese use of force in response is also expected," adding, "If China's use of force involves mobilizing warships, by any measure it would be a 'situation that threatens Japan's survival.'" A situation that threatens Japan's survival constitutes a condition for exercising Japan's "collective self-defense."
China immediately pushed back, and the so-called restriction on Japan-bound travel is continuing. In response, major Chinese airlines have begun offering free cancellations and changes for flights to Japan.
However, the number of people visiting Japan from Taiwan last month was 542,400, up 11.1% from a year earlier. After Takaichi's remarks, voices in Taiwan even encouraged travel to Japan.
The number of South Koreans visiting Japan last month was 824,500, up 10% from a year earlier. South Korea ranked No. 1 among visitor source countries for the second straight month following October. So far this year, a total of 8,485,300 South Koreans have visited Japan.