Fresh figures released by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) on 17 December reveal that mainland Chinese arrivals grew just 3 % year-on-year in November—far below the 37 % growth rate seen over the first 11 months of 2025. The slowdown follows Beijing’s 30 October travel advisory urging citizens to reconsider trips to Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan.
Overall, Japan still welcomed a record-breaking 3.52 million international visitors in November, a 10.4 % increase versus a year earlier, pushing the 2025 tally past 39 million and eclipsing the 2024 annual record. Chinese travellers remained the single largest source market at roughly 24 % of total arrivals despite the advisory, underlining Japan’s dependence on China for retail and hospitality revenue.
Travellers and corporates navigating the shifting entry requirements can simplify the process by turning to VisaHQ. The platform’s China-facing portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides real-time alerts on Japanese visa policy changes, facilitates expedited applications and group submissions, and can even courier passports door-to-door—an insurance policy of sorts when geopolitical winds suddenly shift.
![Chinese travel warning dents, but doesn’t derail, Japan’s tourism boom]()
Airlines felt the chill more acutely. China’s ‘Big Three’ carriers offered no-penalty refunds on Japan tickets, and several charter operators cut winter frequencies. Japanese tourism stocks—including duty-free giant JTC and hotel chain APA—fell up to 4 % intraday on 17 December as investors digested the softer China numbers.
For global companies, the episode is a reminder that geopolitical rhetoric can translate quickly into corporate-travel headaches: visa-issuing peaks, itinerary changes, and potential duty-of-care concerns. Firms routing executives through Tokyo are advised to check airline inventories early and monitor any escalation in bilateral rhetoric that could lead to formal travel restrictions.
JNTO officials remain cautiously optimistic, noting that pre-Lunar-New-Year bookings from northern China are running at 80 % of 2024 levels. They hope a stable yen and expanded duty-free quotas will lure back shoppers once tensions cool.
Overall, Japan still welcomed a record-breaking 3.52 million international visitors in November, a 10.4 % increase versus a year earlier, pushing the 2025 tally past 39 million and eclipsing the 2024 annual record. Chinese travellers remained the single largest source market at roughly 24 % of total arrivals despite the advisory, underlining Japan’s dependence on China for retail and hospitality revenue.
Travellers and corporates navigating the shifting entry requirements can simplify the process by turning to VisaHQ. The platform’s China-facing portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides real-time alerts on Japanese visa policy changes, facilitates expedited applications and group submissions, and can even courier passports door-to-door—an insurance policy of sorts when geopolitical winds suddenly shift.
Airlines felt the chill more acutely. China’s ‘Big Three’ carriers offered no-penalty refunds on Japan tickets, and several charter operators cut winter frequencies. Japanese tourism stocks—including duty-free giant JTC and hotel chain APA—fell up to 4 % intraday on 17 December as investors digested the softer China numbers.
For global companies, the episode is a reminder that geopolitical rhetoric can translate quickly into corporate-travel headaches: visa-issuing peaks, itinerary changes, and potential duty-of-care concerns. Firms routing executives through Tokyo are advised to check airline inventories early and monitor any escalation in bilateral rhetoric that could lead to formal travel restrictions.
JNTO officials remain cautiously optimistic, noting that pre-Lunar-New-Year bookings from northern China are running at 80 % of 2024 levels. They hope a stable yen and expanded duty-free quotas will lure back shoppers once tensions cool.
