China urges travel agencies to reduce Japan-bound visitors by 40%Listen to this articleAn airplane of Japan Airlines (JAL) approaches to land at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan 5, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)KYODO — China has urged domestic travel agencies to reduce the number of Japan-bound tourists by 40%, industry sources said Thursday, amid a Beijing-Tokyo row over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on a Taiwan contingency. Chinese nationals need to obtain visas to visit Japan and apply for them through designated travel agencies in China. According to Chinese media reports, more than 1,900 Japan-bound flights, or over 40% of the total, were cancelled in China in December, while 2,195 flights will be scrapped in January, also about 40%. Japanese statistics showed visitors from China rose only 3.0% in November from a year earlier, compared with a 22.8% rise in October, affected by the travel alert issued by the Chinese government.

Source: Bangkok Post December 25, 2025 19:05 UTC