Japan drops out of top 10 holiday spots for Chinese travellers amid tensions

Japan is no longer among the top 10 overseas destinations for travellers from China as they plan trips for a major vacation period covering the week-long National Day holidays from Oct 1, according to a major Chinese travel agency, amid soured ties between the Asian neighbours.In 2025, Japan topped the list for the holiday period, which also includes the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival from Sept 25. The agency, Tuniu, said Indonesia, Turkey and South Korea are now among the most popular overseas destinations.The shift comes after the Chinese authorities urged citizens to refrain from travelling to Japan in November 2025 following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks to Parliament suggesting that an attack by China on Taiwan could trigger a response from Japanese defence forces.Beijing claims the self-ruled island is part of its territory and aims to bring it under its control, by force if necessary.A Chinese man who travelled to Japan earlier in 2026 said: “There are certainly people who would find it difficult to choose Japan as a travel destination given the current atmosphere.”The number of visitors from China to Japan in the first six months of 2026 has fallen sharply, dropping 56.4% from a year earlier, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.The National Day holidays mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of China, with the government forecasting 2.13 billion people to travel till Oct 7.The Chinese government expects about 340 million people to travel domestically on Oct 1 alone, the peak day of the holiday. More than 90% of travel is expected to be by car, with expressway tolls waived during the holidays.With electric vehicles increasingly common in China, the government says it has installed more than 10,000 fast-charging stations in 2026 to meet growing demand on expressways. KYODO NEWS