Tokyo, Japan - Nov 29, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of pedestrians
2. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) store staff (name not given) (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"Previously, about 60 to 70 percent of our customers were from China. We used to receive many travelers from China and other Asian countries. Decreasing foreign travelers mean less operation revenue for us who rely on tourism."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
3. Empty store
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan - Nov 26, 2023 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Market
5. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) business operator (name not given):
"There are many travel cancellations and I think there will be broader impacts."
6. Various of market, customers
7. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) business operator (name not given):
"There are noticeable drops in travelers who purchase lots of goods. I hope the situation will get better. [Dropping travelers] are really concerning."
8. Stores
9. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) business operator (name not given):
"I heard that Tokyo has been severely impacted and in fact, there are less travelers in Okinawa."
10. Seafood store

FILE: China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Various of planes at airports, taking off

FILE: Tokyo, Japan - March 13, 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of planes of Japan Airlines on tarmac

FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Dec 26, 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Various of planes on tarmac, runway

Fewer Chinese travelers to Japan following the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan have hit the country's tourism and retail sector hard.

During a recent parliamentary hearing, Takaichi cited the so-called "survival-threatening situation" -- a trigger designed by the controversial 2015 law -- and linked it to the Taiwan question, suggesting Tokyo might treat the Taiwan question as grounds for military involvement under the legislation.

The remarks sparked a wave of travel cancellations by Chinese tourists.

Since November 15, Chinese tourists have canceled more than 540,000 travel reservations to Japan, and refund requests continue to rise.

Many travel agencies in China have already scrapped group tours for November and December.

Some popular tourism destinations in Japan, including the capital city Tokyo, have witnessed noticeable drops in Chinese travelers and related consumption.

"Previously, about 60 to 70 percent of our customers were from China. We used to receive many travelers from China and other Asian countries. Decreasing foreign travelers mean less operation revenue for us who rely on tourism," said a shop staff in Tokyo.

In Okinawa, business operators are also worried about further decreases in Chinese travelers, with an iconic market in Naha City experiencing noticeable impacts.

"There are many travel cancellations and I think there will be broader impacts," said a business operator.

"There are noticeable drops in travelers who purchase lots of goods. I hope the situation will get better. [Dropping travelers] are really concerning," said another business operator.

"I heard that Tokyo has been severely impacted and in fact, there are less travelers in Okinawa," said a business owner.

Japanese media reported that according to the latest data, after the Chinese government released a travel warning against Japan, of the 5,548 flights originally scheduled from China to Japan in December, 904 have been canceled, accounting for 16 percent of the total.

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Nov 16 advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, citing security concerns.

In a statement published on its official website, the ministry cited the travel advisory issued by the Chinese foreign ministry, which referred to a deteriorating security environment for Chinese citizens in Japan as well as recent provocative remarks made by the top Japanese leader regarding China's Taiwan.