Japanese tourism operators are increasingly worried that the decline in Chinese tourist arrivals will hit the local tourism sector sharply, especially in cities that rely heavily on visitors from China.
Following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks on China's Taiwan, the number of Chinese travelers to Japan has dropped significantly since Nov 15. According to reports, over 40 percent of planned flights from China to Japan in December have been canceled, totaling over 1,900 flights.
In Tokyo's Asakusa district, the change is obvious in restaurants and snack shops.
"We receive more foreign visitors. If you divide customers into Japanese and foreigners, around 60 to 70 percent of them are from other countries. We also run another shop near Kaminarimon. When we ask customers where they're from, we can feel the decrease of Chinese visitors," said a bakery owner.
Besides Tokyo, other cities have also been hit hard, with hotels that have long relied on Chinese tour groups and individual travelers seeing widespread cancellations.
"Our hotel opened in 2018, and since then, we have relied heavily on Chinese guests. Because of the current situation, we've seen a large number of cancellations from the year-end to early next year. We're very worried. For Okinawa tourism, we are eagerly looking forward to Chinese visitors, whether group or individual travelers. So this is extremely concerning," said a hotel worker in Okinawa.
"Chinese tourists are extremely important for our tourism. A lot of cruise passengers come to Okinawa. Our biggest worry is that if this situation continues into next January and February, it could affect tens of thousands of people. Okinawa has many experience-based activities like canoeing, visiting distilleries, and pottery workshops. If Chinese tourists stop coming, the impact on these operators will be huge. It won't just be us hotel owners, but also operators of souvenir shops and all facilities will all take a major hit, especially during the Spring Festival," said Kimiharu Sakamoto, vice president of Okinawa Resorts Division.
Facing a growing wave of cancellations, Sakamoto says the losses this year are already significant and continuing to spread.
"A local travel agency told me that around 530 tourists canceled their bookings this year. Based on the length of their stays, that comes to a reduction of 1,800 room nights, which is a major blow to accommodation businesses. And that's just one agency. There are many others here, and I'm worried that they may suffer similar losses. We hope Japan-China relations will improve as soon as possible so that Chinese guests can feel reassured to visit here," said Sakamoto.
Drop in Chinese traveler numbers hits Japan's tourism after PM's remarks on Taiwan
Drop in Chinese traveler numbers hits Japan's tourism after PM's remarks on Taiwan
Li Yuhua, a farmer-turned forest ranger from a mountainous village in Dulongjiang Town, southwest China's Yunnan Province, has spent nine years protecting the forests in her hometown while helping local people increasing their incomes.
Li's family was once a registered impoverished household, relying mainly on corn farming for living. Things began to change for her family in 2016 when China launched a policy allowing registered impoverished population to work as ecological forest rangers, and Li became one of the first ecological forest rangers in the town.
"When I first began to work as a forest ranger, it was hard for me even to climb mountains, let alone climb rocks and cross rivers. But I told myself that since the country gave me this opportunity, I must do it well. I worked hard to improve my physical fitness and learn new skills, always actively taking the missions of patrolling mountains," said Li.
As Li often wears a colorful, vibrantly striped "Dulong blanket," a traditional clothing of the Dulong ethnic group, the villagers call her the "rainbow ranger."
"I think the name 'Rainbow Ranger' is beautiful. It makes me feel like a rainbow for us women of Dulong ethnic group guarding our homeland," Li said.
Dulong is a mountain-dwelling ethnic group in southwest China. It is one of the least populous of China's 56 ethnic groups, and the people were known for "direct transition" from primitive life to the modern socialist society at the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Most Dulong people live in Dulongjiang Town, where an inhospitable mountainous terrain used to thwart the place's development for decades. The town remained to be one of the poorest areas in Yunnan Province and even in the entire country. Thanks to government inputs and the development of industries with local features, the Dulong people have been experiencing remarkable life changes. In 2018, the Dulong ethnic group shook off poverty as a whole.
Beyond safeguarding forests, Li took the lead in developing non-timber forest-based economy in the town, guiding local residents to grow plants like Chinese black cardamom and wild-simulated lingzhi mushrooms as well as raising cattle and bees.
In 2025, the total output value of the town's non-timber forest-based economy reached nearly 30 million yuan (around 4.3 million U.S. dollars), with the annual average income of 43 households increasing by more than 20,000 yuan (around 2,900 U.S. dollars) each.
Li also established a cooperative for Dulong blanket making, attracting more than 170 women to learn traditional weaving techniques. They have developed 12 types of cultural and creative products, including shawls and scarves, and sold them worldwide through livestreaming, generating wealth for themselves.
"In the past, we only wove blankets for our own use. Now she teaches us to make the cultural and creative products and sell them. Last year, I earned more than 4,000 yuan (around 580 U.S. dollars) from weaving. I spent the money on my children's school fees and new appliances for my house," said Mu Jianying, member of the cooperative.
Li's dedication to both forestry and rural revitalization has earned her widespread recognition. In 2024, she was honored as model of ethnic solidarity and progress and received the title certificate from President Xi Jinping. She was also awarded the title of National March 8 Red-Banner Pacesetter, the highest honor presented by the All-China Women's Federation to the country's outstanding women, ahead of the International Women's Day observed on March 8.
Li said her achievements are the result of collective efforts.
"I often think that one person's strength is very limited, but the strength of a group is great. There are 195 ecological forest rangers like me protecting this land in the Dulongjiang Grand Canyon," she said.
As a female forest ranger, Li shared a message for women ahead of the International Women's Day.
"To mark the International Women's Day, I want to say to all my sisters: No matter what position we are in, as long as we are willing to endure hardship and work hard, we will surely weave our own rainbow," she said.
Forest ranger dedicated to guarding green mountains in Yunnan
Forest ranger dedicated to guarding green mountains in Yunnan
