Japan has officially fallen off Chinese travelers' must-visit lists this Lunar New Year, marking a dramatic shift in Asia's tourism landscape. Once a hotspot for "red envelope" splurging 🧧, Japan now ranks outside the top 10 destinations for visitors from the Chinese mainland during the 2026 holiday season.
Data shows flights between the two countries have been slashed by 60% through March 2026, with December 2025 seeing a 45.3% year-on-year visitor drop. Industry analysts point to the rising 'Takaichi Cost' – a cocktail of geopolitical tensions and economic factors – as the main culprit behind this tourism freeze ❄️.
