Tokyo's bustling shopping districts and iconic sushi bars are quieter than usual this December, as Japan faces a sudden 40% drop in flights from the Chinese mainland since mid-November. Over 1,900 scheduled flights for December have been canceled—equivalent to grounding 63 planes daily—leaving hotels and retailers scrambling.
🍣 'We reserved extra tuna for holiday tourists,' says Yuki Tanaka, a chef at Tokyo's famed Tsukiji Market. 'Now we’re offering discounts to locals.' The ripple effect spans from Kyoto’s ryokan inns to Osaka’s electronics stores, with many businesses reporting 50-70% cancellations.
📉 Analysts cite multiple factors: tighter budget controls in the Chinese mainland, shifting travel trends among Gen-Z travelers, and lingering supply-chain delays affecting tour operators. Meanwhile, Japan’s tourism board is rolling out TikTok campaigns and visa simplifications to attract Southeast Asian visitors as a stopgap.
✈️ With Lunar New Year travel bookings opening soon, all eyes are on whether this trend becomes a blip—or a long-term shift in Asia’s tourism map. 🧳
