Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan tumbled sharply in January 2024, dropping 61% compared to last year. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) reported this was partly due to a shift in the Lunar New Year holiday and Beijing's travel warnings. This drop followed a 45% fall in December 2023 and dragged Japan's overall inbound visitors down by 4.9% in January. The decline comes after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called a Chinese invasion of Taiwan an “existential threat,” providing Japan with legal grounds to deploy troops if attacked. Following this, China warned its citizens against visiting Japan, prompting flight cancellations through March 2026. The slump has hit Japan's retail industry hard. Duty-free sales at leading department stores fell again in January, showing ongoing struggles. Chinese tourists had been crucial for Japan's post-Covid recovery, making up about one-fifth of Japan’s ¥9.6 trillion (US$62.7 billion) tourism revenue in 2025. With these strained ties, Japan is now pushing to attract visitors from other countries, seeking to reduce its reliance on China.