英语新闻丨Chinese tourists avoid Japan amid concerns

Chinese tourist numbers to Japan have plummeted amid diplomatic frictions, security warnings, large-scale flight cancellations, and growing concerns over natural disasters and disease outbreaks, experts said on Tuesday.

专家周二表示，受外交摩擦、安全警告、大规模航班取消以及对自然灾害和疾病暴发的担忧加剧影响，赴日中国游客数量急剧下降。

Chinese carriers have canceled nearly half of all flights from the Chinese mainland to Japan this month. The downturn began in November, when remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi involving Taiwan triggered public backlash, according to Yang Jinsong, a researcher at the China Tourism Academy.

中国航空公司本月已取消近半数从中国大陆飞往日本的航班。中国旅游研究院研究员杨劲松指出，自去年11月日本首相高市早苗涉及台湾问题的言论引发公众强烈反响后，航班量便开始下滑。

Yang said the drop in traveler demand is the result of multiple overlapping factors. "In addition to fluctuations in bilateral relations that have fueled public sentiment, travelers are increasingly wary of Japan's public security situation, recent earthquake activity, as well as disease outbreaks," Yang said.

杨劲松表示，旅客需求下降是由多重因素叠加造成的。他说道：“除了双边关系波动引发的公众情绪波动外，旅客对日本公共安全状况、近期地震活动以及疾病暴发的担忧也在不断加剧。”

On Monday, three major carriers — Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines — announced that passengers who purchased tickets before noon that day for Japan-bound flights scheduled between March 29 and Oct 24, 2026, would be eligible for free refunds or changes.

周一，三大航空公司——中国国际航空、中国南方航空和中国东方航空——宣布，凡在当天中午之前购买2026年3月29日至10月24日期间飞往日本航班机票的乘客，均可免费办理退票或改签手续。

Since Nov 15, 2025, Chinese carriers have canceled a large number of flights to Japan. Data from aviation platform Flight Manager shows that in January 2026, the cancellation rate for flights from the Chinese mainland to Japan reached 47.2 percent, up 7.8 percentage points from the previous month. As of Monday, flights on 49 routes scheduled for February had been canceled.

自2025年11月15日起，中国航空公司大幅取消飞往日本的航班。航空平台Flight Manager数据显示，2026年1月中国大陆飞往日本的航班取消率达47.2%，较上月上升7.8个百分点。截至周一，原定2月份执飞的49条航线航班已被取消。

According to immigration statistics released by the Japanese government on Jan 15, about 348,700 Chinese nationals, excluding those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, traveled to Japan in December 2025, down about 40 percent from the previous year and about 35 percent from November 2025.

日本政府1月15日公布的出入境统计数据显示，2025年12月赴日中国公民（不含香港、澳门及台湾地区）约34.87万人次，较上年同期下降约40%，较2025年11月下降约35%。

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday issued a travel advisory warning that public security in Japan has deteriorated in recent months, highlighting a rise in criminal cases targeting Chinese citizens. Earthquakes in several regions have caused injuries, and the Japanese government has warned of possible follow-up seismic activity, it said.

中国外交部周一发布旅行提示，称日本近月来治安状况恶化，针对中国公民的刑事案件有所增加。该提示指出，日本多地发生地震造成人员受伤，日方政府已警告可能出现后续地震活动。

"Chinese citizens in Japan are facing serious safety threats," the ministry said in the statement, advising travelers to avoid visiting Japan and those already there to closely monitor security conditions as well as earthquake and disaster alerts.

外交部在声明中表示：“在日本的中国公民正面临严重的安全威胁。”建议旅行者避免前往日本，已在当地的人员需密切关注安全状况及地震灾害预警。

Meanwhile, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said on Tuesday that a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak, the country's 18th outbreak this season, was confirmed at a poultry farm in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo. More than 100,000 quail were being raised at the farm.

与此同时，日本农林水产省周二表示，东京附近的千叶县一家禽类养殖场确诊爆发高致病性禽流感疫情，这是该国本季第18起疫情。该养殖场饲养着超过10万只鹌鹑。

On social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, users have been debating whether Japan remains a viable holiday destination. One user, nicknamed Xiaoyu, posted on Tuesday asking for advice on whether to proceed with a planned Spring Festival hiking trip along the Kumano Kodo trail.

在社交媒体平台小红书上，用户们正热议日本是否仍是可行的度假目的地。一位昵称为小雨（音译）的用户周二发帖询问，是否该按计划在春节期间前往熊野古道徒步旅行。

"I am preparing a 'Plan B' amid fears of flight cancellations and other uncontrollable risks," the user said.

小雨（音译）表示：“鉴于航班取消及其他不可控风险的担忧，我正在制定‘B计划’。”

While some commenters said they were increasingly worried, others said their trips in December were largely unaffected.

虽然部分评论者表示他们越来越担心，但也有人称他们12月的行程基本未受影响。

Yang said Chinese travelers may consider alternative destinations for the holiday period, as uncertainty surrounding flights and safety conditions continues to influence travel decisions.

杨劲松表示，由于航班安排和安全状况的不确定性持续影响着出行决策，中国游客可能会考虑在假期期间选择其他目的地。

aviation

/ˌeɪ.viˈeɪ.ʃən/

n.航空（学）；飞行（术）；航空工业