January 28, 2026 | 03:52 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government of China has advised its citizens against spending the 2026 Chinese New Year holiday in Japan. This advice comes amid ongoing tensions between the two countries following comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan in November 2025, which have yet to subside.
As reported by the South China Morning Post on Monday, January 26, 2026, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo issued a statement urging their citizens to avoid traveling to Japan and advising those already there to remain cautious of crime and disasters.
On the same day, major Chinese airlines, including Air China, China Eastern, Shandong Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, also extended their policy of free flight changes and cancellations for flights to Japan until October 24.
Travelers planning trips to Japan can request refunds and flight changes for tickets purchased before January 26, including travel to and from Japan, as well as scheduled transit between March 29 and October 24.
With this warning, Chinese tourists are expected to shift their holidays to South Korea. The visa-free policy will facilitate travel between the two countries, for both Chinese visitors to South Korea and South Korean tourists to China.
Chinese Tourists in Japan
The Lunar New Year is the longest holiday in China. This year, the holiday will last for nine days, starting on February 15. Last year, the China Tourism Academy reported that 3.78 million Chinese citizens traveled abroad during the Lunar New Year holiday, a 5.2 percent increase from the previous year. This figure accounts for about 60 percent of the 6.31 million travelers who went abroad in 2019. The China Tourism Academy reported that 907,600 of these trips were international, with the highest number going to Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
Although the arrival of Chinese tourists in Japan dropped by 45 percent in December 2025, Japan still recorded the highest overall number of visitors, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). The government tourism agency reported a record of 42.7 million foreign arrivals last year, with about 9.1 million from China. This figure still marks a 30 percent increase from 2024.
Read: Top 8 Spots to Buy Unique CNY Goodies in Singapore 2026
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