Visitors in front of Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland on January 17, 2023 in Tokyo.
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Japan said on Monday it had sent a senior foreign ministry official to China to ease rising tensions, as Tokyo’s tourism stocks fell amid a diplomatic row, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General Masaaki Kanai is scheduled to meet with Liu Jinsong on Tuesday, Kyodo News reported.
Japanese tourism-related stocks fell on Monday after the Chinese government issued a travel and study abroad alert for citizens considering traveling to Japan.
Beauty/cosmetics company ShiseidoThe company, which relies heavily on Chinese spending, plunged 9.08%. Mitsukoshi Isetan HoldingsThe company, the parent company of department store chains Mitsukoshi and Isetan, fell more than 11%.
oriental landThe company, which operates Tokyo Disney Resort, fell 5.68%. airline stocks ANA Holdings It fell 3.35%. Hankyu Hanshin HoldingsThe rail, retail and hotel operator was down 1.99%.
China on Thursday accused Japan of interfering in its internal affairs after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier this month that the use of force in the Taiwan conflict could be considered an “existential crisis” for Japan. The Chinese government called the remarks “terrible” and demanded that they be retracted.
Takaichi has refused to retract his statements, but has acknowledged that he will be more cautious when addressing such issues in parliament.
The Chinese government issued a travel advisory on Friday, saying Gaoichi’s comments put Chinese residents in Japan at increased risk. Chinese airlines responded by offering full refunds or free itinerary changes for flights to Japan.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Gaoichi’s comments amounted to provocation. “Japan’s actions have inevitably raised strong questions and concerns among its Asian neighbors and the international community,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said, according to a Google translation of his remarks in Mandarin.
Japan was the fourth most popular overseas destination for Chinese travelers in the first 11 months of 2024, accounting for more than 5% of all overseas trips, according to a Citibank report citing data from the China Tourism Academy. According to preliminary data from the Japan National Tourism Organization, nearly one-fifth of foreign visitors to Japan in 2024 were from China, or about 7 million people.
The Japanese government on Saturday urged China to continue to take a cautious approach, but top Japanese government spokesperson Minoru Kihara added that China should take “appropriate measures” without providing details, Kyodo News reported.
These flare-ups occurred during a history of nationalist backlash against Japanese companies on the mainland. In 2023, Chinese consumers angered by Japan’s release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant began a boycott of Japanese cosmetics and household goods brands.
