Mainland visitors fell more than 56% in July, compounding a months-long slump driven by escalating diplomatic tensions and soaring costs
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenSherry Wangin BeijingPublished: 3:00pm, 20 Aug 2026Mainland Chinese tourist arrivals in Japan fell for an eighth consecutive month in July, as group tours slumped and visa costs rose amid deteriorating ties between Beijing and Tokyo.
Mainland China has traditionally been a major source of visitors for Japan, but tourist arrivals plunged 56.1 per cent year on year in July, extending a downward trend that began in December 2025, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) on Wednesday.
Overall foreign arrivals to Japan edged up 0.1 per cent – the first increase in four months – supported mainly by strong demand from South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Middle East. For the first seven months of the year, mainland Chinese visitors plummeted 56.3 per cent year on year, while total foreign arrivals fell 1.7 per cent, JNTO figures showed.
Li Hanming, an independent aviation and travel industry analyst, noted that a collapse in organised group tours was the main driver behind the contraction. “Group tours face a major hurdle because travel agencies are refraining from organising group trips when official travel warnings are in place,” he said.
Jocean Zhou, a Shanghai-based social media manager and frequent traveller to Japan, said the shift was clearly visible on the ground. “In the past, you would see crowds of Chinese tour groups outside major tourist spots. Now, it’s almost entirely individual travellers,” Zhou said.
