TOKYO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of visitors to Japan from the Chinese mainland plunged 55.9 percent year-on-year in March to 291,600, marking a continued downward trend that is weighing on multiple sectors of the Japanese economy.
The drop extended the decline to a fourth consecutive month, according to data released on Wednesday by the Japan National Tourism Organization.
During the first quarter of 2026, Chinese mainland visitor arrivals dropped 54.6 percent compared with the same period last year.
The sustained drop in tourist numbers follows blatant Taiwan-related remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, after which travel demand from the Chinese mainland has continued to weaken.
The downturn has put pressure on a wide range of industries, including retail, hospitality and dining, all of which have traditionally relied heavily on Chinese tourists.
Preliminary figures released Wednesday by the Japan Tourism Agency showed that spending by Chinese mainland travelers in the January-March period halved to 271.5 billion yen (about 1.71 billion U.S. dollars) from a year before.
Major Japanese retailers have already felt the impact. Department store operator Takashimaya and J. Front Retailing both reported declines in net profits for the previous fiscal year, their first such drops in five years.
Keiichi Ono, president of J. Front Retailing, said at a financial results briefing that it would be difficult in the short term to offset the impact of the decline in Chinese tourists. ■
