Japan drops out of top 10 holiday spots for Chinese travelers amid tensions

Japan has fallen out of the top 10 holiday destinations for Chinese travelers during the major National Day holidays, according to a leading Chinese travel agency. The decline in popularity comes amid strained relations between the two Asian nations. Last year, Japan ranked highest for this holiday period, which also includes the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival.

The drop in popularity is attributed to China's urging of its citizens to avoid travel to Japan following comments made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November. The comments suggested that an attack by China on Taiwan could prompt a response from Japanese defense forces, a claim that Beijing denies, as the self-ruled island is considered part of its territory.

A Chinese traveler who recently visited Japan remarked that the current atmosphere makes it difficult for many to consider Japan as a travel destination. The number of Chinese visitors to Japan in the first half of this year has dropped by 56.4% compared to the same period last year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

The National Day holidays, marking China's 77th founding anniversary, are expected to see 2.13 billion people travel domestically, with over 90% of travel occurring by car. The government has installed more than 10,000 fast-charging stations this year to support the growing number of electric vehicles on expressways.