China said Thursday that it has approved the resumption of Japan-bound group tours for its citizens, lifting restrictions introduced in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in a move expected to revitalize Japan's inbound tourism sector.
The resumption of the tours, which comes amid strained bilateral relations over Tokyo's plan to start releasing treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, could indicate Beijing's intention to boost people-to-people exchanges.
The public and business sectors in Japan have welcomed the resumption, as the world's third-largest economy has made inbound tourism one of the key pillars of its growth strategy following the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minster Fumio Kishida told reporters on Thursday that the government hopes inbound travel from China will recover further as a result of the tours being resumed.
The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in a statement that it has given its approval for the resumption of group tours to Japan and over 70 other countries and territories, including the United States, Germany, Australia and South Korea.
Since 2017, China had banned group tours to South Korea over the deployment of a U.S. antiballistic missile system in the country.
In February and March, China announced the resumption of overseas group tours for Chinese citizens after a roughly three-year hiatus, but the tours were limited to a total of 60 countries, with Japan excluded from the list.
Chinese individuals have been permitted to travel to Japan since the country lifted its strict "zero-COVID" policy in January.
Representatives from the Japanese tourism industry had called for the resumption of Japan-bound Chinese group tours.
Hopes of the tours from China being resumed boosted tourism-related shares in Tokyo as stocks ended higher, aided by optimistic earnings forecasts from some major Japanese companies.
The number of Chinese visitors to Japan amounted to 9.59 million in 2019, accounting for some 30 percent of all inbound tourists. They spent a total of 1.77 trillion yen ($12 billion), official data showed.
Arrivals from China stood at about 208,500 in June, down 76.3 percent from the same month in 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
© KYODO
33 Comments
factchecker
Sigh. It's been a welcome reprieve from these ill mannered idiots.
WA4TKG
Who in their right mind would actually GO there.
OssanAmerica
China weaponizes everything, including tourism. But does anybody want to go back to the pre-covid days of Chinese tourist hordes?
Moonraker
Groups of shouting people coming to a quiet place near you.
Meiyouwenti
I’d rather they stayed home, spending their money in their own country to boost its sagging economy.
Reginald Bok
Komae Tamagawa fireworks were last night.
Check the link. What part of that don't you understand? Mythical? Are you ok?
englisc aspyrgend
I get the impression Chinese tourists are only popular or at least tolerable with those making money out of them?
OssanAmerica
That is absolutely not true. Even the Chinese Govt considers it a problem.
“Too Loud, Too Rude”: Switzerland Introduces Separate Trains for Chinese Tourists"
https://www.whatsonweibo.com/too-loud-too-rude-switzerland-introduces-separate-trains-for-chinese-tourists/
"They are seen as pushy, loud, impolite, unruly, and they are everywhere."
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1251239/why-are-chinese-tourists-so-rude
"Not only are the Chinese bemoaning their rudeness at home and abroad, the government has responded with new rules that took effect this week, aimed at keeping loutish travelers in check."
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/05/08/405183120/beijing-clamps-down-on-chinese-tourists-behaving-badly
Tell_me_bout_it
While Chinese tourists are indeed loud and inconsiderate most of the time,
Let's not ignore the fact that Tokyo is currently overcorwded by the whites. I cant book hotels for business travels. Around all hotels you see hordes of white tourists. And they arent any much better than the Chinese. at least Chinese are spending tons here and contributing a lot to tourist revenue.
I miss the time when there werent tourists of any color.
Chabbawanga
Awesome. Hopefully it alleviates some of the xenophob tensions that have built up since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Reginald Bok
It is. Get over it.
You're rude. And noisy. And dirty.
No thank you
Reginald Bok
@ossan
You're so racist/prejudiced. I can't believe what I'm reading sometimes with the things you post
Christopher Mas Osan
I have to be a bit critical of Japan here.
Why are you allowing Chinese tourists in the country when they China are war gaming off your coasts and seizing islands with rightful Japanese resources and over fishing your waters? Cyber attacking government and financial institutions? Threating your neighbors with the same if not worse. Invading your airspace.
Does Japan need the revenue from these Chinese Nationals that bad to make a stand and say NO to Chinese tourists?
Greedy a bit.
Tell_me_bout_it
Money talks bruv. When money talks, governments listen. Japan simply cannot ignore all the money these people are bringing.
Christopher Mas Osan
Indeed. seems so Tell_me......
Given Japan and Chinas long history. Its only money. Cash is King.
Zoroto
Ginza department stores must be so happy. They can resume making all their announcements in Chinese first, then Japanese, like before COVID.
Zoroto
Rather the Chinese that the overweight tattooed Westerner wearing a tank top, while talking loudly.
TrevorPeace
@Tell_me_bout_itToday 06:30 pm JST
While Chinese tourists are indeed loud and inconsiderate most of the time,
Let's not ignore the fact that Tokyo is currently overcorwded by the whites. I cant book hotels for business travels. Around all hotels you see hordes of white tourists. And they arent any much better than the Chinese. at least Chinese are spending tons here and contributing a lot to tourist revenue.
I miss the time when there werent tourists of any color.
As a white Canadian who is coming to visit for a month in October, and I guarantee who is appreciated by his Japanese friends, I can only say this: tell me where you live and I'll avoid you and your hometown like the plague. You're really quite the racist ass, you know?
Norm
I live near Osaka Castle and right by a major subway station, so in the pre-pandemic days there were hordes of especially Chinese tourists. But in the many years the boom was underway, I never saw any of the rudeness people have accused them of. I can tell many anecdotes about what my neighbors have heard that they do, but when I ask them if they’ve seen it, they say no.
Actually, when they were here in large numbers before, I noticed them carefully studying the subway refuse containers and trying to make the proper choice. (I sometimes helped by pointing to the proper receptacle.)
Many locals, on the other hand, just chose the nearest bin without a second thought.
The only problem in my experience was the sheer number.
As for the noise, you should hear the drunk office workers that walk past my condo building every night. They beat the Chinese tourists in the noise department hands down.
But this is just my experience for the past 10+ years.
wallace
I agree with Norm
message approved.
gokai_wo_maneku
I'm really surprised by all the racist comments about Chinese. We had lots of Chinese tourists here in Shinjuku, and I never saw a problem. They are nice and well behaved. I've given occasional guidance to Chinese who were lost or trying to figure out the train system. They were very nice!
Zoroto
Nah, they are far, far worse than the Chinese. Loud, obnoxious, uncultured, tattooed, live-streaming pieces of human thrash.
Zoroto
Japan has really become a tourist destination for the lowest class Westerners for some reason. Maybe it has to do with the cheap yen. Boy, do I miss the COVID years.
gcFd1
Oh yes there were because I was there. Nice try though. God only knows what you hoped to achieve by being so weird.
https://tokyo-park.net/komae-tamagawa-fireworks-festival/
Amazing a poster not even in the Tokyo area is trying to argue about fireworks displayed or not in Tokyo.
Very weird.
Mr Kipling
Japan's future is a playground for wealthy Asians, more and more this will mean Chinese. The stereotypical image of Chinese tour groups is well outdated these days. They are noisier than the Japanese but at least they are not afraid to enjoy themselves and express their emotions. I hope the hotel building can keep pace with the demand.
wallace
Looking online there were no fireworks in Kanagawa last night.
wallace
gcFd1
quit trolling my posts.
PK.
CuteUsagi
My wonderful spouse and I were spoiled by traveling during covid throughout Japan. I am even vaccinated 6 times. The sites were great and the service was brilliant. #33-35 trips since January 2020. The number of free coupons was phenomenal.
We never had an issue with the Chinese visiting. Quiet, polite, and curious.
Never had an issue with loud Westerners either actually, but they can't fit in the train or bus seats.
Our issues have always been with loud old Japanese ladies that just can't stop screaming their lives to each other, and probably worse are young elementary school Japanese boys and girls with those Elmer Fudd hats.
I welcome anyone here and help out all of them that look perplexed.
No Passmo or Suica cards will cause stress for my station workers.
CuteUsagi
There were fireworks according to their site.
https://tokyo-park.net/komae-tamagawa-fireworks-festival/
5000 rockets in 45 minutes.
Reginald Bok
Apologies, Wallace. There were.
https://tokyo-park.net/komae-tamagawa-fireworks-festival/
I was there. But anyway, Shoganai if you don't believe it. It's pretty sad we are arguing about it, but there we are.
I didn't mean to cause offence. Have a nice evening.
WA4TKG
Woops, kindly REMOVE my comment there GOD, I mean Delete Master, I thought it said to GO to china.
"NEVERmind"....(Gilda Radner voice).
SaikoPhysco
So many people bemoaning the return of the ill mannered Chinese and complaining of pretty much every other tourist too... but the reality is, Japan needs tourism badly. Tell me where in Japan, from what business sector, are you seeing growth? Everything is slowly dying in Japan, it needs the revenue. What you should be doing, if you're not satisfied with your job or the pay, is figure out how to tap into the tourism industry.
gcFd1
Well said.