[International] Poor Bilateral Relations, Japan Visa Fees Increase 5-Fold; China-Japan Summer Peak Season Flights Decrease by 57%
bella@@ 央廣 新聞3d ago
Affected by political tensions between China and Japan, coupled with Japan's significant increase in visa fees, China-Japan air travel has entered a frozen state, even during the peak summer season. According to the latest statistics from the British aviation data analysis company OAG, during the summer holiday peak season of July and August this year, the number of scheduled round-trip flights on China-Japan routes decreased by 57% compared to the same period last year. Vietnam has become a new target for overseas travel for Chinese tourists.
The South China Morning Post reported that according to data compiled by OAG from 23 airlines, the total number of round-trip flights scheduled to operate between China and Japan in July this year was 2,629, a significant drop from 6,317 in July last year. In August, 2,641 flights are expected, also a substantial decrease from 6,127 in August 2025.
Mayur Patel, OAG's regional manager for Asia, stated on the 25th: "With geopolitical challenges continuing to impact the travel market, current passenger demand largely aligns with the capacity planned by airlines during this period."
This wave of large-scale flight cancellations on China-Japan routes began in November last year, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about Japan potentially deploying military forces to intervene in a Taiwan Strait conflict sparked dissatisfaction in Beijing.
Subsequently, the Chinese government issued a travel advisory for Japan in the same month, urging Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. Some Chinese airlines also offered refunds to passengers who had booked flights to Japan. As of June 23rd, China has canceled nearly 9,000 flights to Japan this year.
On the other hand, the Japanese government will increase visa fees starting next month, the first adjustment since 1978. After the adjustment, the single-entry visa fee will increase from the current 3,000 yen (approximately NT$620) to 15,000 yen (approximately NT$3,100), a fivefold increase. The multiple-entry visa fee will be raised from 6,000 yen to 30,000 yen.
Among Japan's top five inbound tourism markets this year, China is the only major source of visitors that still requires a visa to enter, making it the most directly affected by the visa fee increase.
Before the political storm, mainland China was Japan's largest source of overseas tourists. In the first nine months of 2025, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan was nearly 7.5 million, ranking first among all countries.
China-Japan Routes Primarily for Transit, Little Change
OAG data shows that Chinese airlines, including China's three major state-owned carriers, have the largest reduction in flights in July and August this year compared to the same period in 2025. In contrast, major Japanese airlines have seen almost no change in their flight schedules compared to last year.
Patel pointed out that Japanese airlines maintain their capacity on China routes mainly to sustain their transit networks through major Japanese hub airports, serving international travelers heading to North America.
Patel also stated that some travel demand between China and Japan has shifted to the Southeast Asian market, with Vietnam being the most benefited. According to OAG data, Vietnam is becoming one of the main destinations absorbing the shift in travel demand between China and Japan.
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=216693
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