Chinese airlines offer free cancellations for Japan-bound flights following travel advisory

Several Chinese carriers announced on Saturday that they will offer full refunds for flights to Japan, after China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy in Japan issued travel advisories the previous day, urging citizens to avoid visiting Japan in the near term.

Eight Chinese airlines — Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, and Spring Airlines said in separate statements on Saturday that they would allow free ticket refunds or itinerary changes for flights booked through December 31.

Notably, flights from the Chinese mainland to Japan has already been declining in recent weeks. Data gathered by Chinese industry information provider Umetrip shows that 1,189 flights operated in the week ending November 9, about 83 percent of the same period in 2019 and 14.5 percent fewer than five weeks earlier.

China has long been one of Japan's key sources of inbound tourists. In 2024, Chinese travelers made 6.98 million visits to Japan out of a total 36.87 million overseas arrivals, ranking as the second-largest source market and marking a strong 187.9 percent year-on-year increase. In the first nine months of 2025, visits by Chinese tourists reached close to 7.5 million.

Industry insiders believe the recent events will significantly dampen Chinese travelers' enthusiasm for visiting Japan, ultimately leading to a decline in visitor numbers and spending. Given the importance of the Chinese market, this could deliver a major blow to Japan's tourism sector, reported business media Yicai.

In addition, on Saturday, China's Ministry of Education issued a study-abroad alert, advising citizens to exercise caution when planning to study in Japan.

The number of Chinese students studying in Japan has been rising steadily in recent years. According to the latest data from Japan's Immigration Services Agency, from January to September 2024, more than 140,000 students from China went to study in Japan, with those from the Chinese mainland accounting for approximately 27.3 percent of the total.