Beijing cautions tourists over Japan travel risks

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Sunday urged Chinese tourists to avoid traveling to Japan for the time being and advised those already there to closely monitor local security conditions.

In a notice issued on Sunday night, the ministry called on Chinese visitors in Japan to raise their safety awareness, strengthen self-protection, and promptly call police and contact Chinese embassies or consulates in emergencies.

The advisory cited a Friday travel alert from China's Foreign Ministry, which said public security in Japan has deteriorated in 2025, with a spate of offenses targeting Chinese nationals. The alert noted multiple assault cases — some still unresolved — and said the overall safety environment for Chinese citizens in Japan has continued to worsen.

The notice also said that in recent days the Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi has made openly provocative remarks on Taiwan, further souring the atmosphere for people-to-people exchanges and heightening risks to the personal safety of Chinese citizens in Japan.