Despite the tension in Sino-Japanese relations, the number of bookings made by mainland Chinese tourists at Japanese hotels during the Chinese New Year period has surged. According to a report by Nikkei Asia on Tuesday, data from the booking management platform Tripla shows that the number of bookings from China for the period of February 15 to 23, 2026, has increased by 57% compared to the previous Chinese New Year holiday period from January 28 to February 4, 2025. This data is sourced from 1727 hotels in Japan.
Moreover, a survey conducted by Nikkei on 10 Japanese hotel operators found that as of December 15, the Chinese New Year booking situation revealed that three hotel operators reported an increase in bookings. Palace Hotel stated that their bookings doubled compared to the same period last year, while five operators mentioned that there was no significant change in bookings.
However, two operators – Tokyu Hotels & Resorts and Imperial Hotel – noted a slight decrease in bookings, with a drop of around 10%. Among the 10 operators surveyed, five reported an increase in average room prices. Tripla predicts that the average accommodation price during the Chinese New Year period will rise to 22,004 yen (about $140), a 21% increase compared to the same period last year.
Following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takichi’s speech in November regarding the potential emergency situation in Taiwan, the Chinese government called on Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. Some analysts suggest that the impact of this retaliatory action by the Chinese Communist Party is limited due to the increase in the number of individual Chinese tourists, as they are less affected by government policies compared to organized group tours by travel agencies.
According to a report by global real estate services group CBRE, the proportion of Chinese tourists traveling to Japan in organized groups has decreased from about 50% of the total to 15.6%, indicating that the Japanese tourism market has become more adaptable to changes in international relations.
Despite Beijing’s advisory to avoid Japan, casting a shadow over Japanese hotels that typically cater to group tourists, these hotels often receive many last-minute bookings during the Chinese New Year holiday period.
A spokesperson from Hankyu Hanshin Hotels informed Nikkei that it is still too early to draw conclusions about the trend of Chinese tourists traveling to Japan. As with other hotels, they are adopting a wait-and-see approach.