【Epoch Times, November 19, 2025】Following the warning issued by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the public to avoid traveling to Japan, it has been reported that numerous airlines have canceled around 500,000 tickets to Japan. However, airline personnel in Shanghai and Shenzhen revealed to the Epoch Times that flights are operating as usual with seats nearly full. Photos taken inside Japanese-bound flights shared by netizens show that passenger numbers have not decreased. Chinese travelers are still making their way to Japan. Scholars point out that the public not adjusting their travel plans as per the official warning reflects mature decision-making.
Amid the tense relations between China and Japan, the CCP’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently issued a travel advisory warning to the public against going to Japan. According to a report by the Hong Kong-based English media outlet South China Morning Post’s website on November 17, several Chinese airlines saw approximately 491,000 tickets to Japan canceled within three days, accounting for over 30% of the total bookings. The report cited aviation analyst Li Hanming. He mentioned that the canceled tickets were due to changes in the booking system and did not indicate flight adjustments by airlines. Chinese airlines are allowing passengers to cancel or change their tickets free of charge between November 15 and December 31.
A staff member at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Xiao Ting, told the Epoch Times on the 19th that there has been a long-standing demand for flights to Japan. The bookings surpass the actual demand. The bulk of cancellations are within the booking system, and flights from Shanghai to Japan have not been canceled. She stated, “Flights used to be fully booked, and now they are nearly full. Even though some passengers cancel their tickets, their seats are quickly filled by other passengers.”
Xiao Ting further stated that flights to Japan are still operating according to the scheduled plan. The cancellations from the passenger side have not led to flight reductions. She mentioned, “Our company’s ticket income has not shown significant changes.”
Miss Zhou, a staff member at the Overseas Chinese City International Travel Agency in Shenzhen, mentioned in response to inquiries that in the past few days, there have been passengers canceling tickets online for flights to Osaka, Japan, but the situation is not pronounced. She said, “The cancellations are few. Even if some passengers cancel, the vacant seats are quickly filled. The flights maintain their original schedule. I have not heard recently that there are cancellations due to boycotting Japan.”
A cabin crew chief at an airline, Tian Li, told reporters that although it is the off-peak season for traveling to Japan, the majority of passengers flying from Guangzhou to Tokyo and Osaka are the highest. She stated, “The average round-trip ticket to Tokyo costs around two to three thousand yuan. Even if some passengers cancel their tickets, it won’t affect the flight operations. Moreover, there were more cancellations a few days ago, but starting yesterday, the number of cancellations has decreased. More people are buying tickets to Japan.”
Tian Li mentioned that there is always high demand for flights to Japan throughout the year. The bookings exceed the actual demand. The large number of cancellations by passengers is considered a natural fluctuation. She expressed, “I don’t believe the report claiming 500,000 tickets were canceled. The impact on China-Japan relations is not significant. There are always passengers canceling tickets, even during normal times. Don’t trust such claims of 500,000 tickets being canceled.”
Several netizens shared photos of the cabin inside flights to Japan on social media platforms. The seats appeared to be fully occupied. One netizen mentioned that they thought they were the only one traveling to Japan, but upon boarding, they found the entire plane packed with no empty seats. They commented, “They are all disobedient children.”
As of November 19, flights to Japan from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other places are operating as usual. The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism has not issued any information regarding reduced flights between China and Japan. The Civil Aviation Administration of China’s winter-to-spring flight plan for 2025 to 2026 shows an increase in the number of weekly international flights. The China-Japan route has not been specifically adjusted.
Five days ago, Japanese Prime Minister Mana Takai raised concerns in parliament about a potential crisis involving Taiwan posing an existential threat to Japan. On the same day, the CCP’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Japan issued advisories, recommending Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near term. Several Chinese airlines subsequently announced free ticket refund and rescheduling policies starting from November 15. Following this, the Chinese Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Tourism issued alerts related to studying or traveling to Japan. Japan is one of the major outbound destinations for Chinese travelers. The routes between the two countries have been gradually restored post-pandemic. The Civil Aviation Administration’s winter-to-spring plan indicates that the China-Japan route will continue to operate.
Regarding why Chinese citizens are disregarding the authorities’ warnings and continuing to travel to Japan, scholar Zhang Chen told reporters that the CCP issues reminders during politically tense periods to shape its external stance through administrative directives. Such warnings have not had a noticeable impact within society. Travel decisions are mostly based on individual judgments. Zhang mentioned that most people have developed their own independent risk assessment abilities. Official warnings may not necessarily alter personal arrangements. The absence of widespread flight cancellations or tour withdrawals indicates the limited actual effectiveness of the CCP’s administrative dissuasion.