Chinese tourists continue their love affair with Japan despite frosty ties
Diplomatic ties may have hit rock bottom, but tourism is booming
The enthusiasm of mainland Chinese travellers for Japan hit a record high during the Lunar New Year holiday, despite the frosty ties between Beijing and Tokyo.
Japan issued 79,000 visas for mainland Chinese group tourists last month and more than 30,000 for individual visitors, the highest number since Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in December 2012. The total number represents a tenfold increase on the same period last year.
"I just don't think that most Chinese people care about the political issues anymore," said Masaki Hirata, executive director of the Japan National Tourism Organisation office in Hong Kong. "They have got used to the political tensions and are tired of the disputes. They just want to travel."
Hirata said people working for state-run enterprises still refrained from visiting Japan, possibly for political reasons.
In August 2012, Japan issued 107,621 visas to mainland Chinese tourists. The next month Abe, as head of the Liberal Democratic Party heading into the national election, advocated that Tokyo take a tougher line in its territorial rows with China.