Japanese tourists, after coming to China, began to reflect and said that they were being pushed to buy discounted goods: "They know that Japanese people don't have money in their pockets!"

In early spring 2026, a Japanese tourist's comment made in the streets of Shanghai quietly went viral on Japanese social platforms. He said: "Now Chinese merchants know that Japanese tourists don't have much money, so instead of aggressively pushing sales, they don't even introduce high-priced products, but rather promote discounted goods, which is annoying."

According to the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 2025 household income and expenditure survey, the actual disposable income of ordinary Japanese salaried workers has been declining for six consecutive years, with nominal wage growth long stagnant below 1%, while inflation rates have repeatedly hit new highs. At the same time, the average spending per Japanese tourist traveling abroad fell from about RMB 8,500 in 2019 to less than RMB 5,700 in 2024.

Ten years ago, luxury stores, cosmetics stores, and specialty shops in popular Chinese tourist cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Hangzhou were "passionate" toward Japanese tourists: sales staff would greet them in Japanese, actively hand out discount coupons, and even arrange private car transfers. At that time, Japanese tourists were regarded as "high-net-worth customers," with per capita consumption far exceeding that of locals. But now, the situation has reversed. Taking the cross-border consumption report released by UnionPay International in 2025 as an example, the average daily spending of Japanese tourists in China is only RMB 320, less than half that of South Korean tourists, and far lower than that of wealthy tourists from the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

In a store specializing in silk and tea sets on Nanjing Road, a shop owner candidly said: "In the past, when we saw Japanese tourists, we would push high-end custom items. Now, when they come in, they mostly look at affordable cultural and creative products or small souvenirs. Instead of spending time promoting tea sets worth thousands of yuan, it's better to help them find a discounted scarf — it's faster to close the deal and the experience is better."

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855611435825152/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.