On the morning of November 17, Tokyo's stock market fell, with the Nikkei Average Index temporarily falling below the 50,000-point mark. Japanese tourism stocks dropped sharply, and other consumer goods and retail stocks also declined across the board.

Eastern Morning News screenshot

In terms of tourism stocks, Shiseido's stock fell by 11%. Japan Airlines fell by 5.8% at one point. In terms of other consumer goods and retail stocks, Sanrio fell by 7.8%, Asics fell by 6.6%, and Fast Retailing fell by 6.9%. The stock price of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, a department store operator, fell by 12%. The stock price of Muji (Moussy) fell by 12% at one point, marking the largest drop since August 2024.

On November 14, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates in Japan solemnly reminded Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan recently, stating that this year, social security in Japan has been unstable, with many cases of crimes against Chinese citizens, and several incidents of Chinese citizens being attacked in Japan, some of which remain unsolved. The safety environment for Chinese citizens in Japan has continued to deteriorate. Recently, Japanese leaders have openly made provocative remarks on Taiwan, seriously worsening the atmosphere of personnel exchanges between China and Japan, and posing significant risks to the personal and life safety of Chinese citizens in Japan.

On November 16, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism also solemnly reminded Chinese tourists to avoid traveling to Japan recently. Those already in Japan should closely monitor the local security situation, enhance their awareness of safety precautions, strengthen self-protection, and if they encounter an emergency, they should report it to the police and contact the Chinese embassy or consulate in Japan for assistance promptly.

On November 15, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Sichuan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and Spring Airlines separately issued notices regarding special handling of tickets for Japan routes. The notices from the three major airlines stated that tickets meeting the applicable scope can be processed for refunds or changes according to the rules within their validity period.

According to a report by Kyodo News, the decline in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan may lead to a decrease in Japan's gross domestic product (GDP).

On the 16th, Moriuchi Takahide, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute, said that if the reminder from China leads to a significant reduction in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan, Japan's GDP is expected to fall by 0.36%, and the economic loss is estimated to reach 2.2 trillion yen.

He said that when the Japanese government announced the "purchase" of the Diaoyu Islands in September 2012, China had also warned its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. According to statistics, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan decreased by 25.1% compared to the same period in 2012 from September 2012 to August 2013. Assuming the reduction in Chinese tourists reaches this level, the consumption of visitors from China will decrease by 2.2124 trillion yen in the next year.

Moriuchi Takahide, based on the Japanese government's estimated annual potential growth rate of 0.6%, pointed out, "The reduction in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan will bring a drag effect exceeding half of the annual growth rate," highlighting the significant impact on Japan's economy.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7573522660286677523/

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