Tension may still be high between Japan and China as their diplomatic ties are challenged by the territorial disputes they’re involved in but when it comes to tourists, this issue does not matter. Proof of this is the rise in the number of Chinese tourists that visited Japan this year to experience the Cherry blossoms.

The Japan National Tourism Organization recently reported that in March alone, Chinese tourist arrivals went up 80 percent. This translates to a total of 184,200 people from China visiting Japan starting in January 2014. For that period, some 79,000 group visas and 30,000 individual visas were issued to the Chinese. These figures are said to be the highest number of visas ever issued since the start of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration in 2012.

Chinese Confidence in Japan

The rise in the number of people from China is clear proof that the Chinese still love Japan, its products and culture. This positive trend was noted in July 2013 when an estimated 60,000 visas were issued. [Read more…]