New Year Travel in Turmoil: China-Japan Tensions Cause Widespread Cancellations — Is Your Flight Affected?

Published on December 23, 2025

As tensions between China and Japan intensify, the holiday travel plans of thousands of tourists are being thrown into disarray. The simmering political conflict has triggered a series of flight cancellations between the two countries, leaving both holidaymakers and business travellers stranded during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. 46 flight routes have been suspended across the next two weeks, disrupting travel during the peak holiday season, including China’s New Year public holiday from January 1 to 3. These cancellations involve Chinese carriers, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines. Airports in 38 locations across both China and Japan will be directly impacted.

Widespread Disruptions Amid Rising Political Tensions

The political tension between the two countries began to escalate in November 2025 after comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan. Takaichi suggested that Japan might use military force if conflict broke out in the Taiwan Strait, which immediately angered Beijing. As a result, China issued a travel advisory, warning its citizens against visiting Japan due to rising safety concerns, which was further exacerbated by multiple strong earthquakes in Japan.

Flight disruptions are most noticeable on routes between China’s second- and third-tier cities — including Shenyang, Chongqing, and Wuhan — and major Japanese tourist destinations, such as Osaka and Nagoya. Direct flights from Shanghai to smaller Japanese cities like Nagasaki, Niigata, and Kagoshima have also been affected.

While Tokyo and Osaka, major economic and tourist hubs, are still receiving flights from Beijing and Shanghai, there have been significant reductions in overall traffic. Of the 1,900 flights that have been cancelled so far in December, nearly 40% of the planned services were affected by the diplomatic fallout. The situation is set to worsen in January, with additional cancellations likely.

Economic Impact on Chinese and Japanese Tourism

This disruption to air travel has also impacted the tourism industries in both countries. While Chinese tourist arrivals in Japan rose by 3% year-on-year in November 2025, the number of tourists from mainland China was still much lower than the 10.4% overall growth in international tourism to Japan, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Between January and November 2025, Chinese arrivals had increased by 37.5% compared to the previous year, but the political situation has dampened the momentum.

The Chinese government’s advisory against travel to Japan is expected to further slow tourism flows. Meanwhile, the lack of Chinese tourists will cause significant economic strain for businesses in Japan that rely heavily on foreign tourism, particularly those in major metropolitan areas like Osaka, Tokyo, and Kyoto.

The Impact on Japan’s Travel and Hospitality Sector

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has confirmed that Chinese tourists represent a substantial share of Japan’s inbound travel market, contributing heavily to local economies, especially in tourist hotspots like Osaka and Kyoto. The tourism sector in Japan is already grappling with the financial impact of earthquake disruptions in the Hokkaido region earlier in the year, and the ongoing flight cancellations could further hurt Japan’s travel and hospitality sectors during the vital New Year season.

Japan’s tourism authorities had hoped to leverage the end-of-year holidays to recover some of the losses suffered during the pandemic and earlier natural disasters. However, with Chinese tourist arrivals declining sharply, businesses, especially in retail, hospitality, and transportation, are bracing for a slow recovery.

Looking Ahead: Can Relations Improve in 2026?

Although the diplomatic fallout has had a noticeable impact on the holiday travel season, both Japan and China have made efforts in the past to stabilize their relations. However, it remains to be seen whether the political tensions between the two countries will ease in the coming months. As of now, it seems the cancellation of flights is likely to persist well into 2026, unless significant diplomatic breakthroughs occur between Beijing and Tokyo.

Travel agencies and airlines are working to accommodate those affected by the cancellations, offering refunds, rebookings, or alternate travel plans, but for many, the disruption has already caused major inconvenience and loss of income.

Summary of the Travel Disruptions

• 46 flight routes cancelled across China and Japan, affecting 38 airports.
• Chinese carriers (Air China, China Eastern, Hainan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines) have been most affected.
• Osaka and Nagoya heavily impacted, along with smaller Japanese cities like Nagasaki, Niigata, and Kagoshima.
• 40% of December flights cancelled, with more expected in January.
• Chinese government travel advisory urging citizens to avoid Japan due to safety concerns.
• Tourism flows reduced — Chinese tourist numbers down 3% in November, missing the overall growth target.

Conclusion: A Long Road Ahead for Travel Between China and Japan

As we head into 2026, the ongoing diplomatic tensions between China and Japan are expected to continue affecting holiday travel between the two nations. While major cities like Tokyo and Osaka may continue to see some air traffic, smaller routes and regional airports are feeling the brunt of cancellations, creating economic setbacks for both countries. The tourism and travel sectors, which were already struggling to recover from natural disasters and the pandemic, now face an additional challenge. Both China and Japan will need to work together to ease tensions and restore cross-border travel if they are to prevent further economic losses in the coming months.