TOKYO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of visitors from the Chinese mainland to Japan plunged 45.3 percent from a year earlier in December 2025, official data showed.

Tourists from the Chinese mainland fell to about 330,400 people in December 2025, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) said on Wednesday.

JNTO data shows that the decline became pronounced after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made erroneous remarks on Taiwan in November 2025. The number of visitors from the Chinese mainland dropped to 562,600 in November from 715,700 in October.

Japanese media and experts have noted that strained China-Japan relations following Takaichi's wrongful remarks have had negative impacts on multiple sectors of Japan's economy and society, including retail, accommodation and catering.

Japan Travel Bureau Foundation, the country's largest travel agency, has forecast that inbound tourist arrivals to Japan in 2026 could fall by 3 percent amid uncertainty over visits from the Chinese mainland. ■