Growing number of Chinese have yen to spend in Japan
- By Cai Hong
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E-mail China Daily, July 6, 2015
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A shop selling animation-related products at downtown Tokyo's Akihabara district tries to attract foreign visitors with a sign saying "tax free shop" in languages that include English, Chinese and Korean, in April. [Zhang Yunbi / China Daily] |
The food court at a popular market in Naha, Okinawa was full of people speaking Chinese, and some of the waitresses and waiters were speaking Chinese, too, and for a moment, I had the distinct impression I was back in China.
When I left, a local taxi driver told me that Naha is planning to build a large statue of a dragon, a symbol of China, on a hill to greet the cruise ships that arrive carrying large numbers of Chinese tourists.
Japan is Chinese travelers' most popular destination, with 2.05 million Chinese nationals granted visas in 2014. Japan's embassy in Beijing and its consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou were its top three visa issuing missions, according to the country's foreign ministry. All its other consulates in China were also in the top 10.
Most of Chinese visitors head to Japan for shopping. In 2014, spending by Chinese tourists was up 10.3 percent year-on-year, amounting to almost $2,000 per person.
It is no wonder that Japan was excited about a travel account surplus of 209.9 billion yen ($1.7 billion), the first in 55 years. Its finance ministry highlighted the part the influx of Chinese tourists played.
Chinese tourists don't have to like Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his policy toward China, but his economic policy, known as Abenomics, makes Japan an alluring destination.
Along with eased visa requirements and a weak yen, Japan's expansion of its consumption tax exemption to food products and cosmetics last fall has attracted even more Chinese.
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