Osaka Sees Chinese Visitor Numbers Plunge as Korean and Taiwanese Arrivals Rise

October 18, 2026

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Summary

Osaka has recorded a 61.5 percent fall in Chinese visitors during the first eight months of 2026. The decline is sharper than Japan’s nationwide drop of 56.7 percent. The downturn follows a Chinese travel advisory issued after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on a potential Taiwan emergency. Osaka’s overall foreign arrivals also fell, partly because the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo created an unusually high comparison base. However, visitors from countries and regions outside China increased by about 20 percent. South Korea, Taiwan and other markets are helping support Osaka’s tourism industry. Kansai International Airport’s China flights remain around 70 percent below the winter 2024 level, while other international routes are growing. Click the link for the full breakdown and what the figures mean for Japan’s tourism outlook.

Osaka Sees Chinese Visitor Numbers Plunge as Korean and Taiwanese Arrivals Rise

Osaka records a sharper decline than Japan overall

Osaka is experiencing a pronounced decline in Chinese tourist arrivals, with the drop noticeably steeper than the national trend. According to figures released by the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, approximately 1.501 million Chinese visitors traveled to Osaka between January and August 2026. That was a 61.5 percent decrease from the 3.897 million recorded during the same period in 2025.

Across Japan as a whole, Chinese visitor numbers fell by 56.7 percent during the same eight-month period. The figures suggest that Osaka, one of Japan’s most popular destinations for Chinese travelers, has been particularly affected by the downturn.

The decline comes as the Chinese government has urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Japan following remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November 2025 concerning a potential Taiwan emergency. While the precise impact of political developments is difficult to measure, travel demand between China and Japan has remained significantly weaker since the advisory was issued.

Overall foreign arrivals in Osaka also decline

Osaka welcomed approximately 10.971 million foreign visitors from January through August 2026, down 6.9 percent from the 11.789 million recorded during the same period a year earlier. This performance was weaker than Japan’s nationwide inbound tourism result, which declined by 2.7 percent over the same period.

Chinese arrivals fell particularly sharply in August. Osaka received approximately 254,000 Chinese visitors that month, compared with 619,000 in August 2025, representing a decrease of about 59 percent.

However, comparisons with 2025 require some caution. The Osaka-Kansai Expo was held from April through October 2025, attracting large numbers of international travelers and influencing tourism and accommodation statistics. The event created an unusually strong comparison base for 2026.

Visitors from other markets provide important support

Excluding Chinese travelers, Osaka’s inbound tourism figures show a more positive picture. The city welcomed approximately 7.892 million visitors from other countries and regions during the first eight months of 2025. That number rose to about 9.47 million in the same period of 2026, an increase of roughly 20 percent.

Travelers from South Korea, Taiwan and other Asian markets have helped offset part of the decline from China. This diversification is significant for Osaka, a city known for its food culture, shopping districts, historic attractions and convenient access to Kyoto, Nara and the wider Kansai region. It also demonstrates the continuing appeal of Japan, even as individual markets respond differently to diplomatic and economic conditions.

Hotel prices and Kansai Airport services under pressure

Hotel performance has also reflected the changing visitor mix. Analysis by STR, a hotel data company, reported by tourism news outlet Travel Voice, indicated that average room rates in Osaka fell in July 2026. The midscale segment recorded the largest decline, down 21.7 percent year on year, while luxury hotels saw a more moderate decrease of 3.1 percent.

Analysts attributed the weakness partly to the end of the Expo and partly to Osaka’s relatively high dependence on Chinese visitors compared with some other Japanese destinations. Lower demand can create challenges for tourism businesses, but it may also offer travelers more accommodation choices and competitive prices in the short term.

Air connectivity has been affected as well. Kansai International Airport’s winter 2026 schedule indicated that flights to China remained approximately 70 percent below the winter 2024 level, before the travel advisory. By contrast, international passenger flights excluding China routes were expected to increase by 7 percent.

Actual passenger figures underline the contrast. From April through September 2026, passenger numbers on China routes at Kansai Airport were reported at 38 percent of the previous year’s level. During the same period, passenger numbers on South Korean routes reached 125 percent of the previous year, while routes to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao reached 110 percent.

Some Chinese routes are beginning to expand

There are limited signs of recovery in selected markets. At New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Spring Airlines is expected to increase its Shanghai service from two flights per week to four during the winter schedule beginning October 25, ahead of the snow season.

Nevertheless, the broader relationship between China and Japan remains unsettled. Airlines, hotels and tourism operators will be watching closely to see how long the decline continues and when major gateways such as Osaka and Tokyo can regain more of their China-related capacity. For now, Japan’s strong performance in other Asian markets offers resilience, while the country’s diverse attractions continue to support inbound demand from travelers around the world.