One of the nicest things about traveling to Japan is that you really don’t have to worry about your safety, compared to just about anywhere else in the world. Well, China (the People’s Republic of China, not the Republic of China) seemingly has a different take, and is recommending that citizens not travel to Japan, out of concern for their safety… or something.
China warns of safety risks with traveling to Japan
On November 14, 2025, China’s Embassy in Japan issued a travel warning, telling citizens to avoid travel to Japan. As flagged by LoyaltyLobby, here’s the translated memo published by the embassy:
Since the beginning of this year, public security in Japan has been unstable, with a high number of criminal incidents targeting Chinese citizens. Multiple cases of assaults on Chinese nationals in Japan have occurred, some of which remain unsolved. The overall security environment for Chinese citizens in Japan has continued to deteriorate. Recently, Japanese leaders openly made provocative remarks concerning Taiwan, further worsening the atmosphere for China-Japan people-to-people exchanges and posing significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Japan solemnly remind Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near future. Chinese citizens already in Japan should closely monitor local security conditions, enhance safety awareness, and strengthen self-protection. In case of an emergency, please promptly contact local police and reach out to the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in Japan for assistance.
What’s China’s real motive for this travel warning?
It’s not too hard to make sense of what’s going on here. Japan’s new Prime Minister has made it clear that the country is supportive of Taiwan, in the event that China would attack. This is hardly the first time that China has issued a politically motivated travel warning when a country doesn’t take its side, with little basis in reality.
I can’t help but wonder if any Chinese citizens actually heed this warning, or if they know this is propaganda. Suggesting that the political disagreement between the two countries is “posing significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan” is quite a claim to make. As a visitor, you’re safer in Japan than just about anywhere else in the world, so that’s wild to me…
Bottom line
Chinese citizens should apparently be concerned for their safety when traveling to Japan, as the country has become “unstable, with a high number of criminal incidents targeting Chinese citizens,” and the “security environment” has “continued to deteriorate.” Something tells me we won’t see a significant decrease in tourism to China, but who knows…
What do you make of this travel warning?