The government of Hong Kong is urging residents planning to travel to Japan or those currently staying in the country to exercise caution.
Hong Kong’s Security Bureau updated information about travel to Japan on its website on Saturday.
It says, “Since mid-2025, there has been an increasing trend of attack incidents against Chinese citizens in Japan.” It adds that Hong Kong travelers should pay attention to announcements from the Chinese Embassy and Consulate-Generals in Japan.
The move comes after China’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Friday to urge Chinese nationals to refrain from traveling to Japan for the time being.
China took that step in response to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s remarks on Taiwan.
Takaichi said at Japan’s Diet earlier this month that a military emergency over Taiwan could be regarded as a situation that would threaten Japan’s survival.
Japan is one of the most popular tourist destinations for residents of Hong Kong.
Data from the Japan National Tourism Organization show that about 2.68 million travelers from Hong Kong visited Japan in 2024. The figure is the fifth largest by country or region.
