We assess the political fallout at one of Tokyo’s biggest tourist hotspots.
On the evening of 26 November, the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo issued a call on social media for people to refrain from travelling to Japan. The announcement came two weeks after the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs first called for travel restrictions, citing “deteriorating security conditions in Japan” as the reason. In response, on 21 November, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially released statistics on the number of serious crimes involving Chinese victims, issuing a statement to refute China’s claim.
As has been widely reported, this international spat stems from remarks made by Japan’s newly appointed prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who commented that Japan would provide aid to Taiwan in the event of a Chinese occupation. It’s said that roughly 500,000 flight cancellations have been reported as a result of China’s new travel advisory for Japan, but after we saw crowds of Chinese tourists in Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s biggest tourist sites, we decided to find out if things had changed in another popular spot – the Mega Don Quijote store in Shibuya.
“Megadonki“, as it’s known colloquially, is a store where foreign visitors often outnumber Japanese customers, and Chinese tourists, who surpass other nationalities in terms of inbound tourist numbers, are an ever-present sight.
The floors that attract the most tourists are the ones selling healthcare supplements and cosmetics and skincare, and it’s a place where you can frequently hear Chinese being spoken in the aisles. There are even staff members dedicated to assisting Chinese customers, so it’s clear that they shop here in droves. However, when we visited Megadonki Shibuya on 28 November, we found…
▼ … no customers appeared to be Chinese.
There were still overseas visitors, so the bustling atmosphere was there, but the lack of Chinese tourists was obvious. Our reporter did not hear one word of Chinese being spoken on any of the floors, which was a vast change from what you’d usually experience at this mega store.
Not only at the entrance, but also on the popular cosmetics and skincare floors, our reporter didn’t cross paths with anyone who appeared to be Chinese. In fact, the staff members who usually seem rushed off their feet assisting Chinese customers were standing about looking idle.
Having visited this store dozens of times before, the difference was noticeable as the effects of the travel advisory could be seen firsthand. We were aware of the fact that customer traffic may vary depending on the time and day, though, so in order to check if this might’ve been influencing what we saw, we casually asked a staff member, “Have Chinese customers really decreased here?”
The staff member replied, “Yes, they have definitely decreased recently. That’s the impression I get from working at the register.”
So, it seems that our observations were indeed correct. Chinese tourists really have decreased in number, because this multi-storey branch of Don Quijote was a lot quieter than we’ve ever seen it. That left us with the burning question: If their absence is affecting business at this popular store, where else will the effects be felt? As political rumblings continue to put a dent in both tourist numbers and international relations, other tourist areas may also be feeling the pinch. Either way, we hope things right themselves soon, so that the two countries can reaffirm ties and enjoy everything they both have to offer.
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