While Chinese tourists' shopping sprees in Japan continue at such a pace that "explosive buying" has become the buzzword of the year, an academic survey has shown that Japanese landscapes, culture and art may be more alluring than the bright lights of famous shopping districts.

The survey by Wang Yin, a Nagoya-based Chinese postgraduate student researching Chinese tourist behavior, found 29 percent of Chinese respondents cited "viewing countryside" as a reason for visiting Japan, followed by 26 percent who nominated "appreciation of traditional culture and arts."

This compared to 15 percent who cited "convenience in shopping" as the motivation for their visit.