There are no signs that the release of treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant will dissuade Chinese tourists from visiting Japan, despite a backlash in Asia’s biggest economy, the CEO of Japan’s largest airline has said.
Although he’s keeping a close eye on travelers’ movements, Koji Shibata of ANA Holdings said in an interview that "there is no significant impact” thus far. The number of inbound visitors from China was about 300,000 in July, he said, compared with 30,000 in January.
China lifted a ban on group tours last month, fueling predictions of a boost in retail sales in the island nation. Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists were big spenders at Japan’s drugstores, electronics retailers and high-end department stores — which received them by the busload.