TOKYO (XINHUA, BLOOMBERG) – The number of visitors from South Korea to Japan plummeted in August from a year earlier, owing to deteriorating ties between both countries over wartime and trade issues, the government said in a report on Wednesday (Sept 18).

Tourists from South Korea, who normally make up about a quarter of visitors to Japan, plummeted 48 per cent to 308,700 people, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation. The total number of foreign visitors to Japan fell 2.2 per cent from a year earlier to 2.52 million.

The escalating tensions between Japan and South Korea were an attributable factor to the fall in visitorship numbers, noted government and industry insiders.

Sinking bilateral ties are beginning to take their toll economically, experts have highlighted.

Japan imposed export controls on South Korea in July that led to a flurry of reactions, from reciprocal trade curbs to a self-imposed consumer boycott.

The conflict is exacerbating already fragile relations, and having impacted sales of Japanese beer and cars in Seoul, is now taking a toll on Japan’s booming tourism industry.

With both South Korean and Japanese airlines cutting flights between the two countries, the trade spat is likely to continue to impact arrivals.

The spat may even undercut the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, with South Korea raising concerns over everything from radiation to imperial-era Japanese flags at the event.

However, the Rugby World Cup, which gets underway in Japan on Friday, is likely to buoy arrivals for September and October.

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