Japan is leading the recovery of China’s outbound tourism, particularly among short-term visitors from China, with 21,000 arrivals in July 2024. This resurgence is primarily driven by travelers from Shanghai and the nearby Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, aided by favorable visa policies and geographic proximity. The Shanghai Consular District has issued visas at significantly higher rates than other districts like Beijing and Guangzhou. Li highlights three key factors contributing to this trend: the Yangtze River Delta’s closeness to Japan, relaxed pre-pandemic visa requirements, and comparable living costs between these Chinese regions and most parts of Japan, except for Tokyo.