Osakas neonbeleuchtetes Herz zeigt den Preis von Japans härterem Vorgehen gegenüber China

*A snap election will test whether voters accept falling Chinese tourism as the price of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s tougher security stance.*

*Akemi Terukina for Bloomberg News*

At a wagyu restaurant in Osaka’s vibrant entertainment district, manager Ryoji Shiokawa surveys a mostly empty dining room as he contemplates his next move.

Shiokawa’s business has long relied on Chinese tour groups drawn by popular 13,000-yen ($83) steak platters, featuring sirloin, rib-eye and the chef’s recommended cut. But sales at one of his two venues are down about 30% after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last year suggested that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could prompt a military response by Japan.

Amid a backlash from Beijing, Chinese arrivals to Japan have fallen sharply, prompting Shiokawa to suspend plans to boost his presence on Dazhong Dianping, a Chinese review app. Instead, he’s considering promoting his halal-certified restaurants on social media platforms popular in Islamic countries.

“Given the political situation, we’re now considering halal customers, particularly higher-spending visitors from Dubai,” says the 33-year-old, holding the door open for a family leaving after lunch on a recent Sunday. He expects the trend to last — “maybe three years.”

The economic impact of Japan’s worsening ties with Beijing is particularly acute in Osaka, which relies more heavily on Chinese visitors than most other parts of the country. A snap lower-house election on Feb. 8 will test whether voters here are prepared to bear such costs in return for Takaichi’s more hawkish stance.

It’s a high-stakes moment for Takaichi, who became leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and then prime minister in October and is now seeking a clearer personal mandate. While inflation and the cost of living remain top concerns for many voters, security has emerged as a defining issue. Takaichi has argued that stronger deterrence is essential to Japan’s long-term security, even amid economic costs.

[Read the full dispatch here.](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-06/japan-election-tests-takaichi-s-china-stance-as-tourism-slumps?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3MDM5NzA1MywiZXhwIjoxNzcxMDAxODUzLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQTFMT1BLSVAzTkUwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJEMzU0MUJFQjhBQUY0QkUwQkFBOUQzNkI3QjlCRjI4OCJ9.QTc4jdYDmeuPKCNwmg-IDEAw5xz9ow8VmsJRXkGaXY4)