I’ve been wondering about this for a while.

When people talk about traveling in Asia, Japan seems to come up way more often than China. But from my perspective, China is also very safe for travelers, and it offers a huge range of experiences. It’s much bigger, has incredibly diverse landscapes, and has a lot of history, food, and regional culture.

So in theory, it seems like China should be just as appealing — or even more so for some kinds of travelers. But in reality, far fewer people seem to choose China compared with Japan.

I’m genuinely curious what holds people back. Is it the visa process, language barrier, internet restrictions, transportation concerns, food concerns, or just a general lack of familiarity?

I’m Chinese, so I’d really like to hear honest answers. And if anyone has questions or concerns about traveling in China, feel free to ask — I’m happy to answer as openly as I can.

JMO: Japan still clings to its traditions in a way that no other major tourist destination (in or out of Asia) does. It "stands apart" in place and time -- and it adds the stark contrast of traditional Japan and ultra-modern Japan.

Japan is a safe intro to Asian travel providing a First World experience similar to travel in Europe.

Before the pandemic, there was a lot of interest in China travel. But right now travel to Japan has really taken off. Word of mouth has snowballed.

Personally what appeals to me the most is the Japanese concept of omotenashi. It is the high degree of service and hospitality shown to visitors that help make my trips there so enjoyable. This combined with historic sites, culture and arts, cleanliness as well as great food at every price point make Japan a very desirable destination.

I see your point, but I think China has that same contrast in a lot of places too. Many Chinese cities still have a very strong traditional side. Suzhou is a great example — high-rises aren’t even allowed in the old city. And even in a huge, ultra-modern city like Shanghai, there are still many places where traditional architecture and historic neighborhoods have been preserved.

China is very safe for travel too. If you look on YouTube, there are lots of foreign visitors sharing positive experiences from their trips around China.

I think COVID had a big effect on how people see China as a destination. The long period of very strict restrictions made a lot of people stop considering it, and for many people it kind of faded from their travel imagination.

That’s fair, but as a Chinese local, I’d say China has those things too — hospitality, history, culture, art, cleanliness, and amazing food at every budget level. The big difference is that China is much larger and more diverse, so the range of experiences is much wider. If you’re curious, I’d really recommend checking YouTube — a lot of foreign visitors seem to come away genuinely surprised by how much they enjoyed traveling in China.

The boom in Japan travel started at least a decade before the pandemic.

My first trip to Asia was in 2001. Japan for 10 days and Beijing for 3 days. No visa for Japan, visa required for China. Signage in Japan frequently had English translation. Back then, JR had both Japanese and English which made it easy to use the trains. Today, they also have Chinese and Korean on signs. One time I heard a train announcement in Spanish.

It would not be right for me to describe the sharp differences that I saw between Japan and Beijing at the time. Am sure China/Beijing would offer a better experience today. Maybe the water at the Holiday Inn where I stayed is potable today. Maybe air pollution is not as bad as back when people were getting around on scooters. I assume that the tea ceremony scams are still there.

It has been a good 20 years (more, I think) when Japan made a national push in English education and use.

You mentioned traditional neighborhoods. I think you mean hutongs. If you want to see monumental, centuries old, Chinese architecture you actually can find it in Japan.

China is larger, but Japan is compact and that is an advantage. Hospitality is common, generally, in the world. Sometimes that is because foreign visitors spend money. But the concept (and practice) of omotenashi is found in Japan. I experienced something like it in Turkey. I would find it hard to believe it is in China.

I could give a long list of my interests in Japan. Amazing sites, scenery, and experiences. But the best part of a visit to Japan is the Japanese people.

Japan has been a country westerners could travel to a long time so I think many of us thought of visiting someday (when we had the time and money.) China was closed to westerners for many years so it wasn't initially on the "to-do" list of some of us who are now retiring.

I was fortunate to visit China in the 1980s and really enjoyed my trip there. I am now finally going to take my first trip to Japan.

I must disagree about the hospitality issue. We felt the Japanese were ahead in that regard.
We met some remarkably nice people in China however.
As for cost it’s much more affordable in China and yes the food is very good but was also good in Japan IMO though costlier.