Stock of several Japanese brands drop amid rising political tension with China

As the diplomatic standoff between China and Japan worsens, shares of Japan's major tourism-related stocks declined on Monday following Beijing's issuance of a travel and study alert for Chinese citizens planning to visit Japan.

Beauty and cosmetics company Shiseido saw its shares plunge nearly 10 percent. Japan Airlines dropped around 4 percent during the trading. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, parent company of the Mitsukoshi and Isetan department store chains, fell nearly 12 percent. Shares of Japanese sportswear firm Asics Corp lost nearly 5 percent. The Nikkei 225 Index also edged lower on Monday.

Several major domestic airlines, including Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines, issued public notices on Saturday stating that, in line with the travel advisory released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, passengers holding tickets issued before Dec 31 are eligible for free refunds or rescheduling for flights to and from Japan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory on Friday noting that public security in Japan has remained unstable since the start of this year, with a high incidence of criminal cases targeting Chinese citizens.

Multiple incidents of Chinese citizens being attacked have occurred in Japan, with some remaining unsolved, leading to a continued deterioration of the security environment for Chinese citizens in the country, the statement said.

Recently, Japan's leaders have made provocative remarks on the Taiwan question, which have seriously undermined the atmosphere for China-Japan personnel exchanges and posed significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens in Japan. The ministry solemnly reminds Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan for the time being.