The food court at a popular market in Naha, Okinawa was full of people speaking Chinese, and some of the waitresses and waiters were speaking Chinese, too, and for a moment, I had the distinct impression I was back in China.

When I left, a local taxi driver told me that Naha is planning to build a large statue of a dragon, a symbol of China, on a hill to greet the cruise ships that arrive carrying large numbers of Chinese tourists.

Japan is Chinese travelers' most popular destination, with 2.05 million Chinese nationals granted visas in 2014. Japan's embassy in Beijing and its consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou were its top three visa issuing missions, according to the country's foreign ministry. All its other consulates in China were also in the top 10.