Relationship dossier
Japan
Macau
Relationship assessment
Visa-free travel contrasts with trade friction over restrictions on Japanese food imports.
Japan toward Macau
+15Japan allows holders of Macau SAR passports to enter visa-free for short-term stays, facilitating travel from Macau to Japan.
Macau toward Japan
-15Macau has restricted imports of some Japanese food products following the Fukushima nuclear accident, a trade measure affecting Japanese exports.
Overall relationship
0The relationship combines a practical travel facilitation measure with recurring friction over restrictions on Japanese food imports. Macau's status as a Chinese special administrative region places foreign affairs under the central government, while Macau authorities exercise relevant local trade and immigration powers.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Japan permits short-term visa-free entry for holders of Macau SAR passports. Macau has maintained restrictions on some Japanese food imports following the Fukushima nuclear accident, creating a recurring trade issue. Macau is a special administrative region of China, and foreign affairs are handled by the central government; its trade and immigration policies are distinct from that responsibility.
Areas of tension
- Macau's restrictions on imports of some Japanese food products following the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of Macau's restrictions on Japanese food imports are unclear.
- Details of direct government cooperation between Japan and Macau beyond travel and trade policy are limited.