In 2024, the number of inbound visitors traveling to Japan amounted to approximately ***** million, setting a new record. The majority of international visitors arrived from East Asian countries. Travel during COVID-19Japan imposed international travel entry bans when COVID-19 had turned into a pandemic. In 2022, restrictions and stringent requirements that need to be fulfilled for those who wish to visit Japan remained in place. Inbound travel was difficult, resulting in the continuation of the low number of inbound travelers recorded. Travel bans were lifted in 2023 and entry to Japan was possible again with some restrictions still in place. Inbound tourism in JapanWhile domestic tourism comprises the lion's share of Japan's travel and tourism industry, inbound tourism is regarded as a promising source of income with potential for growth. Foreign tourism's contribution to the tourism GDP increased consistently in the years prior to the pandemic, as did the tourism expenditure by international visitors. Motivations to visit JapanThe island nation offers international tourists a range of holiday activities in the bustling metropolises, contrasted by the overabundance of nature-related activities in the suburban areas away from city life. The most common activity that motivated tourists to visit Japan was to try the local cuisine. While well-known Japanese dishes like ramen and sushi ranked high among overseas travelers, the most popular food during their stay in Japan was meat and meat-related dishes.

Tourist Arrivals in Japan increased to 3896300 in October from 3266800 in September of 2025. This dataset provides - Japan Tourist Arrivals - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2024, Japan welcomed approximately **** million visitors from South Korea. Inbound tourists from South Korea and China were the most numerous, with South Korea performing very well relative to previous results. Visitor numbers for most countries and territories, with the notable exception of China, and Russia, surpassed their results from 2019, before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 What are the leading drivers for inbound tourism in Japan? Depending on their country of origin, travelers tended to seek different experiences from their stay in Japan. For tourists from China, Japanese cuisine, as well as shopping seemed to be leading motivations to visit Japan. This was the case for many other East Asian travelers, as Japanese food and shopping districts also appeared to be the most appealing for South Korean and Taiwanese tourists. Looking at the leading activities among Chinese tourists in Japan, eating Japanese food, shopping, and walking in shopping districts were the most popular and were undertaken by the vast majority. Asian visitors’ motivations and activities tended to be consumer oriented. On the other hand, leading drivers for visitors from the West, for example, the United States, tended to be more culture oriented. Next to eating Japanese food, leading drivers for Western nations also included experiencing Japan’s nature, sightseeing, and learning about Japanese history and culture.  Shopping tourism in Japan Inbound shopping tourism is thriving in Japan and is especially popular among East Asian visitors. One possible explanation is Japan’s reputation of having a high product quality and service-oriented mindset, while another reason might be the government’s proactive approach to enabling shopping tourism in general. Chinese tourists seem to have taken a liking to shopping in Japan, as they rank first in terms of foreign visitor per capita shopping expenditure.

Key information about Japan Visitor Arrivals

• Japan Visitor Arrivals recorded 3,781,200 person in Jan 2025, compared with 3,489,800 person in the previous month
• Japan Visitor Arrivals data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1962 to Jan 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 3,781,200 person in Jan 2025 and a record low of 1,663 person in May 2020

In December 2024, the number of international visitors entering Japan amounted to roughly **** million people, making it the month with the highest number of inbound travelers. 2024 was a very successful year for Japan's inbound tourism, shattering hitherto tourism-related records.

In 2024, the number of international tourists visiting Tokyo in Japan amounted to ***** million. This was a record number, surpassing the hitherto high point from 2023 by several million visitor stays, continuing the upward trend that was observable before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Why did foreign visitor numbers in Tokyo increase during the past decade? If we look at pre-COVID-19 times, foreign visitor numbers significantly increased in the whole of Japan during the past decade. One of the reasons for this might be the Japanese government’s endeavors to promote tourism and proliferate Japanese culture, perhaps best embodied by the marketing term “Cool Japan” developed by Japan’s government. Various policies and long-term projects, such as the “Inbound Travel Promotion Project”, or the “Promotion of MICE Hosting and Attraction”, had been devised and enacted to attract international tourists and make Japan a tourism hub. The government started investing substantially in tourism more than a decade ago, as it realized the potential of tourism to invigorate the Japanese economy. The improvement of facilities and infrastructure to meet foreign expectations was accompanied by the relaxation of visa entry requirements, which resulted in heightened inbound travel. How does Tokyo compare to other places in Japan? Tokyo was the most visited prefecture among international tourists, with more than half of foreign travelers who came to Japan paying a visit to the capital. This situation was also reflected in data regarding airports. Narita International and Tokyo International (Haneda) were among the leading airports in terms of the number of passengers handled on international flights and together accounted for more than half the international entries by airplane to the country. Who is visiting? Most international visitors to Japan come from Asian countries and territories, with China, South Korea, and Taiwan occupying the first three places. Visitor numbers from the U.S. are the only exception to the otherwise predominant Asian traveler base, with figures surpassing the one million mark regularly.

Actual value and historical data chart for Japan International Tourism Number Of Arrivals

In July 2024, about ****** thousand people from China visited Japan. This was the month with the highest number of visitors during the year.

In 2024, the number of international visitors arriving to Japan for touristic purposes amounted to around ***** million. Traveling to Japan for touristic purposes was by far the most common category.

Japan Visitor Arrivals: China data was reported at 661,700.000 Person in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 722,700.000 Person for Feb 2025. Japan Visitor Arrivals: China data is updated monthly, averaging 55,370.000 Person from Jan 1992 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 399 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,050,420.000 Person in Jul 2019 and a record low of 25.000 Person in May 2020. Japan Visitor Arrivals: China data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Japan National Tourist Organization. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.Q001: Visitor Arrivals. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Forecast: Number of Tourists (Overnight Visitors) in Japan 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Tourism Revenues in Japan decreased to 31965301 JPY Thousand in September from 38640705 JPY Thousand in August of 2025. This dataset provides - Japan Tourism Revenues- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Actual value and historical data chart for Japan International Tourism Number Of Departures

Brazil Visitor Arrival: Japan data was reported at 59.539 Person th in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 42.341 Person th for 2023. Brazil Visitor Arrival: Japan data is updated yearly, averaging 49.930 Person th from Dec 1989 (Median) to 2024, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 87.225 Person th in 2013 and a record low of 1.904 Person th in 2021. Brazil Visitor Arrival: Japan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Brazil – Table BR.QB002: No of Visitors Arrivals: by Country: Annual.

Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Gifu Prefecture data was reported at 190,870.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 188,050.000 Person for Jan 2025. Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Gifu Prefecture data is updated monthly, averaging 59,410.000 Person from Jan 2011 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 170 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 292,040.000 Person in Dec 2024 and a record low of 410.000 Person in May 2020. Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Gifu Prefecture data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.Q004: Number of Hotel Guests.

The number of visitors to the United States from Japan increased in 2024. In that year, the number of visitors to the U.S. from Japan surpassed *** million, up from the previous year's total of **** million.

Among the 47 prefectures in Japan, Tokyo Prefecture recorded the highest number of domestic leisure tourists, with around ***** million travelers visiting the capital for tourism and recreational purposes in 2024. Miyazaki Prefecture had the lowest number of tourists for recreational purposes, amounting to **** million.

Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Fukui Prefecture data was reported at 6,290.000 Person in Sep 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,580.000 Person for Aug 2025. Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Fukui Prefecture data is updated monthly, averaging 8,610.000 Person from Jan 2011 (Median) to Sep 2025, with 177 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12,800.000 Person in May 2024 and a record low of 260.000 Person in Feb 2022. Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Fukui Prefecture data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.Q: Number of Hotel Guests.

Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Okinawa Prefecture data was reported at 852,040.000 Person in Sep 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 990,690.000 Person for Aug 2025. Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Okinawa Prefecture data is updated monthly, averaging 535,300.000 Person from Jan 2011 (Median) to Sep 2025, with 177 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 990,690.000 Person in Aug 2025 and a record low of 7,210.000 Person in May 2020. Japan No. of Guests: Foreigners: Okinawa Prefecture data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.Q: Number of Hotel Guests.

Croatia Tourist Arrivals: Foreign: Non European: Japan data was reported at 52.891 Person th in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 36.094 Person th for 2023. Croatia Tourist Arrivals: Foreign: Non European: Japan data is updated yearly, averaging 44.492 Person th from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2024, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 176.846 Person th in 2014 and a record low of 1.000 Person th in 1995. Croatia Tourist Arrivals: Foreign: Non European: Japan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Croatian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Croatia – Table HR.Q002: Tourist Arrivals: by Country: Annual.