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 decreased to 3693300 in May from 3908900 in April of 2025. This dataset provides - Japan Tourist Arrivals - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Historical chart and dataset showing Japan tourist spending by year from 1995 to 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.

Tourism Revenues in Japan increased to 27066990 JPY Thousand in March from 13567336 JPY Thousand in February of 2025. This dataset provides - Japan Tourism Revenues- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Historical dataset showing Japan tourist spending by year from 1995 to 2020.

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 2024, spending by inbound tourists accounted for 23.7 percent of tourism expenditure in Japan. This was the highest share of expenditure that inbound tourists ever had. How does Japan’s inbound tourism industry compare internationally? Prior to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan’s inbound tourism industry had generated high expectations, as the number of international visitor arrivals more than tripled in the past decade. In the years before the pandemic, Japan made it into the top ten countries in terms of international tourism revenue. Tourism expenditure of international visitors experienced considerable growth, yet domestic tourism still accounted for the lion’s share of Japan’s travel and tourism expenditure. Which sectors of domestic tourism generate revenue? A look at domestic tourism by travel purpose, reveals that most of the expenditure was generated by leisure travel, while business travel produced most of the rest. In terms of travel type, domestic tourism expenditure on overnight trips was the dominant travel segment.

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.

Japan JP: International Tourism: Receipts data was reported at 33.427 USD bn in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 27.285 USD bn for 2015. Japan JP: International Tourism: Receipts data is updated yearly, averaging 12.477 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 33.427 USD bn in 2016 and a record low of 4.894 USD bn in 1995. Japan JP: International Tourism: Receipts data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

In 2023, the number of international tourists visiting Tokyo in Japan amounted to around ***** million. This was a record number, surpassing the hitherto high point from 2019 by several million visitors stays, continuing the upward trend that was observable before the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 were 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 nearly 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, 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.

In June 2024, about ****** thousand inbound tourists to Japan came from the United States, marking the month with the most visitors from that country. This was the highest recorded value during the past decade.

Tokyo Prefecture ranked first among Japanese prefectures in 2024 in terms of visiting rates by international tourists, with a visiting rate of **** percent. The second most visited prefecture was Osaka, followed by Chiba, which is neighboring Tokyo Prefecture. Tourism in Japan Inbound tourism strongly increased in the past decade, as the Japanese government actively engaged in projects to boost inbound tourism, setting high goals for the near future. However, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything. Nevertheless, the newest inbound annual figures indicate that inbound tourism fully recovered from the pandemic, continuing its upward trend. Sightseeing in TokyoThe Japanese capital, Tokyo, is the largest city in Japan in terms of population. It consists of ** wards, of which many have a unique appeal for tourists. The most popular destinations in Tokyo for foreign visitors include districts such as Shinjuku, where the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government are located, the shopping-district Ginza, and the electronic town Akihabara, which attracts overseas fans of Japanese popular culture. One-day trips to places outside of Tokyo, such as Kamakura, Nikko, or Yokohama, are also a possibility and add to the appeal the city has as a destination for inbound tourists.

Japan JP: International Tourism: Number of Departures data was reported at 17,116,000.000 Person in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 16,214,000.000 Person for 2015. Japan JP: International Tourism: Number of Departures data is updated yearly, averaging 16,749,000.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,491,000.000 Person in 2012 and a record low of 13,296,000.000 Person in 2003. Japan JP: International Tourism: Number of Departures data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International outbound tourists are the number of departures that people make from their country of usual residence to any other country for any purpose other than a remunerated activity in the country visited. The data on outbound tourists refer to the number of departures, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips from a country during a given period is counted each time as a new departure.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

In 2024, the number of domestic trips undertaken in Japan amounted to approximately ****** million, increasing considerably compared to the previous year. However, the value was still below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Most popular travel destinations The most visited prefectures by Japanese travelers are primarily regions surrounding large metropolises and well-known tourist attractions, with Tokyo prefecture heading the ranking. The capital city is a major destination of business-related travels, being home to large multinational corporations. At the same time, more than **** of Japanese visitors were traveling to Tokyo for the purpose of leisure and sightseeing in 2023. While the city center draws in travelers with its bustling city life, mountainous regions on the outskirts are popular for nature sightseeing and outdoor activities. What do tourists want to do? The leading goals of domestic tourists in Japan were relaxed leisure activities, such as nature and scenery sightseeing or bathing in a hot spring ("onsen"). A tourist hotspot known for its scenic view surrounds the active stratovolcano Mt. Fuji, which is a national symbol of Japan. The highest mountain on the archipelago attracts more than ******* mountaineers to its peak yearly. It is popular among leisure tourists, who want to relax in the famous hot springs of Hakone town at the border of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Japan JP: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports data was reported at 4.119 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.477 % for 2015. Japan JP: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports data is updated yearly, averaging 1.577 % from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2016, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.119 % in 2016 and a record low of 1.140 % in 2000. Japan JP: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Their share in exports is calculated as a ratio to exports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from residents to nonresidents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, and IMF and World Bank exports estimates.; Weighted average;

Japan JP: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data was reported at 18.562 USD bn in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 15.974 USD bn for 2015. Japan JP: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data is updated yearly, averaging 27.904 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 38.252 USD bn in 2004 and a record low of 15.974 USD bn in 2015. Japan JP: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These may include expenditures by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

In 2023 in Japan, around ****** million domestic tourists visited Tokyo. The number of visitors traveling to Tokyo was on an increasing trend throughout the past decade, dropped with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic but recovered in 2022.

Japan JP: International Tourism: Expenditures data was reported at 25.783 USD bn in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 23.252 USD bn for 2015. Japan JP: International Tourism: Expenditures data is updated yearly, averaging 38.313 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 48.175 USD bn in 2004 and a record low of 23.252 USD bn in 2015. Japan JP: International Tourism: Expenditures data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

Kyoto Prefecture in Japan recorded roughly 81.19 million tourists, increasing compared to figures from the previous year. The majority of visitors were domestic tourists. Kyoto, which was once Japan's capital city, is renowned for its cultural assets.