Foreign visitors to Japan topped 40 million last year for the first time, setting a record for tourism inflows, tourism minister Yasushi Kaneko said Tuesday, despite a significant plunge in Chinese tourists after the country restricted tourism to its neighbor amid a diplomatic dispute between the two nations.
While visits by Chinese tourists have fallen following diplomatic tensions between Japan and China, dropping about 45% in December year on year, overall tourist numbers have remained high. Inbound tourism from Asia, in particular, made up the largest proportion of visitors in 2025.
Japan also remains a popular destination for Americans and Australians.
The weakness of the yen against the dollar, as well as global interest in Japan, contributed to the booming tourism numbers.
Foreign visitors have been a boon for the Japanese economy, spending a record ¥9.5 trillion in 2025.
The number of foreign visitors have steadily been rising after Japan reopened the borders following the COVID-era pandemic, reaching 36.87 million in 2024.
Information from Jiji added