Japan’s Ministry of Transport revealed that foreign visitors in 2025 reached a record high of 42.7 million, aided by the weak yen, even though Chinese tourist numbers dropped by 45% in December following diplomatic tensions between Japan and China.
The Ministry of Transport of Japan announced that 42.7 million foreign tourists visited the country in 2025, setting a new record and surpassing the roughly 37 million recorded in 2024. A key driver was the depreciation of the yen, which made Japan a top global travel destination.
However, the number of Chinese tourists in December fell about 45% year-on-year to around 330,000 amid diplomatic tensions after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated in November that Japan might intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked. This prompted China to express displeasure and advise its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan.
Data shows that this warning clearly impacted Chinese tourist numbers, although China remains Japan’s largest tourist market. In the first nine months of 2025, nearly 7.5 million Chinese tourists visited, accounting for a quarter of all foreign visitors, and spending approximately 3.7 billion U.S. dollars in the third quarter.
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) stated that Chinese tourists spent on average about 22% more per person than tourists from other countries last year.
Transport Minister Yasushi Kaneko said attracting over 40 million tourists for the first time is a "major achievement." Despite the decline in Chinese visitors in December, Japan has compensated by drawing tourists from other countries and regions, and he expressed hope that Chinese tourists will return soon.
Part of the tourism growth stems from government policies promoting destinations nationwide, from Mount Fuji and shrines to local eateries in remote areas. Japan aims to attract 60 million tourists annually by 2030.
Authorities acknowledge the need to better distribute tourists, as many cities face overcrowding problems, especially Kyoto, where residents complain about congestion, disturbances to geisha by photo-seeking tourists, traffic issues, and waste.
Meanwhile, some areas have introduced measures to manage tourists, such as fees and daily limits on climbers at Mount Fuji, and installing temporary barriers outside convenience stores in 2024 to prevent tourists from standing in the street to take viral photos of Mount Fuji views.
. . .AFP