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The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Chinese tourists returning to Japan with new travel style
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Chinese tourists are driving a recent surge in inbound travel to Japan, with arrivals now exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels, though their travel habits are shifting noticeably. Previously, Chinese tourism in Japan was defined by large group tours and shopping sprees known as "bakugai." Nowadays, however, more travelers are seeking immersive experiences related to Japanese cuisine, culture and scenery, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. A total of 3.13 million Chinese travelers visited Japan in the first four months of this year, topping the 2.89 million recorded during the same period in 2019. While the number of visitors from China was slow to rebound after the pandemic, arrivals have steadily increased since the Chinese government lifted its ban on group tours to Japan in 2023, reaching 2.42 million that year and 6.98 million in 2024. Growth has continued into 2025, with year-on-year increases of 135.7 percent in January, 57.3 percent in February, 46.2 percent in March and 43.4 percent in April. The shift in travel preferences is partly driven by Chinese travelers in their 30s and 40s, many of whom have visited Japan before, now choosing family trips with their children over group tours. The JNTO is working to better target that market, including opening an account on a popular Chinese social media platform last fall. Meanwhile, visitor numbers from Hong Kong, which are tallied separately from mainland China, increased 30.8 percent in January from the previous year but declined 5 percent in February and 9.9 percent in March. A Japanese manga predicting a major disaster in Japan this July is believed to have discouraged travel. Posts about the manga "The Future I Saw" went viral after some claimed that its artist, Ryo Tatsuki, also predicted the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, among other events. Nevertheless, April saw a strong rebound, marking a 42.9 percent increase from the previous year. At a press conference earlier this month, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa dismissed the concerns, saying, "I believe they currently have no real impact."
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Foreign tourists set May record in Japan, but Hong Kong figure falls
Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, was a popular tourist destination in May. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) A record number of tourists visited Japan in May despite a decrease from Hong Kong, the source of spreading predictions that a major earthquake will hit the country, the Japan National Tourism Organization said. The inbound tourist figure was 3,693,300, up 21.5 percent year on year and the most ever for the month of May, the JNTO said on June 18. It was also the eighth consecutive month for Japan to receive more than 3 million visitors from abroad. From January to May, 18,140,100 tourists made trips to Japan, up 23.9 percent from the same period last year. In May, South Koreans accounted for the most inbound tourists, with 825,800, up 11.8 percent from the same month last year, followed by China with 789,900, up 44.8 percent, and Taiwan with 538,400, up 15.5 percent. The number of visitors from Hong Kong was 193,100, down 11.2 percent year on year. Hong Kong was the only region with a decrease in tourists to Japan. The rumor sweeping Hong Kong through social media is that a huge earthquake will strike Japan in July. It stems from separate prophecies by a famed local feng shui master and a Japanese manga artist. The JNTO said it did not know if the rumor led to the drop in visitor numbers from Hong Kong in May. But demand for flights from Hong Kong to Japan have remained uncharacteristically low since the earthquake prediction started to circulate. The Japanese government has tried to put the rumor to rest by saying it is impossible to accurately forecast an earthquake.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Foreign visitors to Japan at record high for May
The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in May jumped 21.5% from a year before to 3,693,300, a record high for the month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. The cumulative number of visitors from abroad in the first five months of 2025 came to a record 18,140,100, beating the previous record of 14,641,780 marked in the same period last year. The increase in visitors during May was driven by travelers from China, Taiwan and the United States, who visited Japan for holidays and on cruise ship port calls. The number of visitors from Hong Kong dropped 11.2% to 193,100 after rumors spread on social media that an earthquake might strike Japan. By country or region, the number of visitors from South Korea was the largest, at 825,800, up 11.8%; followed by 789,900 from mainland China, up 44.8%; 538,400 from Taiwan, up 15.5%; and 311,900 from the United States, up 26.3%. The number "fell only in Hong Kong," Naoya Haraikawa, commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, said at a news conference. Haraikawa said that JNTO's Hong Kong office is already calling on people via social media to make travel decisions based on scientific information from public institutions. He said that JNTO will strengthen information-sharing efforts if necessary. The estimated number of Japanese nationals traveling overseas rose 14.3% to 1,076,800 in May, reflecting a spike in travelers during a holiday period from late April to early May. But Japanese visitors to Thailand continued to decrease following a major earthquake in Myanmar in late March.
Yomiuri Shimbun
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Wealthy Foreign Tourists Spent ¥1 Trillion in Japan in 2023, Likely Attracted by Weak Yen
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The foot of Kiyomizudera temple is crowded with tourists in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, in August 2023 Wealthy visitors from abroad spent ¥1.01 trillion in Japan in 2023, up 50.6% from the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to an estimate of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). The JNTO on Wednesday released the results of a survey of foreign visitors who spent at least ¥1 million in Japan. The number of such spenders hit 590,000 in 2023, up 83.2% from 2019. The survey was based on payment data provided anonymously by Mastercard. The JNTO labeled trips in which travelers spent at least ¥1 million per person as 'high-value-added travel' and calculated the trends in consumption for such trips. Travelers arriving from China accounted for the largest share of total spending at 23.0%. However, that was down from 30.6% in 2019. Meanwhile, the United States increased its share from 11.1% to 16.3%, and Taiwan rose from 4.7% to 13.1%. 'Shopping sprees at department stores and electronic stores have settled down, while spending on experiences, such as those where travelers can enjoy and learn about traditional arts and culture in regional areas, is increasing,' said a JNTO spokesperson. The JNTO also estimated the global market size for affluent travelers. It found there were 11.57 million wealthy travelers who went abroad in 2023, up 32.5% from 2019, and that their spending rose by 17.6% to ¥20.95 trillion. These growth rates were much lower than those for visitors to Japan, suggesting that the weaker yen made Japan a more attractive travel destination and boosted yen-denominated spending. The Japanese government is aiming to get foreign visitor numbers up to 60 million and bump their spending up to ¥15 trillion by 2030. To this end, it is stepping up efforts to attract more wealthy visitors.
Yomiuri Shimbun
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Countries, Regions Use Osaka-Kansai Expo to Attract Japanese Tourists; Japanese Tourism Overseas Slow to Recover Due to Weak Yen, High Prices
The Yomiuri Shimbun Poutine is seen at a cafe in the Canada Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. Countries and regions participating in the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo are using the event as an opportunity to actively attract Japanese tourists. The number of Japanese people traveling overseas has decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the weak yen and high prices have slowed recovery. However, exhibitors are working to attract Japanese tourists to their countries or regions through such efforts as offering local dishes. The Canada Pavilion opened a cafe operated in cooperation with Air Canada, the country's leading airline company. The cafe's signature dish is poutine, which is fries covered with cheese and gravy, and is populra in Canada. Visitors can also watch videos highlighting the country's tourist destinations. 'We'd like to use the Expo as an opportunity to increase the number of visitors to Canada,' said Kiyo Weiss, director of Regional and Premium Sales, Asia Pacific for Air Canada. 'We hope to increase people's interest in Canada through food and let them know that they can visit the country with Air Canada.' The Turkey's Pavilion is trying to attract tourists to the country by creating brochures introducing the Gobekli Tepe, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and displaying the latest model of business class seats for the country's airline. About 130,000 Japanese tourists visited the country in 2024, according to the Turkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency. The agency's official said the country is aiming to eventually attract 500,000 to 1 million Japanese travelers. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), about 13 million Japanese people traveled overseas in 2024, less than 70% of the figure in 2019, a year before the pandemic. In addition, as of the end of 2024, only 17.5% of the population in Japan had a passport. The figure is 6 percentage points below that of five years ago, a sharp contrast to the increasing number of inbound tourists. Those in the Japanese tourism industry expressed their concerns about the situation. 'Unless more Japanese people travel overseas, airline companies will find it difficult to increase the number of flights to and from Japan, and the number of inbound tourists will eventually plateau,' said a JNTO official. Those in the travel industry in Japan are holding meetings with their foreign counterparts during the Expo to discuss ways to increase the number of Japanese tourists. Now that summer vacation is approaching, Expo exhibitors hope to cash in on the event to increase the number of Japanese tourists to their countries or regions.
