Despite a decline in temperatures, inbound travel to Japan remains unabated.

Despite a decrease in temperatures in Japan, the desire to visit the country remains unwavering, with autumn arrivals exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

In August, Japan received 2.93 million foreign visitors, and in September, it welcomed another 2.87 million visitors, both numbers significantly higher than the 2.52 million and 2.27 million visitors who visited in those months in 2019, as reported by the Japan National Tourism Organization.

In August and September, Japan experiences a decline in tourists, but this is later followed by an increase in visitors in October, who come for the fall foliage or Tokyo's famous Halloween festivities.

Despite the pandemic, Japan is anticipating a decrease in the drop in Chinese tourists this year, as the country is witnessing an increase in arrivals from Chinese travelers. Prior to the pandemic, China was Japan's largest tourism market, accounting for 30% of all arrivals, according to Japanese authorities.

The number of Chinese tourists in Japan increased by 126,655 in September 2024 compared to September 2023, reaching a total of 652,300.

In 2023, more than 5.2 million visitors from China visited Japan, a 228% increase from the previous year. However, this number is still below the 9.6 million visitors that arrived in 2019.

Growth from the west

With the increase of Chinese tourists, the number of visitors to Japan from other countries has surpassed the pre-pandemic levels.

Despite the fact that two-thirds of visitors are from East Asia, including South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, the report by Mastercard Economics Institute, released in September, indicates that greater growth in the first half of this year was seen among travelers from North America and other parts of Asia-Pacific.

The number of American travelers increased by 153% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2019.

The report indicates that visitors from Canada, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, as have arrivals from India and Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Those traveling from North America and Europe tend to stay longer, with 40% of Europeans staying between two and three weeks, according to the report.

In contrast to the majority of South Korean tourists, who stay for less than a week, only 25% of Japanese visitors remain for more than a week.

According to the report, tourists from North America and Europe tend to spend more on lodging and dining, while tourists from Asia typically spend more on shopping.

According to Mastercard's report, many visitors, particularly Singaporeans, Americans, and Europeans, have been spending more on retail purchases due to the favorable exchange rates resulting from the weak yen.

Concentration of tourists

By the end of 2024, Japan anticipates welcoming approximately 35 million tourists, which represents a 10% rise compared to 2019 figures.

Officials aim to double pre-pandemic arrivals to 60 million visitors by 2030.

The country is facing challenges related to overtourism, including packed temples, congested "zen" gardens, and a rice shortage.

Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, and Okinawa are the four places with the most significant overcrowding, as reported by Mastercard.

"In April 2024, Kyoto had the highest proportion of foreign guests, with 68%, compared to Tokyo's 36%. However, outside these main cities, the foreign guest ratio typically falls below 10%. This marks a significant increase from 2019, when Kyoto and Tokyo had average foreign guest ratios of 38% and 17%, respectively."

In 2025, Japan is predicted to be a top travel destination, as seen in various trend lists such as Expedia's "Unpack '25: The Trends in Travel" and Lonely Planet's 2025 "Best in Travel."

According to a report released by Airbnb on Oct. 16, Tokyo and Osaka are among the top 10 global winter destinations, as named by the company.

In the first half of 2024, Hilton Honors members redeemed the most points at three luxury hotels in Japan, according to Hilton's 2025 "Trends Report." These hotels are Conrad Tokyo, Conrad Osaka, and Roku Kyoto.