Over 31 million foreign tourists visited Japan between January and September
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The total amount spent by foreign visitors on accommodation, shopping and other consumption in the first nine months of the year reached a record 6.9 trillion yen (S$59 billion).
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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TOKYO – The number of foreign visitors to Japan between January 2025 and September 2025 rose 17.7 per cent from a year earlier to around 31.65 million, marking the fastest pace on record in surpassing 30 million within a year, the government said on Oct 15, amid a weak yen and a surge in Chinese tourists.
The annual number is certain to surpass the record 36.87 million hit in 2024 and may even reach the 40 million range, data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) showed.
The total amount spent by foreign visitors on accommodation, shopping and other consumption in the first nine months of the year reached a record 6.9 trillion yen (S$59 billion).
With the surge in visitors, overtourism has become a problem in urban areas disperse travellers to regional areas
By country and region, China topped the list with around 7.49 million visitors, up 42.7 per cent from a year earlier, followed by South Korea with around 6.79 million, up 5 per cent, and Taiwan with around 5.04 million, up 9.8 per cent, according to the JNTO.
The number of foreign visitors in September rose 13.7 per cent from a year earlier to around 3.27 million, marking the first time the figure has topped three million for the month, with about 65 per cent coming from other East Asian countries.
Although the monthly growth rate fell into single digits earlier in 2025 amid rumours of major natural disasters
The average spending per visitor in the quarter through September was 219,428 yen, down 0.2 per cent from the same period in 2024, with the highest being German visitors at 435,512 yen, followed by visitors from Britain at 360,054 yen and Spain at 354,793 yen.
As Japan seeks to achieve its goals of attracting 60 million foreign visitors and 15 trillion yen in total spending by 2030, issues such as crowding, litter and noise are emerging as serious problems in various parts of the country, JNTO officials said.
According to a survey conducted by One in early July among 1,000 people, 62 per cent expressed unfavourable views towards the increase in foreign visitors, with most citing concerns about visitors’ manners and public safety.
Local governments have been taking steps to address these issues at major tourist destinations, such as installing pictogram signs near rubbish bins to illustrate proper etiquette in ways that are easy for foreign visitors to understand.
Tourism professor Yoshihiro Sataki from Josai International University stressed the importance of communicating Japan’s culture and rules to foreign visitors so they can better understand them. KYODO NEWS
