Tourism in Japan

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File:Kiyomizu.jpg
Kiyomizu-dera, the most crowded temple in Kyoto
File:JP-Nikko-Tosho-Gu-Yomeimon.jpg
Crowds of tourists at Nikkō Tōshō-gū

Tourism in Japan is a major industry and contributor to the Japanese economy. In 2024, the total number of domestic tourists in Japan, including day trips, reached 540 million, while the number of international tourists visiting Japan was 36.87 million.[1][2] Total tourism consumption within Japan amounted to 34.3 trillion yen ($237 billion),[2] accounting for 5.6% of the country’s GDP of 609 trillion yen ($4,208 billion).[3] Of this amount, Japanese tourists spent 26.2 trillion yen ($181 billion) domestically, while foreign tourists contributed 8.1 trillion yen ($56 billion).[2] From a statistical perspective, spending by international tourists in Japan is classified as exports. As a result, the inbound tourism industry ranks as the second-largest export industry after the automobile industry, which recorded 17.7 trillion yen ($122 billion) in export value.[4] In that year (2024), domestic tourism spending by Japanese nationals, the number of international tourists, and the total tourism spending by international visitors all reached record highs.[2]

In 2025, the number of international tourists is expected to exceed 40 million, and their total spending is projected to surpass 10 trillion yen ($69 billion), both representing all-time highs.[5]

Japan has 26 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle and the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto and Nara. Popular attractions for foreign visitors include cities like Tokyo and Osaka, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki; ski resorts such as Niseko in Hokkaido; Okinawa; riding the Shinkansen; and experiencing Japan’s network of traditional inns (ryokan) and hot springs (onsen).

The 2024 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Japan 3rd out of 141 countries overall, which was the highest in Asia. Japan gained relatively high scores in almost all of the featured aspects, such as health and hygiene, safety and security, cultural resources and business travel.[6]

History

File:Throngs of people walking towards Himeji Castle, Himeji, 2016.jpg
Throngs of tourists on their way to Himeji Castle in Himeji (WHS)

From the middle ages to early modern period

In medieval Japan, travel became increasingly common with cultural and aristocratic figures from Kyoto, and they initiated the genre of travel literature in Japan. Notable examples of travel literature from this period include the Tosa Nikki (935), part of the Sarashina Nikki (12th century), and the volume 4 of the Tohazugatari (1313).[7] By the late medieval period, supported by a network of inns offering fixed-rate lodging and meals, travel was widespread. Hot springs such as Kusatsu, Arima, and Gero gained fame, attracting notable figures such as warriors and monks. Tourist souvenirs including ladles and toothpicks were popular among visitors. Pilgrimages to Mount Fuji also flourished.[8]

File:Hiroshige26 nissaka.jpg
Travelling was popularised through travel literature and ukiyo-e

During the Edo period, despite restrictions on travelling through checkpoints, guidebooks facilitated the popularisation of travel. Commoners with permits could undertake leisure trips, often disguised as pilgrimages. Inns, teahouses, and local products thrived, and travel information spread via diaries and ukiyo-e prints. Pilgrimages such as the Ise Grand Shrine’s Okage Mairi became major social phenomena, marking the beginnings of a modern tourism industry. However, foreign travel was extremely rare due to Japan's isolation policy. Matsuo Bashō's 1689 trip to the then "far north" of Japan, which inspired his famous haibun work Oku no Hosomichi, occurred not long after Hayashi Razan categorized the Three Views of Japan in 1643. During this time, Japan was a closed country to foreigners, so no foreign tourism existed in Japan.

Meiji era and international tourism

File:1930s Japan Travel Poster - Fuji.jpg
A 1930s travel advertisement by the Japanese Government Railways

Japan opened its borders in the late Edo period, but due to its location in the Far East and the limited transport options, there were not many foreign visitors. Foreigners eventually gained the freedom to travel within Japan, and efforts to actively attract international tourists began on the Japanese side. In 1912, the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) was established. Another major milestone in the development of the tourism industry in Japan was the 1907 passage of the Hotel Development Law, as a result of which the Railways Ministry began to construct publicly owned hotels throughout Japan.[9] During the interwar period, overseas travel to distant places such as Europe and the Americas was primarily limited to businesspeople, immigrants, and students, with leisure travel being mostly reserved for the wealthy.

In terms of domestic tourism, the dismantling of the feudal system, the development of transport networks such as railways and steamships, and the spread of information made domestic travel easier. Tourism-oriented travel became increasingly popular, and regions across Japan began developing themselves for sightseeing and leisure purposes. Long-distance domestic travel became accessible.

In 1930, the Japanese Government Railways created the Script error: No such module "Nihongo". with the specific goal of attracting foreign tourists to Japan. In addition to supporting the development of resort hotels, the Board was responsible for designing and printing posters and foreign-language guidebooks for distribution overseas.[10] Due to the Pacific War, the Board was abolished in 1942.

Postwar period

During the postwar Allied occupation period, most foreign tourists in Japan were GHQ personnel or visitors from the United States. In 1954, Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic, contributed an article titled The Case for a Tourism-Oriented Nation to the Bungei Shunju. Matsushita argued that tourism could be considered a form of trade, and he pointed out that while exporting goods involves depleting Japan's resources, scenic attractions such as Mount Fuji and the Seto Inland Sea remain unchanged no matter how often they are viewed. He proposed that revenue earned through inbound tourism could be reinvested in other industries, and help rebuild the country's economy beyond its pre-war stature.[11]

File:JAL B747-400(JA8916) (4184195679).jpg
The Visit Japan campaign, launched by the Koizumi administration in 2003 with the catchphrase 'Yokoso! Japan!', was the country's first government-backed initiative to promote inbound tourism.

For much of post-war period, Japan has been an exceptionally unattractive tourist destination for its population and GDP size. From 1995 to 2014, Japan was by far the least visited G7 country, and typically ranked below smaller countries like Sweden in total numbers[12][13] As of 2013, Japan was one of the least visited countries in the OECD on a per capita basis.[14] Japan avoided campaigns to attract inbound tourists, especially because its large current account surplus had caused international friction with some countries. There were also factors such as Japan being the world's most expensive countries at the time (for example, Tokyo was rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the most expensive city in the world for 14 years in a row ending in 2006), as well as the language barrier.[15]

Active promotion of inbound tourism (21st century)

From 2013, under the Abe administration, policies to attract international tourists were implemented to offset the shrinking domestic demand caused by population decline and ageing. As a result, by 2014, for the first time in 55 years, income from foreign tourists exceeded the amount spent by Japanese tourists abroad, which means Japan finally ran a tourism surplus. Within six years, the number of international visitors has more than tripled, reaching 31.9 million visitors in 2019.[16] Japan received a record 36.87 million tourist arrivals in 2024, an increase of over 47% from the year prior.[2]

Current status

Domestic tourism remains a vital part of Japanese economy and Japanese culture. Across the nation, Japanese children in many middle schools see the highlight of their years as a visit to Tokyo Tower, Yomiuriland, Tokyo Disneyland, Sensō-ji, and/or Tokyo Skytree, and many high school students often visit Okinawa or Hokkaido. The extensive rail network together with domestic flights sometimes in planes with modifications to favor the relatively short distances involved in intra-Japan travel allows efficient and speedy transport. International tourism plays a smaller role in the Japanese economy compared to other developed countries; in 2013, international tourist receipts was 0.3% of Japan's GDP, while the corresponding figure was 1.3% for the United States and 2.3% for France. In 2019, the value was up to 1.0% of GDP, driven by an increase in international tourism, while the country's GDP has remained stable.[17][18]

Tourists from South Korea have made up the largest number of inbound tourists several times in the past. In 2010, their 2.4 million arrivals made up 27% of the tourists visiting Japan.[19] Travelers from China have been the highest spenders in Japan by country, spending an estimated 196.4 billion yen (US$2.4 billion) in 2011, or almost a quarter of total expenditure by foreign visitors, according to data from the Japan Tourism Agency.[20] From 2016 to 2020, Japanese government hoped to receive 40 million foreign tourists every year by 2020.[21] According to the Japan National Tourism Organization in 2017, 3 out of 4 foreign tourists came from other parts of East Asia, namely South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.[22]

The worldwide popularity of Japanese popular culture significantly drives tourism to Japan. Anime, manga, J-pop, cinema, video games, cuisine and other cultural facets have created a strong "soft power" appeal that draws millions of fans and tourists from around the globe to the country.[23][24][25]

Overtourism

Following the easing of COVID-19-era travel restrictions, 2024 is on track to be a record-breaking year for the number of overseas tourists.[26] This tourism boom can be attributed in part to the weakening Japanese yen.[26] The unprecedented number of foreign tourists has led to claims that some parts of Japan are suffering from overtourism.[26][27]

In response to this surge, officials in some parts of Japan have introduced measures to counter its negative effects. For example, Yamanashi Prefecture has set a cap of daily climbers of Mount Fuji at 4,000 people and began charging an entrance fee of ¥2,000.[27] Also in Yamanashi Prefecture, a mesh barrier was set up to block a view of Mount Fuji behind a Lawson convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko due to tourist-caused disturbances in the area.[28]

As of 2024, some Japanese officials have considered instituting a two-tiered pricing system which would have foreign tourists pay more than residents at certain tourist attractions in order to counter the effects of overtourism.[29][30]

Motivation for visiting Japan

International Tourists: Foreign visitors travel to Japan for its seasonal beauty, cuisine, history, culture, manga and anime.[31]

Domestic Tourists: Japanese domestic travelers are motivated by seasonal events, relaxation, and the desire to get out of the city. Many do short trips to hot springs, nature spots, or historical towns.

Tourism statistics

File:Foreign tourist visited Japan.svg
Foreign tourists to Japan
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These are the top 35 nationalities that visited Japan from 2018 to 2025.[32][33]

Country/Territory Total
6/2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
Template:Country data South Korea 4,783,598 8,817,765 6,958,494 1,012,751 18,947 694,476 5,584,597 7,538,952
Template:Country data China 4,718,540 6,981,342 2,425,157 189,125 42,239 1,069,256 9,594,394 8,380,034
Template:Country data Taiwan 3,284,799 6,044,316 4,202,434 331,097 5,016 487,939 4,890,602 4,757,258
Template:Country data United States 1,701,427 2,724,594 2,045,854 323,513 20,026 219,307 2,187,557 1,939,719
Template:Country data Hong Kong 1,271,056 2,683,391 2,114,402 269,285 1,252 346,020 2,290,792 2,207,804
Template:Country data Thailand 680,469 1,148,848 995,558 198,037 2,758 219,830 1,318,977 1,132,160
Template:Country data Australia 567,244 920,196 613,062 88,648 3,265 143,508 621,771 552,440
Template:Country data Philippines 448,115 818,659 622,293 126,842 5,625 109,110 613,114 503,976
Template:Country data Vietnam 364,638 621,173 573,916 284,113 26,586 152,559 495,051 389,004
Template:Country data Singapore 345,156 691,226 591,267 131,969 857 55,273 492,252 437,280
Template:Country data Indonesia 335,977 517,651 429,382 119,723 5,209 77,724 412,779 396,852
Template:Country data Canada 335,402 579,445 425,874 55,877 3,536 53,365 375,262 330,600
Template:Country data Malaysia 323,961 506,883 415,712 74,095 1,831 76,573 501,592 468,360
Template:Country data United Kingdom 271,042 437,230 321,482 57,496 7,294 51,024 424,279 333,979
Template:Country data France 209,731 385,071 277,436 52,782 7,024 43,102 336,333 304,896
Template:Country data Germany 202,812 325,870 233,410 45,748 5,197 29,785 236,544 215,336
Template:Country data India 171,126 233,061 166,394 54,314 8,831 26,931 175,896 154,029
Template:Country data Italy 136,017 229,785 152,305 23,683 3,527 13,691 162,769 150,060
Template:Country data Spain 98,261 182,284 115,873 15,926 3,053 11,741 130,243 118,901
Template:Country data Mexico 84,843 151,835 94,684 9,152 1,124 9,528 71,745 68,448
Template:Country data Russia 83,691 99,264 41,965 10,324 3,723 22,260 120,043 94,810
Template:Country data Nepal 71,560 111,568 83,302 75,200 11,648 17,191 51,577 44,297
Template:Country data New Zealand 69,592 115,012 78,978 12,107 1,404 16,070 94,115 73,208
Template:Country data Netherlands 60,075 102,981 74,486 12,064 1,860 8,481 79,479 72,069
Template:Country data Brazil 52,097 85,609 50,570 9,436 2,731 6,888 47,575 44,201
Template:Country data Turkey 51,496 62,099 31,198 7,129 1,161 2,886 22,724 19,762
Template:Country data Poland 43,850 63,828 40,634 5,745 1,350 3,996 38,534 34,706
Template:Country data Switzerland 41,213 72,193 53,395 8,917 1,387 6,036 53,908 52,099
Template:Country data Myanmar 40,892 70,597 45,815 22,763 1,531 10,884 30,977 24,418
Template:Country data Israel 39,070 59,499 45,143 7,673 619 2,315 44,214 39,193
Template:Country data Sweden 34,623 52,099 39,245 7,900 1,112 7,622 53,836 53,822
Template:Country data Mongolia 32,221 53,049 39,916 19,267 1,685 7,118 31,513 27,647
Template:Country data Belgium 28,542 47,063 34,352 6,611 1,122 4,074 39,245 34,387
Template:Country data Sri Lanka 28,419 49,015 36,742 21,536 3,127 8,918 28,380 27,789
Template:Country data Portugal 27,040 42,300 27,812 3,176 728 3,179 32,349 26,506
Template:Country data Ireland 22,866 32,995 22,985 4,458 820 3,270 39,387 20,319
Template:Country data Austria 22,675 36,820 26,360 5,025 888 3,605 27,530 24,187
Template:Country data Denmark 22,624 40,950 30,780 5,403 794 4,780 32,893 29,163
Template:Country data Norway 19,308 28,901 21,541 3,736 557 3,620 24,838 22,569
Template:Country data Argentina 17,979 19,809 13,177 2,198 798 4,220 23,805 23,692
Template:Country data Finland 17,866 28,780 21,404 4,608 736 4,859 29,437 27,116
Template:Country data Cambodia 17,205 27,314 27,067 13,618 784 7,420 28,492 21,696
Template:Country data Bangladesh 15,536 23,896 19,559 11,981 1,789 4,444 15,174 13,971
Template:Country data Romania 15,375 22,765 15,316 2,376 552 1,409 14,837 12,250
Template:Country data Pakistan 15,268 23,710 21,132 11,423 4,284 6,145 17,208 15,802
Template:Country data Czech Republic 14,432 19,924 13,958 2,487 753 1,679 14,356 12,255
Template:Country data Chile 12,896 18,460 13,808 1,902 276 3,381 13,370 14,089
Template:Country data Saudi Arabia 10,682 17,443 12,380 2,403 1,039 11,152 7,403 7,554
Template:Country data Hungary 10,518 15,827 11,316 2,511 1,034 1,302 12,696 10,440
Template:Country data Greece 10,306 14,885 9,969 1,869 744 1,091 9,494 7,968
Template:Country data Colombia 10,197 15,602 9,598 1,495 476 1,098 11,745 9,966
Template:Country data South Africa 7,961 12,541 9,357 2,561 838 1,623 19,543 9,793
Template:Country data Kazakhstan 7,776 10,375 8,571 1,511 601 890 5,431 4,391
Template:Country data Bulgaria 7,244 9,480 6,360 1,024 338 627 6,324 5,106
Template:Country data United Arab Emirates 6,938 14,512 10,270 2,705 203 770 8,891 7,782
Template:Country data Lithuania 6,586 9,377 6,226 1,286 272 672 5,260 4,498
Template:Country data Ukraine 5,866 9,412 6,749 3,795 1,070 1,466 10,176 8,458
Template:Country data Laos 5,548 7,429 6,359 1,804 150 1,169 6,154 5,987
Template:Country data Uzbekistan 5,158 9,068 8,075 5157 1,567 1,290 5,243 5,530
Template:Country data Iran 4,953 9,387 7,145 2,152 746 720 5,252 5,161
Template:Country data Croatia 4,936 6,078 4,067 634 414 470 4,099 3,407
Template:Country data Slovenia 4,743 6,038 3,779 676 308 493 3,347 3,187
Template:Country data Egypt 4,210 7,080 4,816 2,223 1,187 1,294 6,345 4,942
Template:Country data Peru 4,169 6,582 5,195 1,196 254 1,191 6,022 5,048
Template:Country data Brunei 3,687 7,335 6,292 1,159 23 742 4,866 3,626
Total (all countries) 21,518,575 36,870,148 25,066,350 3,832,110 245,862 4,115,828 31,882,049 31,191,856

Major tourist destinations

Template:Expand Japanese

File:140829 Ichiko of Shiretoko Goko Lakes Hokkaido Japan01s5.jpg
Goko Five Lakes in Shiretoko (WHS)
File:Sirakami santi.JPG
Shirakami-Sanchi (WHS)
File:Skyscrapers of Shinjuku 2009 January.jpg
Shinjuku in Tokyo, and Mount Fuji
File:Ogi Shirakawa-gō, Gifu, Japan.jpg
Shirakawa-gō (WHS)
File:Dakesawa.jpg
Japanese Alps from Kamikōchi
File:Daibutsu of Todaiji 2.jpg
Tōdai-ji Daibutsu in Nara (WHS)
File:180504 Shimizudani Refinery Ruins of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Oda Shimane pref Japan03s.jpg
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine (WHS)
File:Zentsu-ji in Zentsu-ji City Kagawa pref16s5s4020.jpg
Shikoku Pilgrimage (Zentsū-ji)
File:Small tenshu & Uto turret & Large tenshu in Kumamoto-Csl.jpg
Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto
File:Kabira Bay Ishigaki Island41s3s4500.jpg
Ishigaki Island, Okinawa

Hokkaido

Tōhoku region

Kantō region

Chūbu region

Kansai region

Chūgoku region

Shikoku

Kyushu and Okinawa

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

  • Graburn, Nelson HH. "The past in the present in Japan: nostalgia and neo-traditionalism in contemporary Japanese domestic tourism." in Change in tourism: people, places, processes (1995): 47–70.
  • Henderson, Joan Catherine. "Destination development: Trends in Japan's inbound tourism." International Journal of Tourism Research 19.1 (2017): 89–98. online
  • Ishimori, Shûzô. "Popularization and commercialization of tourism in early modern Japan." Senri Ethnological Studies 26 (1989): 179–194. online
  • Jimura, Takamitsu. Cultural heritage and tourism in Japan (Routledge, 2021) online.
  • McOmie, William, ed. Foreign Images and Experiences of Japan: 1: First Century AD-1841. (Brill, 2021). online
  • March, Roger. "How Japan solicited the West: the first hundred years of modern Japanese tourism." in CAUTHE 2007: Tourism-Past Achievements, Future Challenges (2007): 843–52. online
  • Robertson, Jennifer. "Hegemonic nostalgia, tourism, and nation-making in Japan." Senri ethnological studies 38 (1995): 89–103. online
  • Soshiroda, Akira. "Inbound tourism policies in Japan from 1859 to 2003." Annals of Tourism Research 32.4 (2005): 1100–1120.
  • Takeuchi, Keiichi. "Some remarks on the geography of tourism in Japan." GeoJournal (1984): 85–90. online
  • Tokuhisa, Tamao. "Tourism within, from and to Japan." International Social Science Journal 32.1 (1980): 128–150.
  • Uzama, Austin. "Yokoso! Japan: Classifying foreign tourists to Japan for market segmentation." Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management 21.2 (2012): 132–154.
  • Yanagi, Miyuki. "Reconsideration of Japan's tourism innovation characteristics." Geographical Research Bulletin 2 (2023): 29–38. online
  • Yasuda, Hiroko. "World heritage and cultural tourism in Japan." International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research 4.4 (2010): 366–375.

External links

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  1. ↑ https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance
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  33. ↑ https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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