Tourism Japan sees return of Chinese tourists embracing new travel styles

Chinese tourists are driving the recent boom in inbound travel to Japan, with their numbers now surpassing pre-pandemic levels, and their travel preferences are showing notable shifts. Whereas pre-pandemic visits were often marked by extensive group tours and shopping sprees — commonly referred to as bakugai (爆買い, "explosive buying") — today's Chinese travellers are showing a more substantial interest in authentic experiences, such as local food, cultural activities, and scenic destinations. According to the JNTO, this shift reflects a broader change in preferences among Chinese tourists.




Although the recovery in Chinese arrivals was initially slow following the COVID-19 pandemic, numbers began to climb after the Chinese government lifted its ban on group travel to Japan in 2023. That year, 2.42 million Chinese tourists visited Japan, a figure that rose sharply to 6.98 million in 2024. The upward trend has continued into 2025. Compared to the previous year, arrivals from China jumped by 135.7% in January, 57.3% in February, 46.2% in March, and 43.4% in April.

These changes in travel style are particularly noticeable among Chinese tourists in their 30s and 40s, many of whom have already visited Japan and are now opting for family-oriented trips with their children instead of organised tours. Between January and April 2025, 3.13 million Chinese tourists visited Japan, surpassing the 2.89 million recorded during the same period in 2019.

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."

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