Tourism Record 3.78m foreign visitors to Japan in January

According to government data released Wednesday, the number of foreign visitors to Japan in January jumped 40.6% year-on-year to a record 3.78 million, driven by a sharp rise in Chinese tourists, who more than doubled due partly to the Lunar New Year holiday. This influx marks the largest increase in six months, with significant growth also seen in Hong Kong and Taiwan arrivals. Additionally, the JNTO reported that more travellers from Australia and the United States visited Japan, particularly for winter sports.

By country and region, 980,300 visitors arrived from China in January, more than double the 416,088 recorded in the same month last year. The surge was attributed to increased flights between the two countries and the earlier Lunar New Year holiday timing.

South Korea ranked second with 967,100 visitors, up 12.8 per cent, followed by Taiwan with 593,400, a 20.5 per cent jump, and Hong Kong with 243,700, increasing 30.8 per cent, the organization's preliminary data showed. The number of travelers from Australia climbed 35.3 per cent to 140,200 and those from the United States gained 38.4 per cent to 182,500. The strong growth in January comes as the number of foreign visitors to Japan soared 47.1 per cent to a record 36.87 million in 2024, boosted by a weak yen and the resumption of flights to Japan after the removal of COVID-19 restrictions.

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Japan's powder snow, also known as "Japow," continues to attract Western and Asian visitors. The number of visitors from abroad rose by 38.4% from the U.S., 35.3% from Australia, and 33.9% from Singapore. Hokkaido, Niigata and Nagano were especially popular.


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