Japan Sets New Record with Over 42 Million Foreign Tourists in 2025
Japan sets a new record with over 42 million international visitors in 2025. South Korea surpasses China as top market, while Thai tourists hit 1.23 million.
Japan's tourism industry has reached a new milestone in 2025, with international tourist arrivals surpassing 42 million for the first time. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the total number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 was 42,683,600, a 15.8% increase compared to 2024, when the number was 36,870,148. This represents a growth of more than 5.8 million people.
Top 10 International Tourist Markets for Japan in 2025:
- South Korea: 9,459,600 visitors (+7.3%)
- China: 9,096,300 visitors (+30.3%)
- Taiwan: 6,763,400 visitors (+11.9%)
- United States: 3,306,800 visitors (+21.4%)
- Hong Kong: 2,517,300 visitors (-6.2%)
- Thailand: 1,233,100 visitors (+7.3%)
- Australia: 1,058,300 visitors (+15%)
- Philippines: 885,100 visitors (+8.1%)
- Singapore: 726,200 visitors (+5.1%)
- Canada: 688,000 visitors (+18.7%)
In December 2025, Japan saw 3,617,700 foreign visitors, marking a 3.7% growth compared to the same month in the previous year, setting a new record for the month. The increase was driven by the school holiday period, Christmas festivities, and the New Year holidays, all of which boosted travel demand, particularly from East and Southeast Asia.
The Chinese market, Japan’s second-largest, saw a sharp decline of 45.3%, with only 330,400 visitors from China. This decline allowed South Korea to surpass China as the top market for Japan, with 974,200 visitors, an increase of 12.3%. Taiwan, the third-largest market, saw 588,400 visitors, up 19.8%, while the United States ranked fourth with 270,700 visitors, a 13.5% increase. Hong Kong ranked fifth with 291,100 visitors, a modest rise of 1.9%.
Thailand’s market ranked sixth, with 174,000 visitors in December 2025, a significant 18.6% increase. This was driven by extended holiday breaks and the recovery of direct flight routes, such as Bangkok-Sendai, as well as increased flights to Tokyo (Haneda and Narita) and Osaka (Kansai).
