2025 is officially a year of tremendous tourism breakthroughs for Japan as a record 42.7 million foreign visitors were counted along with more than US$60 billion in related revenue, according to a news article by Kyodo News.
Overtourism has been going on in Japan for some time now and it does not seem to be slowing down even though there was a sharp drop of tourists from Communist China which was the result of increased tensions between China and Japan. As a lot more foreign tourists explored Japan, local businesses benefited in different ways but overcrowding, increased littering and acts of bad behavior by foreigners were reported.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…
Foreign visitors to Japan reached a record estimated 42.7 million in 2025, the government said Tuesday, with their spending also at a new all-time high of 9.5 trillion yen ($60.1 billion), thanks to a weaker yen and increased flights to Japan.
The preliminary figures also showed, however, a 45 percent drop in Chinese tourists in the month of December from a year prior to 330,000, tourism minister Yasushi Kaneko told a press conference. The fall came as an ongoing row between Japan and China appears likely to weigh on inbound travel trends in 2026.
The decline in Chinese visitors was the first fall since January 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism said, adding the government is monitoring the situation around Chinese visitors.
Overall visitors surpassed 40 million for the first time, and the estimated total was around 6 million people higher than for 2024. Kaneko said Japan will “engage in strategic Japan tourism promotion” amid a diversifying inbound market, highlighted by rising arrivals from Australia, Europe and the United States.
Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have soured since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in early November on a Taiwan contingency infuriated China.
The fallout has seen economic measures from China, including urging its people to refrain from visiting Japan, and some airlines reduced flights on Japan-China routes.
While the Japanese government has set a target of attracting 60 million foreign visitors a year by 2030, some popular sightseeing destinations are facing problems such as overcrowding and misbehavior by some tourists.
For added insight about tourism-related attractions, activities and trends in Japan, watch the Nippon TV videos below.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think Japan will be able to attract even more foreign tourists and be able to collect better revenues this year without China? If you plan to visit Japan this year, what is the purpose of the trip and where do you plan to visit?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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