What happened with foreign tourism in Japan?

Foreign visitors to Japan from January to September 2026 totaled 30,732,000, down 2.9% from a year earlier, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Still, the money they spent rose to a record 7.0574 trillion yen, up 1.9%.

Why are Chinese visitors declining?

Chinese arrivals fell 55.5% over the nine-month period. The drop followed a cooling in China-Japan relations after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November 2025 that Japan could get involved in a Taiwan contingency. Local media say the decline could push 2026 annual arrivals below last year's record of 42.68 million if the trend continues.

How did September look?

| Country/Region | September 2026 Visitors | Year-on-year change | |---|---|---| | South Korea | 842,300 | +25.6% | | Taiwan | 595,600 | +13.0% | | China | 430,800 | -44.5% | | All foreign visitors | 3,103,700 | -5.0% |

South Korea was the largest source market, and seven countries and regions including South Korea and Taiwan set record September figures.

Why is spending holding up?

According to the report, the weak yen has made shopping and other purchases less of a burden for foreign visitors, which helped lift spending even as the number of tourists dropped.

For international fans

The figures show that South Korean and Taiwanese travelers are a growing share of Japan's inbound tourism, a shift that is changing which destinations and shopping districts see the most demand.