Foreign Visitors To Japan Jump 600% In 2023

The number of foreign visitors to Japan soared more than six-fold to 25.07 million in 2023 compared to the previous year, with their spending reaching a record 5.29 trillion yen ($35.8 billion), according to government data reported by Mainichi Shimbun.

Japan's annual total was still 21.4% lower than the record high of 31.88 million in 2019.

This significant increase follows Japan's removal of coronavirus restrictions in April, with monthly visitors surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time in October.

However, the annual total was still 21.4% lower than the record high of 31.88 million in 2019. South Korea contributed the largest number of travelers at 6.96 million, a more than six-fold increase.

China followed with 2.43 million visitors, and Taiwan with 4.20 million.

The Japan Tourism Agency noted that the amount spent by overseas tourists in Japan exceeded 5 trillion yen for the first time since data compilation began in 2010. The number of Japanese traveling overseas in 2023 more than tripled to 9.62 million from the previous year but remained half the 2019 figure.

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