Japan Sees Record Number of Foreign Visitors this Year

Japan is set to surpass 40 million foreign visitors in a single year for the first time in 2025, with an estimated 39.06 million arrivals recorded from January through November, the Japanese government announced, Yuhi Sugiyama reported the figures for Mainichi Japan.

The surge is attributed to the record-weak yen, which has boosted travel demand from Europe and the United States, as well as strong interest from Asian countries. (Photo: Expo2025 大阪·関西万博 Facebook)

The total marks a 17% increase over the same period last year and, in just 11 months, exceeds the previous annual record of 36.87 million visitors set in 2024.

The surge is attributed to the record-weak yen, which has boosted travel demand from Europe and the United States, as well as strong interest from Asian countries, particularly China.

In November alone, Japan welcomed 3.518 million visitors — a 10.4% increase from the same month in 2024 and another record high.

From January to November, China led with 8.76 million visitors, up 37.5% from a year earlier, followed by South Korea with 8.48 million and Taiwan with 6.17 million. Malaysia and Indonesia also posted growth of more than 20%, each exceeding 500,000 visitors.