Japan's Tourism Market Changes with Fewer Chinese Visitors

Japan had 21 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2026, which is 2% less than the same time in 2025.

This is the first time the number of visitors has gone down in the past five years, not counting the pandemic years.

In January, China told its citizens to travel less to Japan because of disagreements between the two countries.

China also reduced the number of flights to Japan.

With fewer Chinese visitors, South Korea and Taiwan are now the top two countries sending tourists to Japan.

Most other countries are still sending more visitors to Japan.

Chinese tourists often visit famous places in Japan like Tokyo's Asakusa District. Photo by AFP

South Korea sent the most visitors, with 5.46 million people, an 18.6% increase, and Taiwan sent nearly 4 million, a 21% increase.

Other countries like the US and Hong Kong are also sending more visitors.

Looking at the bigger picture, Japan's main tourist markets can be grouped into three areas that show strength elsewhere.

In June, East Asia was still the largest market for Japan.

South Korea sent the most visitors in June, with 787,000 people, a 7.8% increase, followed by Taiwan with 670,000, a 14.6% increase.

Southeast Asia sent 351,000 visitors, which is 11.2% of the total, but while some countries sent more visitors, others sent fewer.

Countries far from Japan, like the US and those in Europe, saw a big increase in visitors, helped by summer breaks and a weaker yen.

The number of visitors from the US rose by 2.7% to 354,000.

The UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Nordic countries all had record numbers of visitors in June.

India had a 26% increase in visitors, and the Middle East had a nearly 30% increase from the year before.

The Japan National Tourism Organization is focusing on getting visitors to return, spending more money, and visiting areas outside of big cities.

In 2025, Japan had a record 43 million foreign visitors, a 16% increase from the year before.

Tourism now brings in 34 trillion yen, or US$210 billion, each year, which is 5.6% of Japan's economy.

Japan hopes to make tourism a long-term driver of its economy and aims for 60 million visitors a year by 2030.

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