World's 'most favorite destination' sees tourist arrivals decline in January

The drop was driven largely by a 61% fall in arrivals from mainland China to 385,300.

Beijing has been urging its citizens to avoid travel to Japan since November, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's parliamentary comments that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could amount to a "survival-threatening situation" and trigger a potential military response from Tokyo.

The shift in the Lunar New Year holiday season, which fell in mid-February this year rather than late January in 2025, also weighed on arrivals.

South Korea remained the top source of visitors, jumping 22% to 1.176 million - a record for a single month and the first time any country or region surpassed the 1.1 million mark.

Arrivals from Taiwan rose 17% to 694,500, while visitors from the U.S. grew 14% to 207,800.

Japan's inbound tourism had been climbing steadily since pandemic-era restrictions were lifted, with monthly volumes frequently exceeding pre-Covid levels.