Foreign visitors to Japan in April set monthly record at 3.9 million
The number of foreign visitors to Japan in April hit a single-month record of 3.91 million, government data showed Wednesday, as arrivals were bolstered by the weak yen and high travel demand due to the country's cherry blossom season and Easter holidays overseas, Kyodo reports.
Foreign arrivals surged 28.5 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the previous record of 3.78 million in January, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
Japan received some 14.45 million foreign arrivals from January to April, exceeding the 11.60 million recorded in the same period in 2024.
Foreign visitors to Japan topped 36 million last year, with authorities struggling to take measures against overcrowding in popular areas and encourage tourists to disperse into the countryside.
The number of foreign visitors this year may reach 45 million or 46 million, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa told a press conference.
"We are going to start taking action now," he said.
By country and region, 765,100 people visited Japan from China in April, up 43.4 percent from the same month last year. Visitors from South Korea totaled 721,600, up 9.1 percent, and 537,600 came from Taiwan, an increase of 16.9 percent from a year earlier.
Inbound tourists from Canada and Britain hit record monthly highs, with 72,600 and 69,500 arrivals from those countries, respectively, while visitors from South Korea, China and Singapore were the highest recorded for April.
Meanwhile, the agency said that Japanese domestic travelers spent 5.65 trillion yen ($39.1 billion) in the January-March quarter, up 15.5 percent from the same period last year. Expenditure on travel with accommodation totaled 4.59 trillion yen, while spending on day trips amounted to 1.06 trillion yen.
Earlier it was reported that Japan is to launch prearrival screening of visa-free travelers in FY 2028.