Japan’s foreign arrivals soar to 14.45 million in first four months of 2025
Statistics show that foreign tourist arrivals to Japan during the first four months of 2025 remain strong with no sign of slowing, reaching a total of 14.45 million visitors.
Chinese tourists flocked to Japan with 3.13 million visitors, marking a remarkable 68% growth, ranking second only to South Korea by about 100,000 visitors. Thai travelers continue to show steady interest, accumulating over 520,000 visitors so far this year.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), from January to April 2025, the number of foreign tourists entering Japan totaled 14,446,600, up 24.5% compared to the same period last year.
In April alone, foreign arrivals reached 3,908,900, up 28.5% year-on-year.
Breaking down the first three months:
- January: 3,781,629 tourists, up 40.7%
- February: 3,258,491 tourists, up 16.9%
- March: 3,497,600 tourists, up 13.5%
Top 10 Source Countries (Jan–Apr 2025):
- South Korea: 3,227,800 (+7.6%)
- China: 3,130,200 (+68.1%)
- Taiwan: 2,161,300 (+11.5%)
- United States: 1,044,400 (+30.6%)
- Hong Kong: 911,200 (+12.8%)
- Thailand: 520,300 (+11.6%)
- Australia: 429,000 (+28.6%)
- Philippines: 302,200 (+12.2%)
- Vietnam: 252,400 (+7.9%)
- Malaysia: 244,200 (+35.5%)
During April, which featured the highlight of the cherry blossom festival, Chinese tourists topped the list, surpassing South Korean visitors, according to JNTO.
Markets in Europe and America also showed strong growth. Besides the U.S., which has consistently ranked in the top five, Canada and the United Kingdom made the top 10 in April, ranking ninth and tenth respectively.
Top 10 Source Countries (April 2025):
- China: 765,100 (+43.4%)
- South Korea: 721,600 (+9.1%)
- Taiwan: 537,600 (+16.9%)
- United States: 327,500 (+43.1%)
- Hong Kong: 263,600 (+42.9%)
- Thailand: 158,500 (+11.2%)
- Australia: 115,200 (+42.6%)
- Philippines: 91,000 (+32.8%)
- Canada: 72,600 (+39.3%)
- United Kingdom: 69,500 (+43.6%)
