The number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeded 30 million from January to October, achieving the fastest growth rate ever, according to government data released on Wednesday, and is on track to break the annual record as inbound tourism continues to flourish.
The total count reached 30,192,600 in the ten-month period, marking the first time since 2019 that arrivals surpassed the 30 million mark prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In October alone, foreign visitors reached 3,312,000, representing a 31.6 percent increase compared to the previous year and setting a new monthly record.
This surge in tourism has been fueled by a weakening yen and an expansion of airline routes to Japan, making it highly likely that the annual record of approximately 31.88 million set in 2019 will be outdone.
In terms of country and region, 732,100 individuals traveled from South Korea last month, reflecting a 16.0 percent rise from the previous year. Meanwhile, visitors from China saw a significant increase of about 2.3 times, totaling 582,800, largely attributed to a major holiday. Taiwan followed with 478,900 visitors, a 12.7 percent increase, while the United States recorded 278,500 travelers, up 31.5 percent.
