Japan Reopens to Foreign Tourists

Tourists in Kyoto. A record 3.08 million foreign visitors visited Japan in March.

Japan is on track to meet the government’s goal of surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 32 million foreign visitors a year by 2025, with the number reaching a record 8.56 million in the January-March quarter, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization showed on Wednesday.

“If we continue at the same pace, we can expect the number of both visitor arrivals and amounts spent to reach record levels in 2024, exceeding the target we set for 2025,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during ministerial meeting.

Foreign travelers also spent ¥1.8 trillion between January and March, amounting to about ¥210,000 per person per stay. The figure is the highest on record as more people stay in Japan longer due to a weaker yen.