Japan’s tourism sector has reached a historic milestone, as international visitor arrivals surged past 40 million in 2025, setting a new annual record and highlighting the country’s growing appeal as a top global travel destination.

TOKYO, JAPAN (MERXWIRE) – According to the latest statistics released by the Japanese government, the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 reached approximately 42.68 million, an increase of about 5 million compared with the previous year, marking an all-time high and demonstrating the continued strong recovery of the tourism sector.

In December 2025 alone, international arrivals totaled 3,617,700, up 3.7 percent year-on-year. This figure not only set a new record for the month of December but also marked a new monthly high. The government attributed the growth to increased travel demand across many markets during school holidays, Christmas, and the New Year vacation period.

By region, December’s growth was driven mainly by visitors from South Korea and Taiwan in East Asia; Malaysia and Thailand in Southeast Asia; and long-haul markets including the United States, Canada, and Australia. Seven markets, including South Korea and Thailand, recorded their highest-ever monthly visitor numbers, while 14 markets—including Taiwan, the United States, and Canada—set new December records. Australia also surpassed one million visitors on an annual basis for the first time, becoming the seventh market to exceed this milestone after China, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Hong Kong, and Thailand. In addition, 20 markets achieved new annual cumulative visitor records.

However, the data also showed that the number of visitors from China in December 2025 declined by approximately 45 percent compared with the same period last year, making it one of the few major markets to record a decrease.

Looking ahead, the Japanese government estimates that total foreign visitor arrivals in 2025 will reach 42,683,600, representing year-on-year growth of 15.8 percent. This figure exceeds the previous annual record of 36,870,148 set in 2024 by more than 5.8 million visitors, once again setting a new benchmark. Japan’s Minister of Tourism stated that the government will continue to promote tourism policies with the goal of increasing foreign visitors to 60 million by 2030.

Japan’s tourism appeal has also received strong international recognition. British travel magazine Wanderlust named Japan one of the world’s 26 best travel destinations for 2025, citing its pioneering efforts in technology and nature conservation. Meanwhile, The New York Times selected Nagasaki and Okinawa as two of its “52 Places to Go in 2026.” Nagasaki was highlighted for its significance amid growing global concerns over nuclear proliferation, while Okinawa was noted for the restoration of Shuri Castle—destroyed by fire in 2019—which is being rebuilt using traditional construction methods and is expected to reopen to the public as a major cultural landmark.