Japan's Immigration Services Agency counted 19,706,953 new foreign entrants in the first half of 2026 (January to June), down 21,452 or 0.1% on a year earlier. Foreign entrants including re-entrants rose 0.3% to 21,447,220. The national totals look steady. The mix underneath does not.
China falls, Korea and Taiwan climb
By nationality, South Korea was the largest source of new entrants at 5,553,483, up 19.0%, followed by Taiwan at 3,769,254, up 21.2%, and the US at 1,789,080, up 7.3%. The agency's table reports China separately from Hong Kong. China's new entrants fell 57.3% to 1,598,470, or 8.1% of the total.
| Nationality or region | First half 2025 | First half 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 4,667,285 | 5,553,483 | +19.0% |
| Taiwan | 3,110,124 | 3,769,254 | +21.2% |
| United States | 1,667,782 | 1,789,080 | +7.3% |
| China | 3,743,406 | 1,598,470 | -57.3% |
| Hong Kong | 1,212,634 | 1,241,843 | +2.4% |
| All new entrants | 19,728,405 | 19,706,953 | -0.1% |
China's monthly count in 2026 ran from 198,588 in March to 315,419 in February, with 297,145 in June. The release does not give reasons for any of the nationality-level shifts.
Cruise and crew landing permission sit outside the headline
The number of foreigners granted special landing permission, which is not a residence-status entry, fell 32.2% to 1,370,546, down 649,984. Of those, 1,076,025 received crew landing permission, or 78.5%. The number granted cruise-ship sightseeing landing permission fell 64.1% to 281,792, down 503,392. That permission lets a passenger land for sightseeing on condition of returning to the ship before it leaves, for a stay of up to seven or 30 days.
Adding those granted special landing permission to entrants gives a combined total of 22,817,766, down 578,934 or 2.5%. That is a different measure from new entries, which are 98.2% short-stay status and cover more than tourists.
Airports and the tourism reference figure
The Japan Tourism Agency's inbound visitor figure, which the agency's table lists as a reference, was 21,085,262 in the first half of 2026 against 21,518,575 a year earlier. Its definition removes permanent residents and several other residence categories from entrants and adds those granted cruise, port-of-call and transit landing permission.
Airport traffic also diverged. Combined foreign and Japanese entries and departures at Kansai fell 10.1% to 12,149,146 and at Chubu fell 7.4%, while Narita rose 2.8%, Haneda 4.5% and Fukuoka 9.5%. Japanese departures rose 5.1% to 6,944,615.
The figures end in June 2026 and say nothing about conditions since.