Foreign visitors to Japan numbered 3,103,700 in September, down 5.0% from a year earlier, according to preliminary estimates from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). The agency said seven markets nonetheless set September records.
China is the hole
China sent 430,800 visitors, down 44.5% from 775,657 a year earlier. JNTO said the Chinese government has issued several advisories since last November urging citizens to avoid travel to Japan, and that flight reductions also weighed on the month, despite holiday effects from the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day break. Over January to September, China arrivals were 3,335,500, down 55.5%.
Who offset it
South Korea rose 25.6% to 842,300, Taiwan 13.0% to 595,600 and Mexico 13.0% to 22,300. The Middle East rose 27.0% to 37,700, Russia 11.9% to 23,700, India 8.7% to 27,600 and Singapore 6.2% to 43,000. These are the seven markets JNTO lists as September records.
| Market | Sep 2025 | Sep 2026 | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 670,563 | 842,300 | 25.6 |
| Taiwan | 526,982 | 595,600 | 13.0 |
| Singapore | 40,495 | 43,000 | 6.2 |
| India | 25,401 | 27,600 | 8.7 |
| Mexico | 19,735 | 22,300 | 13.0 |
| Russia | 21,174 | 23,700 | 11.9 |
| Middle East | 29,684 | 37,700 | 27.0 |
| China (decline) | 775,657 | 430,800 | -44.5 |
JNTO attributed the Korean and Taiwanese gains to continued popularity of travel to Japan, a holiday period and more airline seats. It cited the Chuseok holiday for South Korea and a four-day weekend for Taiwan.
Most other markets fell. The US was down 3.2% at 217,500, Hong Kong down 3.0%, Thailand down 12.6%, Germany down 12.7% and Canada down 11.4%. JNTO pointed to higher airfares tied to the situation in the Middle East, reduced flights and typhoon-related cancellations as factors in many markets. It also noted that the Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture brought athletes and officials.
Year to date
Arrivals for January to September were 30,730,200, down 2.9% from 31,651,327 a year earlier, though JNTO noted the total again exceeded 30 million. The September and January to September figures are JNTO preliminary estimates, while 2025 figures are definitive.