The number of foreign visitors to Japan in September reached a record high for the month, with an estimated 2,872,200 visitors. This represents a 31.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The Japan National Tourism Organization attributed this growth to an increase in visitors from countries such as China and Malaysia.
One factor contributing to this rise is the sharp depreciation of the yen, which has made travel to Japan more affordable for foreigners. In fact, the cumulative number of foreign visitors in the first nine months of this year has already surpassed last year’s total, reaching approximately 26.88 million.
Compared to September 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there was a significant increase of 26.4% in visitor numbers for September this year.
This marks the eighth consecutive month that Japan has seen a record high number of visitors.
In terms of spending by foreign tourists during July-September, it amounted to ¥1,948 billion according to data from the Japan Tourism Agency. Although not a record high like in April-June this year, it is still the second-largest quarterly figure recorded.
On average, each visitor spent around ¥223,000 during their stay in Japan. Accommodation costs accounted for over 30% of their overall spending.
These figures indicate that despite challenges posed by COVID-19 and ongoing travel restrictions worldwide, there is still strong interest among foreigners in visiting Japan and exploring its attractions and culture.