Tokyo and Kyoto feature among top ‘noctourism' destinations

Japan Times

04-07-2025

Tokyo and Kyoto are top cities for 'noctourism,' or nighttime tourism, among more than 100 major cities worldwide, according to a recent report by U.K. travel company Travelbag .
Tokyo ranked second after New York, and ahead of Dubai and Singapore. Kyoto, meanwhile, was No. 6 in the rankings, said the report, which scored cities on safety, number of venues and foot traffic, as quantified by using social media mentions.
'Tokyo offers a neon-lit wonderland after sunset. Whether it's watching the city pulse from the top of Tokyo Tower, exploring the buzzing alleys of Shinjuku's Golden Gai, or enjoying a nighttime food tour of local izakayas, Japan's capital is a blend of futuristic lights and deep tradition,' it said.
The company estimated New York offered some 2,302 late-night venues, while Tokyo offered around 996. Among Southeast Asian cities, the Thai cities of Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok were listed in the top five.
Noctourism, which is also referred to as 'dark sky' experiences, has gained traction among travelers in recent years.
Booking.com predicted last October that it would emerge as one of the top travel trends for 2025. Travelers aiming to dodge crowds and escape increasingly severe heat were listed among the factors contributing to the trend.
Estimates suggest the global nocturnal tourism market is worth around $10.3 billion in 2025, according to Future Market Insights, with the number projected to more than double by 2035.
While Tokyo and Kyoto are already top tourist destinations globally, the two cities' nightlife scenes have not typically garnered acclaim.
While New York is famously known as the 'city that never sleeps' due to its buzzy nightlife activities and late-night venues, advocates in Tokyo have long said more needs to be done to ensure the city's quality and quantity of nighttime activities sufficiently compared to its daytime offerings.
In Japanese cities, public transport services do not run all night, which is also viewed as hampering nighttime ambitions, with few public transport avenues for late-night revelers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tokyo's nightlife activity suffered more than daytime activity due to restrictions for restaurants to close early. But in recent years, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has actively sought to revive the city's nightlife and capitalize on booming tourism inflows around the clock.
In February last year, the metropolitan government allocated ¥1.65 billion ($11.2 million) for a night projection mapping show in the Shinjuku business district.
The metropolitan government and the Osaka Prefectural Government are also subsidizing a range of activities in order to boost participation in the nighttime economy.
More than 18 million foreign visitors came to Japan between January and May this year, with 3.6 million in May alone, according to the latest available official tourism data.