Japan sees record number of foreign visitors for May
More than 3.6 million foreigners visited Japan in May, marking a record high for the month. But there was a greater than 10 percent drop in visitors from Hong Kong due to an unfounded rumor that a major earthquake and tsunami will hit the country this summer.
The Japan National Tourism Organization says an estimated 3.69 million foreigners visited Japan last month.
That is a 21.5 percent increase over last May, and the highest figure ever for the month.
The major countries with the biggest jumps in visitors were China and the United States, which saw increases of 44.8 percent and 26.3 percent, respectively.
Many other countries and regions surveyed set records for May.
On the other hand, visitors from Hong Kong were down 11.2 percent as flights to various parts of Japan were canceled in the wake of the quake rumor.
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Asahi Shimbun
2 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Foreign tourists set May record in Japan, but Hong Kong figure falls
Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, was a popular tourist destination in May. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) A record number of tourists visited Japan in May despite a decrease from Hong Kong, the source of spreading predictions that a major earthquake will hit the country, the Japan National Tourism Organization said. The inbound tourist figure was 3,693,300, up 21.5 percent year on year and the most ever for the month of May, the JNTO said on June 18. It was also the eighth consecutive month for Japan to receive more than 3 million visitors from abroad. From January to May, 18,140,100 tourists made trips to Japan, up 23.9 percent from the same period last year. In May, South Koreans accounted for the most inbound tourists, with 825,800, up 11.8 percent from the same month last year, followed by China with 789,900, up 44.8 percent, and Taiwan with 538,400, up 15.5 percent. The number of visitors from Hong Kong was 193,100, down 11.2 percent year on year. Hong Kong was the only region with a decrease in tourists to Japan. The rumor sweeping Hong Kong through social media is that a huge earthquake will strike Japan in July. It stems from separate prophecies by a famed local feng shui master and a Japanese manga artist. The JNTO said it did not know if the rumor led to the drop in visitor numbers from Hong Kong in May. But demand for flights from Hong Kong to Japan have remained uncharacteristically low since the earthquake prediction started to circulate. The Japanese government has tried to put the rumor to rest by saying it is impossible to accurately forecast an earthquake.
Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Foreign visitors to Japan at record high for May
The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in May jumped 21.5% from a year before to 3,693,300, a record high for the month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. The cumulative number of visitors from abroad in the first five months of 2025 came to a record 18,140,100, beating the previous record of 14,641,780 marked in the same period last year. The increase in visitors during May was driven by travelers from China, Taiwan and the United States, who visited Japan for holidays and on cruise ship port calls. The number of visitors from Hong Kong dropped 11.2% to 193,100 after rumors spread on social media that an earthquake might strike Japan. By country or region, the number of visitors from South Korea was the largest, at 825,800, up 11.8%; followed by 789,900 from mainland China, up 44.8%; 538,400 from Taiwan, up 15.5%; and 311,900 from the United States, up 26.3%. The number "fell only in Hong Kong," Naoya Haraikawa, commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, said at a news conference. Haraikawa said that JNTO's Hong Kong office is already calling on people via social media to make travel decisions based on scientific information from public institutions. He said that JNTO will strengthen information-sharing efforts if necessary. The estimated number of Japanese nationals traveling overseas rose 14.3% to 1,076,800 in May, reflecting a spike in travelers during a holiday period from late April to early May. But Japanese visitors to Thailand continued to decrease following a major earthquake in Myanmar in late March.
Kyodo News
6 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Foreign visitors to Japan hit 3.7 mil. in May, new record for month
KYODO NEWS - 14 hours ago - 21:14 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism The number of foreign visitors to Japan in May rose 21.5 percent from a year earlier to 3.7 million, a record for the month, government estimates showed Wednesday, as travel demand remained strong even after cherry blossom season. By country and region, South Korea topped the list with 825,800 visitors, up 11.8 percent, followed by China with 789,900, a 44.8 percent increase, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. The two countries and 19 other markets set new visitor records for May, while those from India hit a record monthly high of 43,000, up 47.9 percent from the previous year, it said. "The momentum is strong, and we are on a very good trajectory," Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa told a press conference, while also noting that a concentration of visitors in the country's three major metropolitan areas -- Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya -- remains an issue. Japan received some 18.1 million foreign arrivals from January to May, up 23.9 percent from the same period in 2024. Travel demand has remained strong on the back of school holidays in some markets, with a surge in visitors from China, the Philippines and the United States providing support, according to the organization. Among all countries and regions individually tracked, only Hong Kong saw a decline in May from the previous year, down 11.2 percent to 193,100. It is believed that a Japanese manga predicting a major disaster in Japan this July has discouraged travel. The Japan National Tourism Organization office in Hong Kong has issued a statement on Facebook refuting any scientific basis for the date and location of the rumored disaster. Related coverage: Gov't wants Japanese travelers to see more of their own backyard Japan's departure tax revenue hits record high in FY 2024 Chinese tourists returning to Japan with new travel style
