Latest news with #NaoyaHaraikawa
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Kyodo News
Chinese tourists returning to Japan with new travel style
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 12:39 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism Chinese tourists are driving a recent surge in inbound travel to Japan, with arrivals now exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels, though their travel habits are shifting noticeably. Previously, Chinese tourism in Japan was defined by large group tours and shopping sprees known as "bakugai." Nowadays, however, more travelers are seeking immersive experiences related to Japanese cuisine, culture and scenery, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. A total of 3.13 million Chinese travelers visited Japan in the first four months of this year, topping the 2.89 million recorded during the same period in 2019. While the number of visitors from China was slow to rebound after the pandemic, arrivals have steadily increased since the Chinese government lifted its ban on group tours to Japan in 2023, reaching 2.42 million that year and 6.98 million in 2024. Growth has continued into 2025, with year-on-year increases of 135.7 percent in January, 57.3 percent in February, 46.2 percent in March and 43.4 percent in April. The shift in travel preferences is partly driven by Chinese travelers in their 30s and 40s, many of whom have visited Japan before, now choosing family trips with their children over group tours. The JNTO is working to better target that market, including opening an account on a popular Chinese social media platform last fall. Meanwhile, visitor numbers from Hong Kong, which are tallied separately from mainland China, increased 30.8 percent in January from the previous year but declined 5 percent in February and 9.9 percent in March. A Japanese manga predicting a major disaster in Japan this July is believed to have discouraged travel. Posts about the manga "The Future I Saw" went viral after some claimed that its artist, Ryo Tatsuki, also predicted the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, among other events. Nevertheless, April saw a strong rebound, marking a 42.9 percent increase from the previous year. At a press conference earlier this month, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa dismissed the concerns, saying, "I believe they currently have no real impact." Related coverage: Foreign visitors to Japan in April set monthly record at 3.9 million Japan to give South Koreans fast-track entry in June to mark ties anniv. Japan to launch prescreening of visa-free travelers in FY 2028
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Chinese tourists returning to Japan with new travel style
KYODO NEWS - 5 minutes ago - 12:39 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism Chinese tourists are driving a recent surge in inbound travel to Japan, with arrivals now exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels, though their travel habits are shifting noticeably. Previously, Chinese tourism in Japan was defined by large group tours and shopping sprees known as "bakugai." Nowadays, however, more travelers are seeking immersive experiences related to Japanese cuisine, culture and scenery, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. A total of 3.13 million Chinese travelers visited Japan in the first four months of this year, topping the 2.89 million recorded during the same period in 2019. While the number of visitors from China was slow to rebound after the pandemic, arrivals have steadily increased since the Chinese government lifted its ban on group tours to Japan in 2023, reaching 2.42 million that year and 6.98 million in 2024. Growth has continued into 2025, with year-on-year increases of 135.7 percent in January, 57.3 percent in February, 46.2 percent in March and 43.4 percent in April. The shift in travel preferences is partly driven by Chinese travelers in their 30s and 40s, many of whom have visited Japan before, now choosing family trips with their children over group tours. The JNTO is working to better target that market, including opening an account on a popular Chinese social media platform last fall. Meanwhile, visitor numbers from Hong Kong, which are tallied separately from mainland China, increased 30.8 percent in January from the previous year but declined 5 percent in February and 9.9 percent in March. A Japanese manga predicting a major disaster in Japan this July is believed to have discouraged travel. Posts about the manga "The Future I Saw" went viral after some claimed that its artist, Ryo Tatsuki, also predicted the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, among other events. Nevertheless, April saw a strong rebound, marking a 42.9 percent increase from the previous year. At a press conference earlier this month, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa dismissed the concerns, saying, "I believe they currently have no real impact." Related coverage: Foreign visitors to Japan in April set monthly record at 3.9 million Japan to give South Koreans fast-track entry in June to mark ties anniv. Japan to launch prescreening of visa-free travelers in FY 2028
Kyodo News
23-05-2025
- Kyodo News
Foreign visitors to Japan in April set monthly record at 3.9 million
KYODO NEWS - May 21, 2025 - 20:26 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism The number of foreign visitors to Japan in April hit a single-month record of 3.91 million, government data showed Wednesday, as arrivals were bolstered by the weak yen and high travel demand due to the country's cherry blossom season and Easter holidays overseas. Foreign arrivals surged 28.5 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the previous record of 3.78 million in January, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Japan received some 14.45 million foreign arrivals from January to April, exceeding the 11.60 million recorded in the same period in 2024. Foreign visitors to Japan topped 36 million last year, with authorities struggling to take measures against overcrowding in popular areas and encourage tourists to disperse into the countryside. The number of foreign visitors this year may reach 45 million or 46 million, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa told a press conference. "We are going to start taking action now," he said. By country and region, 765,100 people visited Japan from China in April, up 43.4 percent from the same month last year. Visitors from South Korea totaled 721,600, up 9.1 percent, and 537,600 came from Taiwan, an increase of 16.9 percent from a year earlier. Inbound tourists from Canada and Britain hit record monthly highs, with 72,600 and 69,500 arrivals from those countries, respectively, while visitors from South Korea, China and Singapore were the highest recorded for April. Meanwhile, the agency said that Japanese domestic travelers spent 5.65 trillion yen ($39.1 billion) in the January-March quarter, up 15.5 percent from the same period last year. Expenditure on travel with accommodation totaled 4.59 trillion yen, while spending on day trips amounted to 1.06 trillion yen. Related coverage: Local reaction to Mt. Fuji photo hunters causing major regrets Visitors to Japan most frustrated with lack of trash bins: survey Japanese-style inn operator eyes U.S. expansion after N.Y. listing
Yomiuri Shimbun
22-05-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Visitors to Japan Hit Single-Month Record High in April
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo People in short sleeves take photos in the Asakusa district of Taito Ward, Tokyo, in February 2024. Tokyo, May 21 (Jiji Press)—The monthly number of foreign visitors to Japan hit a record high in April amid the cherry blossom season, a Japan National Tourism Organization report showed Wednesday. The number of inbound visitors is estimated to have risen 28.5 pct from a year before to 3,908,900 in April, topping 3.9 million for the first time for a single month. Demand for travel to Japan, especially from China, Hong Kong, the United States and Australia, surged as cherry blossoms bloomed in many parts of the country. The reporting month also included Easter holidays. By country or region, the number of visitors from mainland China jumped 43..4 pct to 765,100, followed by 721,600 visitors from South Korea, up 9.1 pct, 537,600 from Taiwan, up 16.9 pct, and 327,500 from the United States, up 43.1 pct. The record monthly figure 'seems to be attributed to brisk demand in China for visiting Japan and an increase in the number of flights,' Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa said at a press conference. Meanwhile, the number of Japanese nationals traveling overseas rose 8.2 pct to 961,000 in April, after tow consecutive months of double-digit growth. The slower increase is apparently because this year's Golden Week holiday period from late April to early May included several weekdays, and also due to a decrease in the number of travelers to Thailand following a major earthquake in neighboring Myanmar in late March.
Kyodo News
21-05-2025
- Kyodo News
Foreign visitors to Japan in April set monthly record at 3.9 million
KYODO NEWS - 31 minutes ago - 20:26 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism The number of foreign visitors to Japan in April hit a single-month record of 3.91 million, government data showed Wednesday, as arrivals were bolstered by the weak yen and high travel demand due to the country's cherry blossom season and Easter holidays overseas. Foreign arrivals surged 28.5 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the previous record of 3.78 million in January, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Japan received some 14.45 million foreign arrivals from January to April, exceeding the 11.60 million recorded in the same period in 2024. Foreign visitors to Japan topped 36 million last year, with authorities struggling to take measures against overcrowding in popular areas and encourage tourists to disperse into the countryside. The number of foreign visitors this year may reach 45 million or 46 million, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa told a press conference. "We are going to start taking action now," he said. By country and region, 765,100 people visited Japan from China in April, up 43.4 percent from the same month last year. Visitors from South Korea totaled 721,600, up 9.1 percent, and 537,600 came from Taiwan, an increase of 16.9 percent from a year earlier. Inbound tourists from Canada and Britain hit record monthly highs, with 72,600 and 69,500 arrivals from those countries, respectively, while visitors from South Korea, China and Singapore were the highest recorded for April. Meanwhile, the agency said that Japanese domestic travelers spent 5.65 trillion yen ($39.1 billion) in the January-March quarter, up 15.5 percent from the same period last year. Expenditure on travel with accommodation totaled 4.59 trillion yen, while spending on day trips amounted to 1.06 trillion yen. Related coverage: Local reaction to Mt. Fuji photo hunters causing major regrets Visitors to Japan most frustrated with lack of trash bins: survey Japanese-style inn operator eyes U.S. expansion after N.Y. listing
