Foreign visitors to Japan in January surge 40% to monthly record 3.78 mil

Japan has an opportunity to revitalize the prefectures with tourism, while reducing overcrowding in Tokyo, Kyoto and other major attractions.

@obladi This is good in theory but I would suggest it could be effective for repeat visitors. The vast majority of first time travelers want to visit Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto.

Over tourism in full effect.

So economics 101 says supply demand = higher wages.

The Japanese people had better start enrollment in Chinese lessons!

@kurisupisu Sadly fewer Japanese are studying the Chinese language than in the past. I guess it's part of a larger trend as even English proficiency is declining.

It must be a living hell for the residents of Kyoto.

I know. I love in shinjuku and the place is a dump now. More illegal Airbnb’s are popping up just about as fast as getting them shut down

I know. I love in shinjuku and the place is a dump now. More illegal Airbnb’s are popping up just about as fast as getting them shut down

All of it? I mean Shinjuku does have some insalubrious areas, sure. I lived around the Okubo / Takadanobaba area for a couple of years, but can we generalise to the whole ward?

Normally I wouldn't care if not for the hotel prices tripped and sometimes even more, while availability is getting scarcer and scarcer by month.

Going in business trips to crappy business hotels feels like going to a SPA hotel nowadays, but only from price perspective, not facilities, which are the same as 30, 40 years ago.

I still cannot believe that a shoebox 10sqm room costs almost 100$ nowadays on some locations.

Overtourism is clearly a big problem. It will likely not change until Japanese yen strengthens considerably.

Normally I wouldn't care if not for the hotel prices tripped and sometimes even more, while availability is getting scarcer and scarcer by month.

Me too. I don't live in a tourist area so I'm not directly affected by the tourist boom in my daily life except for its effect on hotels which is really annoying. Domestic travel has become a lot more expensive and a lot more of a hassle than it used to be.

Japan is the new Bali for Aussies. 140,200 in just January! They’re all cashed up too.

Struth!

I went home over the holidays and it seemed like everyone was planning to come to Japan. I wonder how long this will continue. Is it just a wave or is this the new normal?

"Foreign visitors to Japan in January surge 40% to monthly record 3.78 mil."

Hmmm that's an extra 3.78 mile bowl of rice

I can't wait for the warm seasons to start so I can go camping. Finding a reasonably priced hotel is not going to happen quite soon. Camping is the way to go!

I think it is the new norm for tourists from South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It's a relatively short flight so even a short trip seems manageable and of course many people in East Asia prize seafood.

Is it just a wave or is this the new normal?

So when will JT stop using the word Foreign? How about International Visitors or just Tourists ??

Welcome to Japan.

So nice to have people back traveling around the world again after the bleakest of times.

Wishing all tourists a great stay and wonderful time enjoying the fabulous omotenashi and warm hospitality of the people around the Japanese archipelago.

Have fun and enjoy your time here.

I’ve noticed that “over tourism” is a block by block phenomenon. Walk three blocks away from Dotonbori and it’s beautifully quiet.

Same here in Matsumoto. The Castle and the surrounding block gets the activity and after that, crickets

All the nations, not just Asian ones are chasing tourism. It has become a target relied on in most European nations to support their GDP. let Asian nations make the best of it, nahbody going to tour Eur or US currently. Foreign = consumption. By local experience the real 'bucks' are in attracting the cruise liners, but guess what they want to see the stuff in the glossy magazine pics!

WoodyLeeToday  11:44 am JST

So when will JT stop using the word Foreign? How about International Visitors or just Tourists ??

Agreed. Most (if not all) of the writers/translators are non-Japanese, and "foreigner" is the usual translation for gaikokujin. This might change as Japan becomes more cosmopolitan.

I've noticed more Japanese using kaigai no hito instead of gaijin, which is a sign that understanding is growing.

Received a few of these visitors from January their opinion about Japan is that it is very crowded.

@murabito

it is very crowded because they are here. Japan has always been crowded now it is becoming intolerable thanks to all these tourists

We here are out of the "Golden Route" in Shikoku and the numbers haven't increased all that much. More during pre-covid actually. It sounds like a massive bottleneck situation in the usual places.

During the three years of covid, the J-gov and tourism industry should've planned for the resurgence of international travel by thinking of ways to make access, affordability and publicity of Kyushu, Shikoku, Tohoku and Hokkaido (aside from Niseko) more prevalent.

We had these same exact problem pre-2020.

Japan has always been crowded now it is becoming intolerable thanks to all these tourists

Funnily enough, not all of Japan is crowded - which stuns a lot of folk.

Places up in Tokoku, Hokkaido (away from the popular ski resorts), Kochi and much of Western Japan - among others - are most definitely not crowded.

Hopefully the repeat visitors (and many of these tourists are now visiting once/ twice every year) will try a few spots away from Kanto and Kansai.

weak yen policy increase foreign tourists, benefit travel industries that deep related to influential person of ruling party LDP, but most citizen are facing price hike of every necessities.

There's no such thing as over-tourism. It's just tourism. Stop complaining and accept it. Your complaining won't change anything. The xenophobia in Japan is unbelievable.

I regret never getting around to visiting Japan and the other East Asian countries. Mom went on a tour of Japan with a Nisei group, and she said it was the best tour she ever took, although she did get tired of eating so much fish.

Good for Japan economy..

Foreign tourists, please respect and behave well..

There's no such thing as over-tourism. It's just tourism. Stop complaining and accept it. Your complaining won't change anything. The xenophobia in Japan is unbelievable.

Was it 'xenophobia' and 'racism' when locals in Spain and Italy voiced their opposition to mass tourism, engaging in very public demonstrations?

That's what I thought.

TokyoLivingToday  06:09 am JST

Good for Japan economy..

Foreign tourists, please respect and behave well..

All tourists, Japanese included, please respect and behave well..

Basically, good news, now if only a few would stay!

Spain, which is much smaller country, expected to have over 100M tourists this year! Many Spanish tourists decide to move to Spain, that's what Japan needs!