The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced the estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan for December 2025 and for the total of 2025. The annual number of foreign visitors was 4,268,600, more than 5.8 million more than in 2024, which was a record high.
Of the 23 markets by region set by JNTO, 22 markets increased the number of foreign visitors to Japan from the previous year, and the number of visitors from Australia (Australia) exceeded 1 million. Australia (Australia) surpassed the 1 million visitor mark, becoming the second market after China, South Korea, Taiwan, the U.S., Hong Kong, and Thailand to exceed 1 million visitors per year. In addition, visits from Russia increased 96.3% from the previous year, the largest growth rate among the 23 markets.
Looking at the single month of December 2025, travel demand was higher than in the same month of the previous year in most markets, partly due to travel demand for school holidays and Christmas and New Year holidays, but the only decline was in visits to Japan from China, which fell 45.3%. This is believed to be due to the Chinese authorities’ call for self-restraint in travel to Japan.
The term “foreign visitors to Japan” refers to “foreign travelers entering Japan, excluding permanent residents and other foreign nationals whose principal country of residence is Japan, from among regular foreign visitors to Japan, plus temporary foreign landing visitors, etc.”. Expatriates, their family members, foreign students, and other entrants and re-entrants are included in the number, but crew members who are not travelers are not included in the number.
© Source travel watch