Official data released Wednesday showed international visitors to Japan totaled 3.56 million in May, down 3.6% from the same period last year. The decline was largely attributed to a drop in Chinese tourists, as diplomatic tensions between the two Asian neighbors escalate.
Figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization indicated that while arrivals from other markets such as South Korea and Taiwan continued to grow steadily, the slump from China — historically Japan’s largest source of inbound tourists — dragged the overall count lower.
Analysts said heightened diplomatic strains, lingering travel restrictions, and cautious consumer sentiment in China have significantly dampened travel demand. Japanese officials had earlier expected a strong post-pandemic recovery in Chinese visitors, but the reality has fallen short of those hopes.
May marked the second consecutive month of year-on-year declines in foreign arrivals, following a 2.5% drop in April. Nonetheless, the Japanese government maintains its target of 40 million international visitors by 2026, banking on recovery from other markets and stepped-up promotional campaigns.
