Overview
- The government counted 42.7 million arrivals for the year and estimated visitor spending at a record 9.5 trillion yen ($60.1 billion).
- Chinese arrivals fell about 45% year on year in December to roughly 330,000 after a diplomatic dispute following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan remark.
- Transport Minister Yasushi Kaneko said declines from China were offset by gains from other markets, including Australia, Europe and the United States.
- Japan is targeting further growth to 60 million visitors by 2030 and will triple the international tourist tax to 3,000 yen from July.
- Authorities are tightening crowd management, introducing measures such as an entry fee and daily hiking caps on Mount Fuji and efforts to ease pressure on hotspots like Kyoto.