Japan Achieves Highest February Tourist Numbers Despite Significant Decline in Chinese Visitors

In February, the number of visitors to Japan increased by 6.4% compared to the previous year, setting a new record for the month, according to government data released on Wednesday. This growth occurred despite a decline in Chinese tourists due to ongoing diplomatic tensions between the nations.

Last month, inbound visitors totaled 3.46 million, as reported by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), whereas arrivals from China fell by 45% to 396,400.

JNTO attributed part of this increase to the Lunar New Year holiday occurring in February this year, instead of late January last year.
At the Kawazu Sakura Festival in eastern Japan, famous for its early-blooming cherry blossoms that start to flower in early February, the drop in Chinese tourists was noticeable, as noted by Hoshi Mori, the director of the town’s tourism association.

Despite this, the festival attracted around 630,000 visitors, marking the highest attendance since 2022, largely due to a rise in domestic tourists and visitors from Taiwan, Mori stated.

South Korea continued to be the leading source of visitors in February, with an increase of 28% to 1.08 million. Similarly, arrivals from Taiwan grew by 37% to 693,600.