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Visiting Japan

• Information Related to COVID-19 - JapanGov
• Border enforcement measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)　- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
• TeCOT (COVID-19 Testing Center for Overseas Travelers) - Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Vaccination Certificate for Overseas Travel - Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
• Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
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Empowering the Disabled

This movie introduces the new essential steps ahead of an unforgettable travel in Japan.

General Information

Japan: the Official Guide

Japan National Tourism Organization

General tourism information of Japan in multi languages. Climate, Healthcare, Money, Visa, Emergency info, etc. WEB: http://www.jnto.go.jp/

Open for Professionals

Japan External Trade Organization

The Government of Japan strongly welcomes highly-skilled foreign professionals. WEB: https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/hrportal/

Disaster Prevention Portal

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Portal Site for Disaster Prevention in a Tokyo Inland Earthquake Ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. WEB: http://www.mlit.go.jp/en/

Safety Tips

Safety tips is an app to push notify the disaster information of Japan. Download the app from the website as follow; WEB: http://www.jnto.go.jp/safety-tips/

Japan Weather Forecast for Travelers

Weather forecast in English for travelers. WEB: http://www.jnto.go.jp/weather/eng/index.php

Japan Meteorological Agency

WEB: http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html

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• Japanese Embassies, Consulates and Permanent Missions Overseas [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
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• The Working Holiday Programmes in Japan [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
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Studying and Teaching

• Study in Japan Comprehensive Guide [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
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• Marugoto: Japanese Language and Culture [The Japan Foundation]
• Portal Site on Policies for Foreign Residents [Cabinet Office]
• The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET)

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Press Releases

• Japan to Welcome International Visitors Beginning October 11

The Government of Japan announced a policy of resuming entry by individual travelers for tourism purposes beginning on October 11. JNTO looks forward to welcoming individual inbound travelers back to Japan with the long-awaited lifting of entry restrictions. The resumption of individual travel to Japan and visa waivers, and the elimination of the daily arrival cap will allow international visitors to enjoy Japan in more ways than in the past two-and-a-half years.

These measures are long-awaited news for tourists around the world who have been looking forward to visiting Japan. We are eager to welcome you back!

【Remarks by JNTO President SEINO Satoshi】 The Japanese government has at last announced the resumption of individual travel for tourism purposes, visa waivers, and the elimination of the daily arrival cap. I am incredibly pleased to finally welcome back individual travelers after coping with the pandemic during a wait of two-and-a-half years.

In response to the announcement, JNTO will be doing everything we can to provide you with the latest information on coming to Japan so that many tourists can visit and journey throughout our country.

So you can do more than take in Japan's captivating culture, history, nature, and cuisine, we are also working hard on projects for sustainable tourism, adventure travel, and luxury travel. Japan is a highly attractive country not only for tourism, but also for international conferences and incentive travel. With the relaxed travel measures, Japan is fully prepared to host these events.

Along with reveling in the many ways to take in the allures across Japan, now is a time when international visitors can take advantage of shopping opportunities.

Japan has been busy over the past two-and-a-half years with preparations to welcome back everyone. Come see the new Japan. We eagerly await your arrival!

Reference: Check these resources for more information. - Entry and Quarantine (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) - Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)

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IKARUGA Nara Walking Map

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TOKYO Travel Guide 【UENO, ASAKUSA, YANAKA and more 】

Explore the Charm of Old Downtown Area in Tokyo.

JR-WEST RAIL PASS

Unlimited rides using JR within the designated area! Select the desired area and enjoy convenient and affordable travel throughout West Japan

Oakwood Suites Yokohama offers bayfront living experiences.

【JNTO】Events Calendar Oct.2023

THE TOKYO MATRIX　-THE DUNGEON EXPERIENCE ATTRACTION-

The interactive attraction where you and your party of two or three will join forces to defeat monsters, find items, and clear traps in an adventure that could only happen in an anime or video game.

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HANEDA AIRPORT GARDEN

Haneda Airport Garden is a complex facility directly connected to Haneda Airport Terminal 3 that integrates a hotel, shopping area, hot springs, and other facilities.

Enjoy Driving in Yamaguchi

Hiroshima Tourism PR Leaflet “From Hiroshima with Love”

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Citadines Shinjuku Tokyo surrounded by rambunctious night

The Grace of Japan, Tochigi

Forget the bustle of the big city and enjoy a rich and satisfying journey in Tochigi Prefecture, located conveniently close to Tokyo.

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Good luck trip 2020　Fukusushima

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Japan Heritage Legend of Momotaro spot Guide(details)

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InterContinental Yokohama Grand

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Introducing bus tour from Appi Kogen, these tour offers nature sightseeing and Japanese cultural experience.

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Sakai, a 1,500 year old town containing one of the world's three oldest burial mounds, Nintoku Mausoleum.

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THE TOKYO PASS: Admission to around 50 cultural facilities

THE TOKYO PASS is a tour pass for international visitors to Japan that allows admission to popular cultural facilities in Tokyo. It is also possible to purchase with a Tokyo Subway Ticket.

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Tourism Statistics

Provide the latest and most up-to-date tourism statistics / Japanese economic trend

Tourism Statistics Highlight 01 May 2024

• Inbound According to Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the estimated number of international travelers to Japan in March 2024 was 3,081,600 (+11.7% compared to 2019), exceeding 3 million for the first time in a single month.
• Japanese tourists According to preliminary figures from the Immigration Service Agency of Japan, the number of Japanese overseas travelers in March 2024 accounted for 1,219,789, +75.7% compared to March 2023, and -36.8% compared to 2019.

March 2024 (Estimated figures)

3,081,600 Visits

YOY　 +69.5％

View more statistical bulletins

1,219,789 Visits

YOY　 +75.7％

Statistics of Visitors to Japan from Overseas

• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by month
• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by year
• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by Country and Region
• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by country
• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by Region

View more time series

Statistics of Japanese Tourists Travelling Abroad

• Japan Residents’/Japanese Visits Abroad by Month
• Japan Residents’/Japanese Visits Abroad by Year
• Japan Residents’/Japanese Visits Abroad by Country and Region
• Japanese Visits Abroad by Airport and Seaport, Monthly
• Japanese Visits Abroad by Airport and Seaport in the Last Decade

Japanese Economic Trend

• GDP Growth Rate
• Unemployment Rate
• Exchange Rate
• Consumption Expenditure per Household
• Consumption expenditures on Travel & Communication
• Sales of Department Stores
• Wholesale Price of Unleaded Gasoline

View more time series related to Japan Economic Trend

Japan's hospitality and tourism industry is recovering, but there are challenges

Japan's readiness to receive tourists is not keeping pace with the speed of the recovery of visitor numbers. Image:  Unsplash/Sayaka Ganz

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• Japan's hospitality and tourism sector is recovering in earnest after reopening its border to foreign visitors and lifting mask rules after COVID-19.
• As a result, March saw visitor numbers reach nearly 2 million, equivalent to about two-thirds of tourist figures for the same month in 2019.
• Japan will need to adapt to avoid 'overtourism' and also address post-pandemic labour shortages in both hospitality and tourism.

The Japanese hospitality and tourism industry is beginning to recover in earnest after being badly hit by COVID-19.

In October 2022, Japan lifted the ceiling on the number of foreign tourists entering the country as well as the ban on the entry of individual foreign travellers, thereby significantly easing its pandemic border control measures. Furthermore, as of March this year, the rule to wear masks, both indoors and outdoors, is now left to individual discretion.

This was a tailwind, and the number of visitors to Japan in the same month quickly recovered to 1,827,500 – a figure is equivalent to 66% of the pre-pandemic March 2019 tally and 27.5 times higher than in March 2022.

By country/region, the largest number of visitors to Japan in March came from South Korea with 466,800 – or 79.7% of the figure for March 2019; followed by Taiwan with 278,900; the United States with 203,000, and Hong Kong with 144,900. In addition, since Japan eased travel restrictions from China on March 1, the number of travellers from the country almost doubled to 75,000 in February.

Takahide Kiuchi, Executive Economist at Nomura Research Institute, forecasts that "inbound demand for the year 2023 will be JPY 4,958 billion (about $36.7 billion), which could quickly surpass the JPY 4,813.5 billion (about $35.7 billion) inbound demand in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic”.

However, while Japan's economy is being revitalized in earnest by inbound consumption – boosted in part by the record low yen, which makes Japan an attractive destination for foreign tourists – the country is facing a noticeable challenge as its readiness to receive tourists is not keeping pace with the speed of the recovery in visitor numbers.

Severe labour shortages in hospitality

The hospitality and restaurant industries are in a particularly tight spot, unable to cope with the resurgence of inbound tourism.

According to a January survey released by Teikoku Databank, the percentage of companies feeling a labour shortage (non-permanent employees) amounted to 81.8% for inns and hotels and 80.4% for restaurants. Of all sectors, these two industries in particular are experiencing an outstanding labour shortage, with the percentage for inns/hotels at an all-time high.

Many in the hospitality and restaurant sectors have been forced to reduce their workforce and curtail new hiring due to closures, shorter hours and poor performance caused by the spread of COVID-19, and many employees have moved on to other jobs. The fact it is not easy to bring back staff once they have left the industry is the main reason for the serious labour shortage.

Have you read?

Japan has eased travel restrictions - but will the tourism sector bounce back, the number of tourists that visit japan has increased by more than 20 million in five years, saving forests to protect coastal ecosystems: japan sets historic example.

Japanese industry has been trying to solve labour shortages by accepting foreign workers. The tourism sector has relied heavily on part-time jobs for foreign students. According to data from the Japan Student Services Organization in 2021, the hospitality and restaurant industries accounted for nearly 40% of all part-time jobs for foreign students. However, foreign student part-time workers have completely disappeared since the pandemic.

Furthermore, the depreciation of the yen, which has been progressing since the second half of last year, has significantly lowered wages in Japan from the perspective of other countries. Despite overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and embarking on a path of economic recovery, Japan is no longer attractive as a country to go to as a migrant worker, and it is no longer possible to expect to attract foreign staff .

In a bid to address the problem in hospitality, hotel operations are being reformed by using digital technology to increase efficiency. JTB, a major Japanese travel agency, has developed a platform that links its core system with digital tools such as ATMs to save labour in check-out and other operations, and is now offering the system to hotels.

Tokyu Hotels, which operates 45 hotels in Japan, has also introduced NEC's Smart Hospitality Service , which enables automatic check-in using facial recognition and QR codes, at 39 of its hotels nationwide. Users can check in by simply holding up their face to a tablet terminal at the front desk if they have registered their guest information and photo in advance – making operations more efficient.

Countermeasures against ‘overtourism’

Overtourism has long been a challenge for the Japanese travel industry, and local residents in key tourist areas have suffered from issues including crowding, traffic congestion, rubbish and noise. The ability to diversify the times and areas visited by tourists is key to preventing overtourism, while allowing the tourism industry to gain momentum for a resurgence.

According to a Japan Tourism Agency survey, most people travel on holidays, including major national holidays, and only 16.5% of travel volume occurs on weekdays , which account for 70% of the annual number of days.

As such, the government is working to diversify travel demand by increasing the amount of coupons granted for weekday travel in its nationwide travel support programme. Now that the spread of teleworking has made it feasible to combine work and travel on weekdays, the creation of new incentives, such as work holidays, could also help to balance out travel demand.

Diversification of tourist destinations is another important issue. Pre-pandemic, the occupancy rate of accommodation facilities in Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka – where tourists are concentrated – rose to nearly 80%, and the negative effects of overtourism were being called out.

However, in many prefectures located along the typical tourist routes for foreign visitors, the occupancy rate of accommodation facilities was less than 50%, resulting in regional differences. In the future, it will be important to bridge these regional differences by promoting Japan's diverse destinations, and to increase the number of people visiting non-representative tourist destinations by attracting repeat visitors.

Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future

Looking to a new future for japan tourism.

The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future ranked Japan first in the development index ranking due to the speed with which the travel and tourism industry has recovered from the devastation caused by the pandemic.

Assuming that the travel and tourism industry will play an important role in global economic and social development, the report emphasizes that investment in the drivers of the industry’s development will be crucial in the future.

Meanwhile, Atsushi Takahashi of JR East Japan Planning Inc sounded an alarm bell on the past Japanese approach to tourism and instead urged a new way of thinking. “We have long made decisions based on intuition, experience and assumptions. We have been making decisions for a long time without looking at data,” he said.

“The original marketing is to choose the best solution at the time from multiple hypotheses that emerge depending on how the data is viewed and interpreted. However, in the field of tourism, I feel that this is still too shallow.”

His observations stress his belief that data-based initiatives in Japan's tourism industry are also essential to solving issues facing the sector today, as well to providing new forms of tourism services altogether.

Pre-pandemic, China ranked first in the number of foreign visitors to Japan by nationality and region, accounting for a 25.6% share . Currently, there are restrictions on issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals, but if these restrictions are lifted in the future, the number of visitors from China is expected to increase rapidly.

In addition, the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai – which will be held for six months and centre around the theme of 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives' – is expected to attract 3.5 million foreign tourists.

With these expected surges in visitor numbers, the question will be how Japan can solve the problems facing hospitality and tourism, while also creating and providing services that place value on new forms of tourism.

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Japan is swamped with tourists. Now visitors are going off the beaten track

Tour operators are touting Japan’s less explored regions as surging visitor numbers put strain on popular sites.

Tokyo, Japan – When Paul Christie started conducting tours on Japan’s Nakasendo, an old trade route along the post towns of Nagano Prefecture’s Kiso Valley, few travellers frequented the trail.

Christie, who has lived on and off in Japan since the late 1980s, viewed the route as a great opportunity for tourists to see a more authentic side of Japan, allowing them to explore the country’s history, nature and geography on foot.

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Since taking over as CEO of tour operator Walk Japan in 2002, Christie has been on a mission to spread tourists more evenly across the archipelago.

“We’ve been doing this for 20 years and we tend to go to places that are not touristy, so we’re teasing out the interesting parts of Japan,” the United Kingdom native told Al Jazeera.

“This addresses the problems Japan is experiencing with ‘overtourism’.”

“Overtourism” was a common talking point in Japan’s tourism industry before the COVID-19 pandemic.

After eight consecutive years of inbound growth, Japan received a record 32 million visitors in 2019.

But the rising tide did not raise all boats. Most travellers flocked to the Golden Route, running from Tokyo through the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe conurbation, putting historical districts, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and popular museums under strain.

Since Japan lifted its pandemic-era border restrictions in October last year, concerns about unsustainable tourism have returned.

Visitors have rushed back in droves: 2.3 million foreign tourists arrived in July, the highest figure for any month since 2019.

China’s decision last month to lift its three-year ban on group tours to Japan is expected to result in a further spike in arrivals.

In 2019, 9.2 million Chinese tourists travelled to Japan, accounting for nearly one-third of all visitors, spending 1.8 trillion yen ($12.2bn) in the process.

“Our head office is located in the centre of Kyoto and we feel there are as many tourists as before COVID,” Hiroshi Kawaguchi, the general manager at tour operator Oku Japan, told Al Jazeera.

“This is a similar situation where major sightseeing spots are overcrowded and public buses are lining up.”

Though Kawaguchi says his company’s vision is not focused on alleviating overtourism, Oku Japan’s business model is attuned to such concerns.

“The main part of our itineraries are off the beaten track,” Kawaguchi told Al Jazeera.

“More importantly, every tour we offer includes the element of community interactions… We call these experiences fureai, and this is particularly important not only for the enjoyment of clients but also the local community.”

Tour operators focused on less-explored regions also believe in the power of tourism to have a positive impact on rural communities and spur chiho-sosei, or regional revitalisation.

In 2007, Walk Japan launched the Community Project to reinvigorate two neighbouring valleys on the Kunisaki Peninsula, where the company is based.

Alongside conducting group tours in the region, Walk Japan carries out development projects, from helping local farmers cultivate rice and shiitake mushrooms, to providing English education for schoolchildren and refurbishing old buildings.

Revitalisation is “part of the company DNA,” Christie said.

“We want to provide an example of what’s possible and perhaps inspire others.”

As Japan’s population greys, many small villages are on the brink of extinction. For such communities, tourism can be a welcome and much-needed rejuvenating force.

“With the right support, some communities genuinely want [tourists] to experience their hospitality and their local lifestyles and find out about their region, as long as they aren’t overwhelmed by visitors and the quality of life isn’t degraded,” Alex Bradshaw, founder and chief consultant at travel and tourism consultancy Gotoku, told Al Jazeera.

“Even if a village doesn’t survive into the future, the fact that it’s been remembered by somebody is incredibly powerful; that people lived here and they had this lifestyle and we shared a little time together. That kind of human interaction is very important.”

Overtourism is not restricted to Japan’s urban areas.

Rural World Heritage sites, subtropical islands, popular hiking trails and national parks have also been negatively affected.

Fuji-Hakone-Izu, for example, receives nearly half of all national park visitors in Japan, owing to its proximity to Tokyo and as the site of Mount Fuji.

Michelle Lyons, founder of Point North, a specialist branding firm supporting businesses passionate about Japanese culture, is working on a campaign to spread tourism – and its economic benefits – more equitably among Japan’s 34 national parks.

“I wanted to find a way to promote all the parks as though it’s a network of destinations that are all equal to each other,” Lyons told Al Jazeera.

“And by presenting them in this way I’m hoping the more popular parks will help raise the profile of the less popular parks.”

Lyons is developing collectable pins and patches for each park and a trading card game. She wants these collectable souvenirs to showcase the individual merits of each park and serve as educational tools.

“The management of the parks is really fragmented, so it’s difficult for them to coordinate their efforts… There needs to be a series of different solutions that creates value for the unique groups involved; a blanket approach isn’t going to work,” she said.

“In terms of increasing expenditure in the parks, gift shops could play a big part in that if they’re more strategic with what they’re selling, and think about what tourists actually want and find appealing.”

Stereotypical images

It’s a common refrain in the industry that Japan does not understand how to market itself to foreign travellers but Bradshaw thinks Western media is also at fault for presenting stereotypical images of the country.

“I see how Japan is presented and I’m kind of confused by it. I just wonder what part of Japan that is, because they do rely on the kitsch, the odd side of it, or culture tropes… It’s all maid cafés, geisha, tea ceremonies and ninja,” he said.

“It would be my hope that people would find a deeper side of Japan. But I understand why that is difficult for the tourism industry as well. When you’ve got to prioritise what sells as opposed to what’s authentic and necessarily good for regional communities.”

Some areas have implemented initiatives to specifically tackle overcrowding.

Kyoto, known as Japan’s cultural capital, is set to abolish its One-Day Bus Pass for tourists, sales of which will cease in October.

Iriomote, widely feted as the most beautiful of the Ryukyu Islands, has limited the number of daily visitors to 1,200.

In Yamanashi Prefecture, the local government has considered restricting the number of hikers on Mt Fuji’s Yoshida trail if it becomes too congested.

Last month, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that the government would devise nationwide countermeasures to mitigate overtourism this autumn.

Kumi Kato, a tourism professor at Wakayama and Musashino universities, said the government has made moves in the right direction – such as organising cross-ministry meetings on spreading the benefits of tourism – but there is much work to be done.

“Destination wellbeing should be the goal and benchmarking concept,” Kato told Al Jazeera.

“Promoting the night and early morning economy and secondary destinations will disperse tourism into regional areas but that alone cannot lead to successful regional tourism.”

“It’s critical that the target should be clearly set… high-end tourists, or tourists with wealth, are often talked about, but it should not be misunderstood that only wealthy tourists are valuable,” Kato added.

“Value should be added to high-quality products and authentic experiences [which will] raise visitor spending rather than increase numbers. The government does set a target stay – number of days – and spending per visitor, but strategically ‘what kind of tourists’ should be clearer.”

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• Travel and tourism industry in Japan ›

Japan’s Tourism Sector Bounces Back from Covid Slump

Japan travel.

Japan’s inbound travel spending from foreign tourists broke an all-time record in 2023, rebounding from the Covid-19 pandemic travel slump with an impressive 5.3 trillion yen. This is according to data published by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The 2023 figure marks an increase of 10.2 percent from the 2019, pre-pandemic annual spending of 4.8 trillion yen, even with the weakening yen.

Despite this increase, the average spending per traveler saw a decline. Where per-capita spending for foreign tourists in Japan had been 235,000 yen in 2022, it was just 213,000 yen in 2023.

Looking at the spending patterns of inbound travelers by categories in 2019 and 2023, a greater share of spending went into accommodation in the latter year (29.4 percent in 2019; 34.6 percent in 2023), while a smaller share was spent on shopping (34.7 percent in 2019; 26.5 percent in 2023).

The countries from which visitor spending was highest were Taiwan with 14.8 percent, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) with 14.3 percent, South Korea at 13.9 percent and the United States at 11.4 percent. In 2019, China had accounted for by far the biggest share at 36.8 percent, followed by Taiwan at 11.5 percent and South Korea at 8.8 percent.

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Tourists required to book to climb Mount Fuji as Japan struggles with over-tourism

People wanting to climb an iconic trail on Mount Fuji will need to book in advance and pay a fee, as one of the most iconic volcanoes in the world struggles with over-tourism and littering.

Officials in Japan are also introducing the new measures because of concerns people are "bullet climbing" to the summit and putting fellow climbers at risk.

The Yamanashi prefecture said in a statement on Monday it introduced new rules for the climbing season from July 1 to September 10 for those hiking the Yoshida Trail on the 3,776-meter-high mountain, designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013.

Only 4,000 climbers will be allowed to enter the trail per day: 3,000 slots will be available for online booking at a fee of 2,000 yen (about $20), and the remaining 1,000 can be booked in person on the day of the climb.

Mount Fuji is divided into 10 stations, and there are four "5th stations" halfway up the mountain from where the four trails — the Yoshida, Fujinomiya, Subashiri, and Gotemba — start to the top.

Under the new system, climbers need to choose whether they will do a day hike or stay overnight at the several available huts across the trail.

Once they input their information and the day of the climb, they are given a QR code to be scanned at the 5th station.

Authorities said those who have not booked an overnight hut will be sent back down and not allowed to climb between 4pm and 3am, mainly to stop climbers who rush to the summit without adequate rest, raising safety concerns.

Climbers can book their slots via Mount Fuji Climbing's official website, jointly run by the Environment Ministry and Mount Fuji's two home prefectures, Yamanashi and Shizuoka.

Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki thanked people for their understanding and cooperation in helping conserve Mount Fuji.

The Shizuoka prefecture south-west of Mount Fuji, where climbers can also access the mountain, has sought a voluntary 1,000-yen ($10) fee per climber since 2014 and is considering additional ways to balance tourism and environmental protection.

Japan's Environment Ministry said the number of Mount Fuji climbers during the season in 2023 totalled 221,322.

The announcement came just as a town in Shizuoka was to set up a huge black screen on a sidewalk to block a view of Mount Fuji because of tourists overcrowding the area to take photos.

Over-tourism has also become a growing issue at other popular tourist destinations such as Kyoto and Kamakura as foreign visitors have flocked to Japan in droves since the coronavirus pandemic restrictions were lifted, in part due to the weaker yen.

Last year, Japan had more than 25 million visitors and the figures in 2024 are expected to surpass nearly 32 million, a record from 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

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