Japan's inbound tourism drops 2% in H1 2026 as Chinese visitors plunge

Japan recorded about 21.08 million overseas visitors in the January‑June 2026 period, a 2 percent decline from the same half‑year in 2025 – the first drop in five years. The fall is driven mainly by a sharp reduction in Chinese tourists, which fell 56.4 percent to roughly 2.06 million, down from 4.72 million a year earlier. June alone saw a 6.8 percent slide to 3.15 million arrivals, marking the seventh consecutive month of decline for Chinese visitors.

Other source markets continued to grow. South Korea posted its strongest June on record (+7.8 %) and topped the visitor rankings with 5.68 million arrivals for the half‑year, up 18.6 percent. Taiwan’s June arrivals rose 14.6 percent to 3.97 million, while U.S. visitors set a new June record (+2.7 %). Despite the overall dip, tourism spending rose 0.2 percent to ¥2.5096 trillion, and average expenditure per visitor reached a new high of ¥244,457, up 3.3 percent.

The downturn follows a travel advisory issued by the Chinese government after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s remarks on possible involvement in a Taiwan contingency, which prompted Chinese tour operators to limit trips to Japan. Additional factors cited include fewer flight slots linked to higher oil prices.

Industry observers note that while the headline numbers show a slowdown, the sector remains resilient thanks to stronger performance in other Asian markets and continued high per‑visitor spending.