Inbound tourism to Japan

However, in 2011, the number dropped significantly to around 6.2 million due to the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant incident.

[9] According to the data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) on November 16, 2022, the number of inbound travelers in October of that year was 499,000 (2.4 times higher than the previous month).

[10] According to the Japan Association of Travel Agents, onboard announcements are offered in English (as well as other languages such as Korean and Chinese on the Kyushu Shinkansen and other trains and buses).

On the Japanese side, efforts are spreading to capture the high demand for cherry blossom viewing following the peak season of the Spring Festival (Chinese/Lunar New Year).

The official land price of Ginza in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, has hit a record high as the eastern center of Chinese tourists' binge shopping sprees.

Shinsaibashi in Osaka's Chuo Ward, the western center of these binge shopping sprees, recorded the highest commercial land price appreciation, surpassing Ginza.

In response to this situation, the Japanese government's Council for Regulatory Reform pointed out in January 2016 that there was a shortage of tour guides to meet the demand of inbound travelers from Asian countries.

Allowing anyone to guide for a fee without certifications will legitimize ‘dark’ (unqualified) guides.” The number of inbound visitors to Japan reached a record high of over 19 million in 2015, but this ranked 16th globally and 5th in Asia.

In the same year, expenditure by inbound visitors totaled about US$19 billion, accounting for 0.4% of Japan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but, again, this figure is only about a quarter of that of Italy and France.

In addition, the destinations of inbound visitors are concentrated in certain regions, with the top 10 prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, accounting for more than 80% of foreign guest accommodations.

However, an increase in traffic accidents has also been noted, as countries with high visitor numbers—such as China, South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S.—drive on the right side of the road, unlike Japan.

Particularly in Okinawa Prefecture, which has limited transportation options other than automobiles, traffic accidents involving inbound visitors reached 9,648 in 2016, nearly tripling over three years.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism uses big data to identify accident-prone areas for foreign visitors and is implementing preventive measures such as multilingual safety alerts.