Global Favorite Surpasses 10 Million Visitors by March at Unprecedented Speed

Japan welcomed over 10 million visitors at the quickest rate yet this year, achieving this milestone by March, according to official figures released on Wednesday. The surge was driven by the weakened yen, sparking an extraordinary travel frenzy.

Last month saw an influx of 3.5 million international travelers arriving in Japan for both business and leisure purposes, with the cumulative number reaching 10.54 million for the year-to-date, according to statistics released by the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO).

In last year's 2024 edition of Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers' Choice Awards, Japan was crowned the globe’s most beloved travel destination according to the magazine's readership. This milestone coincided with reaching 10 million tourists in April.

Throughout the entire year of 2025, visitor numbers are expected to surpass the previous high of 36.87 million recorded last year. According to the JNTO, the country’s well-known cherry blossom season contributed significantly to this trend, leading to unprecedented arrivals in March, particularly from tourists coming from the United States and Canada.

The surge in tourists and their expenditures has provided a significant uplift to Japan’s economy. Visitor purchases, recorded as exports in official economic records, have become Japan's second-largest export category, ranking just behind automobiles and above electronic components.

Expenditure by international tourists from January to March totaled 2.27 trillion yen ($16 billion), according to provisional figures released by the transportation ministry, marking an increase of 28.4% compared to the previous year.

In the previous year, tourists invested an all-time high of 8.1 trillion yen, marking a rise of 53% compared to the preceding year.