🗾 In 2025, Japan welcomed a record-breaking 42.68 million international visitors. But here's the surprising twist: the biggest growth isn't happening in Tokyo or Kyoto. Tottori Prefecture saw overnight stays surge 151%. Niigata jumped 69%. With ¥9.5 trillion ($63B) in tourism spending, Japan's countryside is having its moment—and facing a whole new set of challenges.
2025: The Year Japan Shattered Its Tourism Records
The year 2025 marked a watershed moment for Japan's inbound tourism. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the country welcomed 42.68 million foreign visitors—surpassing the previous record of 36.87 million set in 2024 by 15.8%. The long-held government target of 40 million annual visitors was finally achieved and exceeded.
Tourism spending was equally impressive, reaching ¥9.45 trillion (approximately $63 billion), making inbound tourism Japan's second-largest "export" behind automobiles. Per-person spending averaged ¥229,000 ($1,530), supported by a favorable yen exchange rate.
By source market, South Korea led with 9.45 million visitors, followed by China (9.09 million), Taiwan (6.76 million), and the United States (3.3 million—breaking the 3 million mark for the first time). Australia became the seventh market to surpass 1 million annual visitors. Overall, visitors from Europe, the Americas, and Oceania grew 23.4% year-over-year, outpacing Asian markets.
The Regional Shift: Visitors Are Going Beyond the Golden Route
Perhaps the most significant trend within these record numbers is the gradual dispersal of tourists toward regional areas.
April 2025 accommodation data showed that the share of foreign overnight stays in regional areas (outside major cities) rose from 29.0% to 30.2% year-over-year. Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto still accounted for roughly 58% of all foreign overnight stays, but the tide is slowly turning.
The standout performers were remarkable. Tottori Prefecture recorded a 151.5% increase in foreign overnight stays—the highest in the nation—driven by new direct flights from its Yonago Airport to Seoul and Hong Kong, plus the resumption of a ferry service connecting Sakaiminato with South Korea. Mie Prefecture (+75.3%) and Niigata Prefecture (+62.0%) also posted impressive gains.
By November 2025, even as Tokyo and Osaka experienced year-over-year declines in foreign overnight stays, regional areas continued to surge: Niigata (+68.9%), Mie (+45.2%), Miyagi (+37.3%), Fukushima (+35.0%), and Yamagata (+29.2%). The autumn foliage season amplified this trend, as independent travelers increasingly sought out destinations beyond the standard tourist circuits.
Why Are Visitors Choosing Regional Japan?
Several converging factors explain the shift toward regional destinations.
Repeat visitors going deeper. As travelers return to Japan multiple times, they naturally look beyond Tokyo and Kyoto. The growing number of repeat visitors from nearby markets like South Korea and Taiwan accelerates this trend.
Social media discovery. Instagram, TikTok, and China's Xiaohongshu (RED) have become powerful engines for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations. Local festivals, hidden hot springs, and regional cuisine go viral in ways guidebooks never achieved. The Tottori Sand Dunes, Mizuki Shigeru Road, and Tohoku's autumn colors are exactly the kind of photogenic content that travels well online.
Expanding regional air routes. New international flights and LCC routes to regional airports have made direct access possible. Yonago, Kagoshima, and other regional airports have added connections primarily to South Korean and Southeast Asian cities, bypassing the traditional Tokyo/Osaka gateways entirely.
Western travelers seeking authentic experiences. Visitors from Europe, the US, and Australia tend to stay longer and gravitate toward adventure tourism and gastronomy. Snow resorts like Hakuba and Niseko, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails, and Shikoku's temple circuit all offer the kind of immersive, nature-based experiences that appeal to this growing market segment.
The Infrastructure Gap: Progress Made, Challenges Remaining
While regional dispersal is widely welcomed, local infrastructure often struggles to keep pace with growing demand.
Language barriers
Multilingual support remains patchy in many regional areas. Signage, restaurant menus, and transportation information in languages other than Japanese can be hard to find. The Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual interpretation program dispatches native-language writers to create proper English and Chinese descriptions for local tourism resources, but nationwide coverage remains a work in progress. AI chatbots and translation apps help bridge the gap, but digital literacy varies widely among local businesses.
Secondary transportation
The biggest bottleneck is getting from airports or bullet train stations to actual tourist sites. The Tohoku region, for example, is rich in natural attractions, but many are 60+ minutes from the nearest transportation hub, with limited bus service. Rental cars are often the only viable option—a significant barrier for visitors without international driving permits. Ride-sharing pilots and on-demand transit experiments are underway, but widespread implementation is still in its early stages.
Workforce shortages
The tourism labor crunch, worsened by pandemic-era departures from the industry, hits rural areas hardest. Lower wages make recruitment even more difficult outside major cities, pushing businesses to explore foreign worker recruitment, automated check-in systems, and multi-tasking service models. Some regions also lack sufficient accommodation capacity, spurring interest in renovated traditional houses (kominka) and farm-stay programs.
Digital payment and connectivity
Cashless payment and Wi-Fi connectivity, now standard in urban Japan, remain inconsistent in rural areas. Government subsidies for point-of-sale upgrades and wireless infrastructure exist, but complex application procedures deter many small businesses from participating.
Confronting Overtourism—Even in the Countryside
Regional dispersal is itself an antidote to urban overtourism, but popular rural destinations are encountering their own growing pains.
In Biei, Hokkaido—a town with stunning pastoral landscapes—roughly 2.4 million annual visitors (200 times the local population) created severe problems with trespassing on private farmland and illegal roadside parking. In 2025, authorities made the painful decision to cut down 40 birch trees that had become an Instagram-famous photo spot, sacrificing a tourism asset to protect local farmers.
Miyajima Island introduced a "visitor tax" in 2023, using the revenue for environmental conservation and tourist infrastructure. Kyoto is debating higher accommodation taxes, and the trend of asking visitors to pay their fair share is spreading nationwide.
The national government has committed serious resources to the issue. The FY2024 supplementary budget allocated ¥15.8 billion for overtourism countermeasures, and the FY2026 Japan Tourism Agency budget was set at a record ¥138.3 billion—2.4 times the previous year. The international departure tax will also be raised from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000, with revenue earmarked for sustainable tourism initiatives.
The government's strategy rests on three pillars: managing tourist concentration and misconduct, promoting regional dispersal, and building tourism plans in collaboration with local residents.
From "Volume" to "Value": The High-Quality Tourism Pivot
An important shift is underway in how tourists spend their money. The focus is moving from shopping toward accommodation, dining, and experiences. While per-person spending has plateaued, travelers from high-spending markets present enormous opportunities—German visitors averaged over ¥390,000 per trip, and the US market remains robust.
Across Japan, 14 model tourism destinations are developing premium experiential content: guided exclusive tours, luxury accommodations, farm and fishing experiences, sake brewery visits, and traditional craft workshops. These "only here" experiences command higher spending and create deeper connections with local culture.
JTB's 2026 forecast projects a slight decline in total visitor numbers to 41.4 million, but anticipates an accelerating shift of high-spending travelers toward regional destinations. The future of Japan's tourism lies not in chasing larger numbers, but in elevating the quality of each visitor's experience—a "qualitative growth" strategy that may prove more sustainable for communities still finding their footing in the tourism economy.
What About Your Country's Regional Tourism?
In Japan, the flow of international tourists is gradually expanding from mega-cities to quiet onsen towns, rice paddies, and fishing villages. This brings economic vitality to struggling communities, but also friction with residents, labor shortages, and fragile transportation links.
How does this compare in your country? Do tourists flock mainly to major cities, or do they venture into rural and regional areas too? What unique attractions does your countryside offer, and what challenges does it face? We'd love to hear about the regional tourism landscape where you live.
References
- https://yamatogokoro.jp/inbound_data/59128/
- https://yamatogokoro.jp/inbound_data/59295/
- https://yamatogokoro.jp/inbound_data/59160/
- https://yamatogokoro.jp/inbound_data/57394/
- https://www.travelvoice.jp/20250109-156983
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/seisaku_seido/kihonkeikaku/jizoku_kankochi/jizokukano_taisei/overtourism.html
- https://yamatogokoro.jp/column/kaisetsu/56493/
Reactions in Japan
Never expected so many foreigners to visit my hometown of Tottori. I sat next to a French couple on the bus to the sand dunes, helped them with directions in English, and they were so happy. Made my day.
42.68 million is basically a third of Japan's population. Honestly worried we're beyond capacity. They say 'disperse to regions,' but those regions don't have the infrastructure to begin with.
I work at a hot spring inn and dealing with foreign guests has gotten really hectic. But when they tell me with sparkling eyes that 'Japanese onsen are the best in the world,' it makes it all worth it.
A friend's guesthouse in Niigata was nearly bankrupt from COVID but recovered thanks to inbound tourists. Apparently lots of foreigners want to stay in old traditional houses. Good that depopulating areas have potential.
The birch tree cutting in Biei is truly unforgivable. Trespassing on farmland for Instagram shots? Grateful for visitors coming to rural areas, but please follow basic manners.
Rural buses only run 3 times a day—how are foreign tourists supposed to use them? Some routes don't even show up on Google Maps. Fix that first.
They say the weak yen makes Japan travel a bargain, but that means Japanese people can't even afford domestic trips anymore. Hotel prices have become 'inbound prices' and it's painful.
When we made foreign language menus for our local shopping street, an elderly shop owner laughed and said 'Can't read it myself, but customers increased so it's fine.' These small changes are interesting.
The departure tax hike to ¥3,000 applies to Japanese travelers going abroad too, right? They say it's for inbound infrastructure, but taxing Japanese people for that feels off.
Was shocked how many foreigners were at Zao Onsen Ski Resort in Yamagata. Hearing English and Chinese in the lift line made me wonder where I was. But honestly, it's better to have this energy than empty slopes.
JTA budget of ¥138.3 billion sounds good, but who knows what fraction actually reaches local communities. Subsidy applications are so complex that small inns can't even attempt them.
I heard that since a Mie inn started serving foreign guests, staff motivation has gone up. Many guests bow politely and say 'arigatou,' which makes staff happy. Cultural exchange really goes both ways.
Seeing foreigners taking photos saying 'beautiful' in a village that was nearly disappearing from depopulation gives mixed feelings. Happy, but we actually live here and it's really inconvenient.
¥9.5 trillion in spending is impressive, but isn't it concentrated in major hotel chains and duty-free shops? Without a system to funnel money to local restaurants and souvenir shops, it's meaningless.
Held an oyster shucking experience in Miyagi and foreign tourists loved it. They said doing it themselves and eating fresh was an 'amazing experience.' Realized that our everyday life can be a treasure to others.
Let's be real—58% of foreign stays are still in Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto. 30% in rural areas means 70% stays in three metro areas. The structure hasn't really changed.
Traveled through Tohoku last autumn and the fall colors in Yamagata were far more peaceful and moving than Kyoto. The problem? Trains are incredibly infrequent. Waiting 2 hours was rough. But I'd go back in a heartbeat.
The direct flights to Tottori made things so much easier. Used to take hours by bus from Osaka, but now I can fly direct from Incheon. The sand dunes and GeGeGe no Kitaro Road are super popular in Korea.
Hakuba's powder snow is world-class, but I was surprised some village restaurants don't accept cards. Cash-only shops in 2025 is something that needs to change.
Saw a Xiaohongshu post about Mie's ama diving culture and immediately planned a trip. Experiential tourism is 100x more interesting than regular sightseeing. But the near-total lack of Chinese signage was frustrating.
Honestly, rural Japan is tough for foreigners. Language barriers, limited transport, many situations where even Google Translate fails. But the fact that it's still worth visiting speaks to Japan's fundamental appeal.
We saw the Biei birch tree news even in France. Tourists need to reflect. We have the same problem with lavender fields in Provence—France introduced fines. Maybe Japan should consider the same?
Happy to see Indian visitors to Japan up 35%. But vegetarian options at rural restaurants are almost nonexistent. I occasionally see halal options, but vegetarian seems to be a blind spot.
Proud that Aussies broke the 1 million mark. Niseko is great but prices are approaching Sydney levels. Want to explore Tohoku ski resorts next—heard they're cheaper with great powder.
Barcelona in Spain is also dealing with overtourism protests from residents. Japan's Miyajima visitor tax approach is smart. Spain should take notes.
As a Taiwanese repeat visitor who's been to Japan 10+ times, I've been going to Shikoku and Kyushu exclusively lately. Takamatsu udon, Beppu's hell tour, Aso's caldera... the real Japan is in the regions.
German visitors spending ¥390k probably reflects the long-stay travelers. Many people I know spend 2 weeks traversing Japan. The segment that stays longer in regions and spends on experiences will only grow.
56% increase from the Middle East is surprising. If halal-friendly accommodations increase, this could grow even more. Having Muslim-friendly facilities in rural areas would give us confidence to visit.
American here—what's amazing is that with ¥9.5T in tourism revenue, Japan's service quality hasn't declined. In the US, prices would skyrocket immediately. Huge respect for the integrity of people in rural areas.
My Indonesian friend stayed at a minpaku in rural Japan, and the elderly host taught her cooking using a translation app with such dedication. Made me think the warmest infrastructure isn't technology—it's people.
Didn't know Russian visitors nearly doubled. Would love to travel rural Japan, but visa issues remain complex. Still, Japan is one of the few countries where the hassle feels worth it.