Japan sees record surge in tourist arrivals after pandemic

In the first half of 2024, Japan saw a remarkable increase in foreign visitors, reaching a new record of 1.78 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by one million, the national tourism body said on Friday.

The weakened yen has contributed to this surge, attracting tourists to indulge in a wide range of Japanese experiences, from traditional kimonos to high-quality knives and fine cuisine, fueling concerns about overtourism in popular destinations such as Kyoto and Mount Fuji.

Additionally, South Korea led the pack with 4.4 million visitors, followed by China with around three million, a significant fivefold increase from the previous year. AFP mentionted.

Visitors from Taiwan and the United States rank third and fourth respectively in terms of the number of visitors.

During the whole of 2023, 25 million visitors came to Japan, after strict pandemic-era border restrictions were lifted.

The country has set an ambitious target of attracting 60 million tourists a year by 2030 — about double 2019’s full-year record of 31.88 million.

Last month, Ichiro Takahashi, head of Japan’s National Tourism Organization, called the target “a number we can largely achieve by making the right efforts.”

“There are still many little-known places in Japan that remain unexplored by tourists from abroad – I believe that Japan has infinite tourism resources,” he told reporters.

However, some residents are fed up with the unruly behavior and breaches of etiquette by the tourist crowds.

In a town near Mount Fuji in May, authorities erected a large barrier at a popular viewing spot next to a grocery store in an attempt to prevent photos being taken.

The mayor of Himeji, a city in western Japan famous for the world heritage site Himeji Castle, said authorities are considering charging foreign tourists four times as much as locals.

New crowd control measures have been put in place on Mount Fuji’s most popular hiking trail.