Japan Sees Record-Breaking Tourism Boom: 3.78 Million Visitors in January 2025, Driven by Chinese New Year and Winter Sports

Japan's tourism sector is experiencing an unprecedented boom, with a record-breaking 3.78 million international visitors flocking to the country in January 2025. This marks a staggering 40.6% increase compared to the same period last year and sets a new monthly record, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JITO) on February 19th.China led the surge in tourism, with 983,300 visitors, doubling the figures from January 2024. This significant increase is attributed to the coinciding Lunar New Year holiday and the increased number of flights from China to Japanese airports like Naha and Fukuoka.Following closely behind China, South Korea contributed 967,100 visitors, a 12.7% increase. Taiwan ranked third with a 20.5% increase, reaching 593,400 visitors. Notably, the number of tourists from the United States and Australia also saw substantial growth, increasing by 38.4% (182,500 visitors) and 35.3% (140,200 visitors) respectively, driven by the allure of winter sports in Japan.The record-breaking January figures surpass the previous high of 3.48 million visitors in December 2024, fueling optimism that Japan is on track to achieve its goal of attracting 40 million visitors per month this year. JITO had previously estimated that Japan welcomed over 36.8 million international tourists last year, exceeding the pre-pandemic record of nearly 32 million in 2019.