Japan tourism hits record despite China spat, Iran war

Japan tourism hits record despite China spat, Iran war

The number of international visitors in March was 3.6 million, up 3.5 percent year-on-year, a new record for the month.

Foreign tourists take selfies in Tokyo’s Asakusa district on April 15, 2026. A record number of tourists visited Japan in March, the official tourism board said on April 15, despite a sharp drop in Chinese visitors after the relationship between Beijing and Tokyo have soured.
Foreign tourists in traditional Japanese attire take selfies in Tokyo’s Asakusa district. (AFP pic)
TOKYO:
Foreign tourists coming to Japan hit a new record in March despite another huge drop in Chinese visitors as well as a fall in those from the Middle East, official data showed Wednesday.

The number of international visitors was 3.6 million, up 3.5 percent year-on-year, a new record for the month, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Chinese visitors dropped 56 percent to 291,600 — Beijing warned people from visiting last year — while those from the Middle East fell 30 percent to 16,700 because of the Iran war.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.