TOKYO - Spending by foreign visitors to Japan reached ¥5.8 trillion yen ($39 billion) in the first nine months of 2024, surpassing the full-year record of 5.3 trillion yen set in 2023, the Japan Tourism Agency said on Wednesday.
The figures reflect a 54.7% year-on-year jump in the number of foreign tourists to the country, reaching 26.9 million as of Sept 30, according to separate data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
Japan has seen a tourism boom, driven by the yen’s depreciation, which boosts the purchasing power of visitors from abroad, while the country’s anime, manga and other subcultures continue to be a major draw for them.
In the July-September quarter, foreign visitor spending on accommodation, shopping and other travel-related expenses totalled ¥1.9 trillion, according to the agency.
In September alone, the number of foreign tourists surged 31.5% from a year earlier to 2.9 million.
By country and region, South Korea topped the list with 656,700 visitors, up 15%, as the number of chartered flights increased.
A total of 652,300 people visited Japan from China in September, more than double the number in the same month last year, as more local flights between the two countries became available, the JNTO said.
Taiwan was third with 470,600 visitors, up 22.2%, followed by the United States with 191,900, up 22.5%, according to JNTO data.
