Editing Tourism in Japan

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}
[[File:Kiyomizu.jpg|thumb|[[Kiyomizu-dera]], the most crowded temple in [[Kyoto]]]]
[[File:JP-Nikko-Tosho-Gu-Yomeimon.jpg|thumb|Crowds of tourists at [[Nikkō Tōshō-gū]]]]

'''Tourism in Japan''' is a major industry and contributor to the [[Economy of Japan|Japanese economy]]. In 2019, the sector directly contributed 11 trillion yen (US$100 billion), or 2% of the GDP, and attracted 31.88 million international tourists.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?end=2022&locations=JP&most_recent_value_desc=true&start= | title=International tourism, number of arrivals - Japan &#124; Data }}</ref><ref>[https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tourism White Paper 2019 |url=https://www.mlit.go.jp/statistics/file000008.html |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=www.mlit.go.jp}}</ref> In 2024, 36.9 million international tourists visited Japan.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?end=2022&locations=JP&most_recent_value_desc=true&start= | title=International tourism, number of arrivals - Japan &#124; Data }}</ref><ref>[https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tourism White Paper 2019 |url=https://www.mlit.go.jp/statistics/file000008.html |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=www.mlit.go.jp}}</ref>

There are [[List of World Heritage Sites in Japan|26 World Heritage Sites in Japan]], including [[Himeji Castle]], [[Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)|Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto]] and [[Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara|Nara]]. Popular attractions for foreigners include [[Tourism in Tokyo|Tokyo]] and [[Osaka]], [[Mount Fuji]], [[Kyoto]], [[Hiroshima]], [[Nagasaki]], ski resorts such as [[Niseko]] in [[Hokkaido]], [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], riding the [[Shinkansen]] and taking advantage of Japan's [[Ryokan (Japanese inn)|hotel]] and [[onsen|hotspring]] network.

The ''2024'' ''[[Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report]]'' ranked Japan 3rd out of 141 countries overall, which was the highest in Asia. Japan gained relatively high scores in almost all of the featured aspects, such as health and hygiene, safety and security, cultural resources and business travel.<ref>{{cite web |date=21 May 2024 |title=Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TTCR_2017_web_0401.pdf |publisher=World Economic Forum}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Throngs of people walking towards Himeji Castle, Himeji, 2016.jpg|thumb|Throngs of tourists on their way to [[Himeji Castle]] in [[Himeji]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])]]

=== From the middle ages to early modern period ===
In medieval Japan, travel became increasingly common with cultural and [[Kuge|aristocratic]] figures from Kyoto, and they initiated the genre of travel literature in Japan. Notable examples of travel literature from this period include the ''[[Tosa Nikki]]'' (935), part of the ''[[Sarashina Nikki]]'' (12th century), and the volume 4 of the ''Tohazugatari'' (1313).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Inada |first=Toshinori |date=June 1994 |title=中世紀行文学の旅の諸相とその意味 |url=https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/en/books/R000000004-I3588931 |journal=中世文学の旅<シンポジウム> |issue=39 |pages=14–24}}</ref> By the late medieval period, supported by a network of inns offering fixed-rate lodging and meals, travel was widespread. [[Onsen|Hot springs]] such as [[Kusatsu, Gunma|Kusatsu]], [[Arima Onsen|Arima]], and [[Geto Onsen|Gero]] gained fame, attracting notable figures such as warriors and monks. Tourist souvenirs including ladles and toothpicks were popular among visitors. [[Sengen shrine|Pilgrimages to Mount Fuji]] also flourished.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Amano |first=Tadayuki |title=摂津・河内・和泉の戦国史 : 管領家の分裂と天下人の誕生 |date=June 2024 |publisher=法律文化社 |isbn=978-4-589-04326-9 |pages=150 |language=ja}}</ref>
[[File:Hiroshige26 nissaka.jpg|left|thumb|Travelling was popularised through travel literature and ukiyo-e]]
During the [[Edo period]], despite restrictions on travelling through checkpoints, guidebooks facilitated the popularisation of travel. Commoners with permits could undertake leisure trips, often disguised as pilgrimages. Inns, teahouses, and local products thrived, and travel information spread via diaries and ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' prints. Pilgrimages such as the [[Ise Shrine|Ise Grand Shrine]]’s ''Okage Mairi'' became major social phenomena, marking the beginnings of a modern tourism industry. However, foreign travel was extremely rare due to Japan's isolation policy. [[Matsuo Bashō]]'s 1689 trip to the then "far north" of Japan, which inspired his famous haibun work ''[[Oku no Hosomichi]]'', occurred not long after [[Hayashi Razan]] categorized the [[Three Views of Japan]] in 1643. During this time, Japan was a [[Sakoku|closed country]] to [[Gaijin|foreigners]], so no foreign tourism existed in Japan.

=== Meiji era and international tourism ===
[[File:1930s Japan Travel Poster - Fuji.jpg|left|thumb|A 1930s travel advertisement by the [[Ministry of Railways (Japan)|Japanese Government Railways]]]]Japan opened its borders in the late Edo period, but due to its location in the Far East and the limited transport options, there were not many foreign visitors. Foreigners eventually gained the freedom to travel within Japan, and efforts to actively attract international tourists began on the Japanese side. In 1912, the [[JTB Corporation|Japan Travel Bureau]] (JTB) was established. Another major milestone in the development of the tourism industry in Japan was the 1907 passage of the Hotel Development Law, as a result of which the Railways Ministry began to construct publicly owned hotels throughout Japan.<ref>{{cite book |last=Leheny |first=David Richard |url=https://archive.org/details/rulesofplaynatio00lehe/page/59 |title=The Rules of Play: National Identity and the Shaping of Japanese Leisure |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=2003 |isbn=0-8014-4091-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rulesofplaynatio00lehe/page/59 59] |url-access=registration}}</ref> During the interwar period, overseas travel to distant places such as Europe and the Americas was primarily limited to businesspeople, immigrants, and students, with leisure travel being mostly reserved for the wealthy.

In terms of domestic tourism, the dismantling of the [[Edo society|feudal system]], the development of transport networks such as railways and steamships, and the spread of information made domestic travel easier. Tourism-oriented travel became increasingly popular, and regions across Japan began developing themselves for sightseeing and leisure purposes. Long-distance domestic travel became accessible. 

=== Postwar period ===
During the postwar Allied occupation period, most foreign tourists in Japan were GHQ personnel or visitors from the United States. In 1954, Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic, contributed an article titled ''The Case for a Tourism-Oriented Nation'' to the ''Bungei Shunju''. Matsushita argued that tourism could be considered a form of trade, and he pointed out that while exporting goods involves depleting Japan's resources, scenic attractions such as Mount Fuji and the Seto Inland Sea remain unchanged no matter how often they are viewed. He proposed that revenue earned through inbound tourism could be reinvested in other industries, and help rebuild the country's economy beyond its pre-war stature.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Antoku |first=Masanori |date=1 April 2020 |title=松下幸之助「観光立国の辨」～わが国インバウンド観光論の先駆け～ |url=https://niu.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/1544 |journal=紀要論文}}</ref>
[[File:JAL B747-400(JA8916) (4184195679).jpg|thumb|The Visit Japan campaign, launched by the [[Junichiro Koizumi#Prime minister|Koizumi administration]] in 2003 with the catchphrase '''Yokoso! Japan!''<nowiki/>', was the country's first government-backed initiative to promote inbound tourism.]]
For much of post-war period, Japan has been an exceptionally unattractive tourist destination for its population and GDP size. According to the [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], [[World Trade Organization|WTO]], and [[OECD]], from 1995 to 2014, it was by far the least visited country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?end=2014&locations=US-JP-DE-GB-FR-IT-CA&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=1995|title=International tourism, number of arrivals - United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref> As of 2013, Japan was one of the least visited countries in the [[OECD]] on a per capita basis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-countries-where-youre-surrounded-by-tourists/|title=The Countries Where You're Surrounded By Tourists|last=Silver|first=Nate|date=2014-08-18|website=FiveThirtyEight|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref> Japan avoided campaigns to attract inbound tourists, especially because its large current account surplus had caused international friction with some countries. There were also factors such as Japan being the world's most expensive countries at the time (for example, Tokyo was rated by the [[Economist Intelligence Unit]] as the most expensive city in the world for 14 years in a row ending in 2006), as well as the language barrier.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-26 |title=日本人は｢失われた30年｣の本質をわかってない |url=https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/325346?page=4 |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=東洋経済オンライン |language=ja}}</ref>

==== Active promotion of inbound tourism (21st century) ====
From 2013, under the [[Shinzo Abe#Second term as prime minister (2012–2014)|Abe administration]], policies to attract international tourists were implemented to offset the shrinking domestic demand caused by population decline and ageing. As a result, by 2014, for the first time in 55 years, income from foreign tourists exceeded the amount spent by Japanese tourists abroad, which means Japan finally ran a tourism surplus. Within six years, the number of international visitors has more than tripled, reaching 31.9 million visitors in 2019.<ref name="Jan2024PR">{{cite web | title=2023 Visitor Arrivals & Japanese Overseas Travelers(Compared to 2019) |website=Japan National Tourism Organization |date=17 January 2024| url=https://www.jnto.go.jp/news/20240117_monthly.pdf | access-date=19 January 2024}}</ref> Japan received a record 36.87 million tourist arrivals in 2024, an increase of over 47% from the year prior.

== Current status ==
Domestic tourism remains a vital part of [[Economy of Japan|Japanese economy]] and [[culture of Japan|Japanese culture]]. Across the nation, Japanese children in many middle schools see the highlight of their years as a visit to [[Tokyo Tower]], [[Yomiuriland]], [[Tokyo Disneyland]], [[Sensō-ji]], and/or [[Tokyo Skytree]], and many high school students often visit [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] or [[Hokkaido]]. The extensive rail network together with domestic flights sometimes in planes with modifications to favor the relatively short distances involved in intra-Japan travel allows efficient and speedy transport. [[International tourism]] plays a smaller role in the Japanese economy compared to other developed countries; in 2013, international tourist receipts was 0.3% of Japan's GDP, while the corresponding figure was 1.3% for the United States and 2.3% for France. In 2019, the value was up to 1.0% of GDP, driven by an increase in international tourism, while the country's GDP has remained stable.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.RCPT.CD?end=2019&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=1995|title=International tourism, receipts (current US$) {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?end=2019&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=1960|title=GDP (current US$) {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref>

Tourists from South Korea have made up the largest number of inbound tourists several times in the past. In 2010, their 2.4&nbsp;million arrivals made up 27% of the tourists visiting Japan.<ref name=Dickie>{{cite news|last=Dickie|first=Mure|title=Tourists flock to Japan despite China spat|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6a76579a-2945-11e0-ab2f-00144feab49a.html|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210221236/https://www.ft.com/content/6a76579a-2945-11e0-ab2f-00144feab49a|archive-date=December 10, 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|access-date=March 16, 2012|newspaper=Financial Times|date=January 26, 2011}}</ref> Travelers from China have been the highest spenders in Japan by country, spending an estimated 196.4&nbsp;billion yen (US$2.4&nbsp;billion) in 2011, or almost a quarter of total expenditure by foreign visitors, according to data from the Japan Tourism Agency.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tokyu Group in steadfast pursuit of Chinese tourists|url=http://www.ttgmice.com/article/tokyu-group-in-steadfast-pursuit-of-chinese-tourists/|publisher=TTGmice|access-date=April 18, 2013}}</ref> From 2016 to 2020, Japanese government hoped to receive 40 million foreign tourists every year by 2020.<ref name="10year">{{cite web | url=http://www.ibtimes.sg/japan-offer-10-year-multi-entry-visas-chinese-part-tourism-push-1462 | title=Japan to offer 10-year multi-entry visas for Chinese as part of tourism push | work=[[International Business Times]] | date=May 17, 2016 | access-date=May 17, 2016 | author=Bhattacharjya, Samhati}}</ref> According to the [[Japan National Tourism Organization]] in 2017, 3 out of 4 foreign tourists came from other parts of East Asia, namely South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/02/06/national/japan-tourism-agency-aims-draw-western-tourists-amid-boom-asian-visitors/ |title=Japan Tourism Agency aims to draw more Western tourists amid boom in Asian visitors |date=February 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107231243/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/02/06/national/japan-tourism-agency-aims-draw-western-tourists-amid-boom-asian-visitors/ |archive-date=January 7, 2019|publisher=[[Japan National Tourism Organization]]}}</ref> [[Cinema of Japan|Japanese film]], [[Television in Japan|TV]], [[Video games in Japan|video game]], and [[manga]]/[[anime]] industries play a role in driving tourism to Japan. In surveys held by [[Statista]] between 2019 and 2020, 24.2% of tourists from the [[United States]], said they were motivated to visit Japan because of [[Japanese popular culture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/topics/7495/anime-industry-in-japan/#dossierKeyfigures|title=Anime industry in Japan - statistics and facts|website=Statista|date=26 February 2021}}</ref>

=== Overtourism ===
Following the easing of COVID-19-era travel restrictions, 2024 is on track to be a record-breaking year for the number of overseas tourists.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-05-15 |title=Japan visitors exceed 3 million for second straight month, tourism agency says |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/05/15/japan/foreign-tourists-3-million-second-month/ |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=The Japan Times |language=en}}</ref> This tourism boom can be attributed in part to the weakening [[Japanese yen]].<ref name=":0" /> The unprecedented number of foreign tourists has led to claims that some parts of Japan are suffering from [[overtourism]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Inoue |first=Yukana |date=2024-06-30 |title=Mount Fuji begins charging entrance fees as overtourism prevention measure |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/06/30/japan/society/mount-fuji-entrance-fee/ |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=The Japan Times |language=en}}</ref>

In response to this surge, officials in some parts of Japan have introduced measures to counter its negative effects. For example, [[Yamanashi Prefecture]] has set a cap of daily climbers of [[Mount Fuji]] at 4,000 people and began charging an entrance fee of ¥2,000.<ref name=":1" /> Also in Yamanashi Prefecture, a mesh barrier was set up to block a view of Mount Fuji behind a [[Lawson (store)|Lawson]] convenience store in [[Fujikawaguchiko]] due to tourist-caused disturbances in the area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gardin |first=Caroline |date=2024-05-21 |title=Weary of overtourism, Japan town blocks one popular view of Mount Fuji |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/05/21/japan/society/mount-fuji-overtourism/ |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=The Japan Times |language=en}}</ref>

As of 2024, some Japanese officials have considered instituting a two-tiered pricing system which would have foreign tourists pay more than residents at certain tourist attractions in order to counter the effects of overtourism.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-06-19 |title=Japan’s Flood of Tourists Prompts Call to Charge Foreigners More |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-19/japan-s-flood-of-tourists-prompts-call-to-charge-foreigners-more |access-date=2024-07-11 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=In Japan, higher prices for foreign visitors come with caveats |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Comment/In-Japan-higher-prices-for-foreign-visitors-come-with-caveats |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=Nikkei Asia |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Tourism statistics ==
[[File:Foreign tourist visited Japan.svg|upright=2|thumbnail|Foreign tourists to [[Japan]]]]
These are the top 35 nationalities that visited Japan from 2017 to 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jnto.go.jp/jpn/news/data_info_listing/pdf/160420_monthly.pdf|title=2017年推計値 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508231752/http://www.jnto.go.jp/jpn/news/data_info_listing/pdf/160420_monthly.pdf |archive-date=2016-05-08 |publisher=[[Japan National Tourism Organization]]}}</ref><ref>[https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance]</ref>

{| Class= "wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" |Country/Territory
! colspan="8" |Total
|-
!1/2025
!2024
!2023
! 2022
!2021
! 2020
! 2019
! 2018
|-
| {{flagcountry|China}}
|980,520
|6,981,342
|2,425,157
|189,125
|42,239
|1,069,256
|9,594,394|| 8,380,034 
|-
| {{flagcountry|South Korea}}
|967,100
|8,817,765
|6,958,494
|1,012,751
|18,947
|694,476
|5,584,597|| 7,538,952 
|-
|{{flagcountry|Taiwan}}
|593,431
|6,044,316
|4,202,434
|331,097
|5,016
|487,939
|4,890,602|| 4,757,258 
|-
| {{flagcountry|Hong Kong}}
|243,687
|2,683,391
|2,114,402
|269,285
|1,252
|346,020
|2,290,792|| 2,207,804 
|-
| {{flagcountry|United States}}
|182,556
|2,724,594
|2,045,854
|323,513
|20,026
|219,307
|2,187,557|| 1,939,719 
|-
| {{flagcountry|Australia}}
|140,185
|920,196
|613,062
|88,648
|3,265
|143,508
|621,771|| 552,440 
|-
| {{flagcountry|Thailand}}
|96,811
|1,148,848
|995,558
|198,037
|2,758
|219,830
|1,318,977|| 1,132,160 
|-
| {{flagcountry|Malaysia}}
|75,003
|506,883
|415,712
|74,095
|1,831
|76,573
|501,592|| 468,360 
|-
| {{flagcountry|Philippines}}
|72,185
|818,659
|622,293
|126,842
|5,625
|109,110
|613,114|| 503,976 
|-
| {{flagcountry|Indonesia}}
|63,230
|517,651
|429,382
|119,723
|5,209
|77,724
|412,779|| 396,852 
|-
| {{flagcountry|Vietnam}}
|50,415
|621,173
|573,916
|284,113
|26,586
|152,559
|495,051|| 389,004 
|-
| {{flagcountry|Singapore}}
|45,707
|691,226
|591,267
|131,969
|857
|55,273
|492,252|| 437,280 
|-
|{{Flagcountry|Canada}}
|42,301
|579,445
|425,874
|55,877
|3,536
|53,365
|375,262
|330,600
|-
|{{Flagcountry|United Kingdom}}
|26,378
|437,230
|321,482
|57,496
|7,294
|51,024
|424,279
|333,979
|-
|{{Flagcountry|France}}
|16,515
|385,071
|277,436
|52,782
|7,024
|43,102
|336,333
|304,896
|-
|{{Flagcountry|India}}
|16,189
|233,061
|166,394
|54,314
|8,831
|26,931
|175,896
|154,029
|-
|{{Flag|New Zealand}}
|13,255
|115,012
|78,978
|12,107
|1,404
|16,070
|94,115
|73,208
|-
|{{Flagcountry|Germany}}
|12,737
|325,870
|233,410
|45,748
|5,197
|29,785
|236,544
|215,336
|-
|{{Flag|Macau}}
|9,548
|123,779
|74,252
|1,359
|54
|12,234
|121,197
|108,694
|-
|{{Flag|Mexico}}
|9,332
|151,835
|94,684
|9,152
|1,124
|9,528
|71,745
|68,448
|-
|{{Flagcountry|Italy}}
|8,792
|229,785
|152,305
|23,683
|3,527
|13,691
|162,769
|150,060
|-
|{{Flag|Brazil}}
|7,877
|85,609
|50,570
|9,436
|2,731
|6,888
|47,575
|44,201
|-
|{{Flag|Nepal}}
|7,669
|111,568
|83,302
|75,200
|11,648
|17,191
|51,577
|44,297
|-
|{{Flagcountry|Spain}}
|7,401
|182,284
|115,873
|15,926
|3,053
|11,741
|130,243
|118,901
|-
|{{Flag|Mongolia}}
|6,352
|53,049
|39,916
|19,267
|1,685
|7,118
|31,513
|27,647
|-
|{{Flag|Myanmar}}
|6,123
|70,597
|45,815
|22,763
|1,531
|10,884
|30,977
|24,418
|-
|{{Flag|Turkey}}
|6,074
|62,099
|31,198
|7,129
|1,161
|2,886
|22,724
|19,762
|-
|{{Flag|Russia}}
|4,931
|99,264
|41,965
|10,324
|3,723
|22,260
|120,043
|94,810
|-
|{{Flag|Netherlands}}
|4,466
|102,981
|74,486
|12,064
|1,860
|8,481
|79,479
|72,069
|-
|{{Flag|Sri Lanka}}
|4,379
|49,015
|36,742
|21,536
|3,127
|8,918
|28,380
|27,789
|-
|{{Flag|Sweden}}
|3,474
|52,099
|39,245
|7,900
|1,112
|7,622
|53,836
|53,822
|-
|{{Flag|Switzerland}}
|3,328
|72,193
|53,395
|8,917
|1,387
|6,036
|53,908
|52,099
|-
|{{Flag|Pakistan}}
|2,674
|23,710
|21,132
|11,423
|4,284
|6,145
|17,208
|15,802
|-
|{{Flag|Argentina}}
|2,611
|19,809
|13,177
|2,198
|798
|4,220
|23,805
|23,692
|-
|{{Flag|Israel}}
|2,591
|59,499
|45,143
|7,673
|619
|2,315
|44,214
|39,193
|-
|{{Flag|Bangladesh}}
|2,577
|23,896
|19,559
|11,981
|1,789
|4,444
|15,174
|13,971
|-
|{{Flag|Cambodia}}
|2,552
|27,314
|27,067
|13,618
|784
|7,420
|28,492
|21,696
|-
|{{Flag|Portugal}}
|2,387
|42,300
|27,812
|3,176
|728
|3,179
|32,349
|26,506
|-
|{{Flag|Poland}}
|2,380
|63,828
|40,634
|5,745
|1,350
|3,996
|38,534
|34,706
|-
|{{Flag|Ireland}}
|2,162
|32,995
|22,985
|4,458
|820
|3,270
|39,387
|20,319
|-
|{{Flag|Denmark}}
|2,076
|40,950
|30,780
|5,403
|794
|4,780
|32,893
|29,163
|-
|{{Flag|Belgium}}
|2,012
|47,063
|34,352
|6,611
|1,122
|4,074
|39,245
|34,387
|-
|{{Flag|Finland}}
|1,875
|28,780
|21,404
|4,608
|736
|4,859
|29,437
|27,116
|-
|{{Flag|Norway}}
|1,759
|28,901
|21,541
|3,736
|557
|3,620
|24,838
|22,569
|-
|{{Flag|Chile}}
|1,666
|18,460
|13,808
|1,902
|276
|3,381
|13,370
|14,089
|-
|{{Flag|Austria}}
|1,632
|36,820
|26,360
|5,025
|888
|3,605
|27,530
|24,187
|-
|{{Flag|Laos}}
|1,040
|7,429
|6,359
|1,804
|150
|1,169
|6,154
|5,987
|-
|{{Flag|United Arab Emirates}}
|964
|14,512
|10,270
|2,705
|203
|770
|8,891
|7,782
|-
|{{Flag|South Africa}}
|899
|12,541
|9,357
|2,561
|838
|1,623
|19,543
|9,793
|-
|{{Flag|Saudi Arabia}}
|885
|17,443
|12,380
|2,403
|1,039
|11,152
|7,403
|7,554
|-
|{{Flag|Czech Republic}}
|848
|19,924
|13,958
|2,487
|753
|1,679
|14,356
|12,255
|-
|{{Flag|Uzbekistan}}
|789
|9,068
|8,075
|5157
|1,567
|1,290
|5,243
|5,530
|-
|{{Flag|Greece}}
|728
|14,885
|9,969
|1,869
|744
|1,091
|9,494
|7,968
|-
|{{Flag|Brunei}}
|720
|7,335
|6,292
|1,159
|23
|742
|4,866
|3,626
|-
|{{Flag|Romania}}
|710
|22,765
|15,316
|2,376
|552
|1,409
|14,837
|12,250
|-
|{{Flag|Hungary}}
|676
|15,827
|11,316
|2,511
|1,034
|1,302
|12,696
|10,440
|-
|{{Flag|Colombia}}
|645
|15,602
|9,598
|1,495
|476
|1,098
|11,745
|9,966
|-
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|640
|9,412
|6,749
|3,795
|1,070
|1,466
|10,176
|8,458
|-
|{{Flag|Egypt}}
|563
|7,080
|4,816
|2,223
|1,187
|1,294
|6,345
|4,942
|-
|{{Flag|Lithuania}}
|504
|9,377
|6,226
|1,286
|272
|672
|5,260
|4,498
|-
|{{Flag|Kazakhstan}}
|466
|10,375
|8,571
|1,511
|601
|890
|5,431
|4,391
|-
|{{Flag|Peru}}
|448
|6,582
|5,195
|1,196
|254
|1,191
|6,022
|5,048
|-
|{{Flag|Bulgaria}}
|359
|9,480
|6,360
|1,024
|338
|627
|6,324
|5,106
|-
|{{Flag|Croatia}}
|292
|6,078
|4,067
|634
|414
|470
|4,099
|3,407
|-
|{{Flag|Iran}}
|289
|9,387
|7,145
|2,152
|746
|720
|5,252
|5,161
|-
|{{Flag|Slovenia}}
|247
|6,038
|3,779
|676
|308
|493
|3,347
|3,187
|-
!Total (all countries)
!3,781,629
!36,870,148
!25,066,350
!3,832,110
!245,862
!4,115,828
!31,882,049|| 31,191,856 
|}

== Major tourist destinations ==
{{Expand Japanese|日本の観光地|date=October 2013}}
[[File:140829 Ichiko of Shiretoko Goko Lakes Hokkaido Japan01s5.jpg|thumb|Goko Five Lakes in [[Shiretoko Peninsula|Shiretoko]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])]]
[[File:Sirakami santi.JPG|thumb|[[Shirakami-Sanchi]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])]]
[[File:Skyscrapers of Shinjuku 2009 January.jpg|thumb|[[Shinjuku]] in Tokyo, and [[Mount Fuji]]]]
[[File:Ogi Shirakawa-gō, Gifu, Japan.jpg|thumb|[[Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama|Shirakawa-gō]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])]]
[[File:Dakesawa.jpg|thumb|[[Japanese Alps]] from [[Kamikōchi]]]]
[[File:Daibutsu of Todaiji 2.jpg|thumb|[[Tōdai-ji]] Daibutsu in [[Nara, Nara|Nara]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])]]
[[File:180504 Shimizudani Refinery Ruins of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Oda Shimane pref Japan03s.jpg|thumb|[[Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])]]
[[File:Zentsu-ji in Zentsu-ji City Kagawa pref16s5s4020.jpg|thumb|[[Shikoku Pilgrimage]] ([[Zentsū-ji]])]]
[[File:Small tenshu & Uto turret & Large tenshu in Kumamoto-Csl.jpg|thumb|[[Kumamoto Castle]], [[Kumamoto Prefecture|Kumamoto]]]]
[[File:Kabira Bay Ishigaki Island41s3s4500.jpg|thumb|[[Ishigaki Island]], [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]]]]

=== Hokkaido ===
* [[Niseko, Hokkaido|Niseko Ski Resort]]
* [[Shiretoko Peninsula]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Teshikaga, Hokkaidō|Teshikaga]] – [[Lake Mashū]], [[Lake Kussharo]]
* [[Lake Tōya|Tōya Caldera]] and [[Mount Usu]] Geopark
* [[Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group]]
* [[Hakodate, Hokkaido|Hakodate]]
* [[Otaru, Hokkaido|Otaru]]

=== Tōhoku region ===
* [[Shirakami-Sanchi]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Mount Osore]]
* [[Lake Towada]]
* [[Hirosaki, Aomori|Hirosaki]] – [[Hirosaki Castle]], Nakacho Samurai District
* [[Hiraizumi, Iwate|Hiraizumi]] – [[Chūson-ji]], [[Mōtsū-ji]], [[Kanjizaiō-in]], Takkoku-no-Iwaya
* [[Semboku, Akita|Semboku]] – Kakunodate Samurai District, [[Lake Tazawa]], [[Nyūtō Onsen]]
* [[Yamagata, Yamagata|Yamagata]] – [[Yama-dera]] Temple, [[Zaō Onsen]]
* [[Matsushima, Miyagi|Matsushima]]

=== Kantō region ===
* [[Nikkō, Tochigi|Nikkō]] – [[Shrines and Temples of Nikkō]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]), [[Kegon Falls]], [[Lake Chūzenji]], [[Cedar Avenue of Nikko]]
* [[Tomioka Silk Mill]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Kinugawa Onsen]] – [[Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura]], [[Tobu World Square]]
* [[Utsunomiya]] – [[Oya stone]] museum, [[Utsunomiya Futarayama Shrine]]
* [[Ashikaga, Tochigi]] – [[Ashikaga Gakkō]], {{ill|Ashikaga Flower Park|ja|あしかがフラワーパーク}}
* Tokyo – [[Tokyo Imperial Palace|Imperial Palace]], [[Asakusa]], [[Akihabara]], [[Ginza]], [[Harajuku]]/[[Omotesandō]], [[Nakano Broadway]], [[Shibuya, Tokyo|Shibuya]], [[Shinjuku, Tokyo|Shinjuku]], [[Tsukiji Fish Market]], [[Ueno Park]], [[Fujiko F. Fujio Museum]], [[Studio Ghibli Museum]]
* [[Tokyo Disney Resort]]
* [[Kamakura, Kanagawa|Kamakura]] – [[Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū]], [[Kōtoku-in]], [[Kenchō-ji]], [[Engaku-ji]], [[Meigetsu-in]], [[Hase-dera (Kamakura)|Hase-dera]]
* [[Kusatsu, Gunma|Kusatsu Onsen]]
* [[Hakone]] Onsen

=== Chūbu region ===
* [[Mount Fuji]]
* [[Japanese Alps]] – [[Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route]]([[Mount Tate]]), [[Hida Mountains]], [[Kiso Mountains]], [[Akaishi Mountains]]
* [[Kurobe Gorge Railway]]
* [[Shiga Kōgen]]
* [[Matsumoto, Nagano|Matsumoto]] – [[Matsumoto Castle]], [[Mount Hotaka (Nagano, Gifu)|Mount Hotaka]], [[Kamikōchi]]
* [[Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama|Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Takayama, Gifu|Takayama]] – Sanmachi Traditional Street, Ōshinmachi Traditional Street, Higashiyama Temple Area
* [[Kanazawa, Ishikawa|Kanazawa]] – [[Kenroku-en]] Garden, [[Kanazawa Castle]], Higashi Geisha District, Nagamachi Samurai District
* [[Sakai, Fukui|Sakai]] – [[Tōjinbō]], [[Maruoka Castle]]
* [[Nagoya]] – [[Nagoya Castle]], [[Atsuta Shrine]], [[Sakae, Nagoya|Sakae]], [[Nagoya Station]] (Meieki), [[Ōsu Kannon]] temple

=== Kansai region ===
* [[Kyoto]] – [[Kinkaku-ji]], [[Ginkaku-ji]], [[Kiyomizu-dera]], [[Ryōan-ji]], [[Sanjūsangen-dō]], etc., they are parts of [[Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)|Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Uji, Kyoto|Uji]] – [[Byōdō-in]] and [[Ujigami Shrine]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]), Relation of ''[[The Tale of Genji]]''
* [[Ōtsu, Shiga|Ōtsu]] – [[Lake Biwa]], [[Hiyoshi Taisha]], Sakamoto Temple District, [[Mount Hiei]], [[Enryaku-ji]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Ōmihachiman, Shiga|Ōmihachiman]] – Traditional Riverside District
* [[Nara, Nara|Nara]] – [[Tōdai-ji]], [[Tōshōdai-ji]], [[Kōfuku-ji]], [[Yakushi-ji]], [[Heijō Palace]], [[Kasuga-taisha]] and [[Nara Park]], etc. They are parts of the [[Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]).
* [[Ikaruga, Nara|Ikaruga]] – [[Hōryū-ji]] and [[Hōki-ji]] are [[Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]).
* [[Yoshino District, Nara|Yoshino]] ([[Mount Yoshino]]) – [[Kimpusen-ji]], [[Yoshimizu Shrine]], [[Yoshino Mikumari Shrine]], etc. They are parts of the [[Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]).
* [[Shingū, Wakayama|Shingū]] – [[Kumano Hayatama Taisha]] and Kumano River ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Nachikatsuura]] – [[Nachi Falls]], [[Kumano Kodō]], etc., they are parts of [[Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Mount Kōya]] – [[Kongōbu-ji]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Osaka]] – [[Osaka Castle]], [[Umeda]], [[Namba]], [[Dōtonbori]], [[Shinsaibashi]], [[Shinsekai]], [[Shitennō-ji]], [[Sumiyoshi-taisha]], [[Universal Studios Japan]], [[Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan|Kaiyukan]], [[Rinku Town]], [[Nipponbashi|Den-Den Town]], [[Expo Commemoration Park]], [[Kamagasaki]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Overseas-tourists-are-changing-the-face-of-Japan|title=Overseas tourists are changing the face of Japan|website=Nikkei Asian Review}}</ref>
* [[Himeji]] – [[Engyō-ji]], [[Koko-en Garden]], and [[Himeji Castle]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Kobe]] – [[Port of Kobe]], [[Rokkō Mountains]], [[Kitano-chō]], [[Arima Onsen]], [[Kobe Luminarie]]
* [[San'in Kaigan Geopark]] – [[Toyooka]], [[Izushi, Hyōgo|Izushi]], [[Kinosaki, Hyōgo|Kinosaki Onsen]], [[Yumura Onsen (Hyogo)|Yumura Onsen]]

=== Chūgoku region ===
* [[Hiroshima Prefecture]] – [[Itsukushima Shrine]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]), [[Onomichi, Hiroshima|Onomichi]], [[Tomonoura]]
* [[Okayama Prefecture]] – [[Kurashiki, Okayama|Kurashiki]], [[Kōraku-en|Kōrakuen Garden]], [[Okayama Castle]]
* [[Tottori Prefecture]] – [[Tottori Sand Dunes]], [[Daisen (mountain)|Mount Daisen]], [[Mount Hyōno]], [[San'in Kaigan Geopark]]
* [[Shimane Prefecture]] – [[Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]), [[Izumo-taisha]], [[Matsue Castle]], [[Oki Islands]], [[Tsuwano, Shimane|Tsuwano]]
* [[Yamaguchi Prefecture]] – [[Hagi, Yamaguchi|Hagi]]

=== Shikoku ===
* [[Shikoku Pilgrimage]] ([[Zentsū-ji]], [[Motoyama-ji]], etc.)
* [[Ehime Prefecture]] – [[Dōgo Onsen]], [[Matsuyama Castle (Iyo)|Matsuyama Castle]]
* [[Kagawa Prefecture]] – [[Kotohira-gū]] Shrine, [[Ritsurin Garden]], [[Shōdo Island]], [[Naoshima, Kagawa|Naoshima Island]]
* [[Tokushima Prefecture]] – [[Naruto whirlpools]], [[Awa Dance Festival]] in [[Tokushima, Tokushima|Tokushima]]
* [[Kōchi Prefecture]] – [[Kōchi Castle]], Cape Muroto (Muroto Geopark), [[Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park|Cape Ashizuri]]

=== Kyushu and Okinawa ===
* [[Fukuoka Prefecture]] – Mojiko Retro Town, [[Kokura Castle]], [[Dazaifu Tenman-gū]], Remains of [[Dazaifu (government)]]
* [[Ōita Prefecture]] – Many types of hot springs in [[Beppu, Ōita]] or [[Yufuin, Ōita]], [[Usa jingū]], stone bridges, small stonehenge on the top of Komekamiyama (mountain), Hello Kitty Harmonyland
* [[Nagasaki Prefecture]] – [[Ōura Church]], Higashi-Yamate, [[Minami-Yamate]] including the [[Glover Garden]], [[Huis Ten Bosch (theme park)]], [[Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region|Hidden Christian Sites]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]])
* [[Kagoshima Prefecture]] – [[Yakushima]] ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]), [[Sakurajima]], [[Amami Ōshima]]
* [[Miyazaki Prefecture]] – [[Kirishima-Yaku National Park]], [[Takachiho]], Old Exculibur on the top of Takachiho-kyo mountain, [[Nichinan, Miyazaki]],　Chambered barrows of [[Saitobaru kofungun]], [[Heiwadai Park]]
* [[Kumamoto Prefecture]] – [[Kumamoto Castle]],　[[Mount Aso]]
* [[Saga Prefecture]] –  Pre-400 BC Yayoi archaeological site in [[Yoshinogari site]]
* [[Okinawa Prefecture]] – [[Shuri Castle]], [[Nakagusuku Castle]], [[Nakijin Castle]], etc. They are parts of the [[Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu]]. ([[World Heritage Site|WHS]]), [[Ishigaki Island]], [[Miyako Island]], [[Iriomote Island]], Traditional Ryukyuan Houses in [[Taketomi]] Island

== See also ==

*[[Groups of Traditional Buildings]]
*[[Japanese museums]]
*[[List of National Geoparks#Japan|List of National Geoparks in Japan]]
*[[List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments]]
*[[List of World Heritage Sites in Japan|World Heritage Sites in Japan]]
*[[List of museums in Japan]]
*[[National Treasures of Japan]]
*[[Omiyage]]
*[[Ryokan (Japanese inn)]]
*[[Visa policy of Japan]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
*Travel with Smile. [https://travelwithsmile.com/best-places-to-travel-in-japan/ Best Places to Travel in Japan]

==Further reading==

* Graburn, Nelson HH. "The past in the present in Japan: nostalgia and neo-traditionalism in contemporary Japanese domestic tourism." in ''Change in tourism: people, places, processes'' (1995): 47–70.
* Henderson, Joan Catherine. "Destination development: Trends in Japan's inbound tourism." ''International Journal of Tourism Research'' 19.1 (2017): 89–98. [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jtr.2088 online]
* Ishimori, Shûzô. "Popularization and commercialization of tourism in early modern Japan." ''Senri Ethnological Studies'' 26 (1989): 179–194. [https://minpaku.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=3204&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1 online]
* Jimura, Takamitsu. ''Cultural heritage and tourism in Japan'' (Routledge, 2021) [https://books.google.com/books?id=xVI1EAAAQBAJ&dq=tourism+japan&pg=PP1 online].
* McOmie, William, ed. ''Foreign Images and Experiences of Japan: 1: First Century AD-1841.'' (Brill, 2021). [https://brill.com/display/title/19346?alreadyAuthRedirecting online]
* March, Roger. "How Japan solicited the West: the first hundred years of modern Japanese tourism." in ''CAUTHE 2007: Tourism-Past Achievements, Future Challenges'' (2007): 843–52. [https://www.academia.edu/download/67299214/western-travel-in-japan-1868-1964.pdf online]
* Robertson, Jennifer. "Hegemonic nostalgia, tourism, and nation-making in Japan." ''Senri ethnological studies'' 38 (1995): 89–103. [https://minpaku.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=3032&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1 online]
* Soshiroda, Akira. "Inbound tourism policies in Japan from 1859 to 2003." ''Annals of Tourism Research'' 32.4 (2005): 1100–1120.
* Takeuchi, Keiichi. "Some remarks on the geography of tourism in Japan." ''GeoJournal'' (1984): 85–90. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/41143328 online]
* Tokuhisa, Tamao. "Tourism within, from and to Japan." ''International Social Science Journal'' 32.1 (1980): 128–150.
* Uzama, Austin. "Yokoso! Japan: Classifying foreign tourists to Japan for market segmentation." ''Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management'' 21.2 (2012): 132–154.
* Yanagi, Miyuki. "Reconsideration of Japan's tourism innovation characteristics." ''Geographical Research Bulletin'' 2 (2023): 29–38. [https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/grb/2/0/2_29/_pdf online]
* Yasuda, Hiroko. "World heritage and cultural tourism in Japan." ''International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research'' 4.4 (2010): 366–375.

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Japan}}
*[http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ Japan National Tourist Organization]
* [http://www.japantourist.jp/ JapanTourist Travel Articles Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507044330/http://japantourist.jp/ |date=May 7, 2013 }}
* [http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ttp/sta/PDF/E2018.pdf 2018 Foreign Visitors & Japanese Departures]

{{Japan topics}}
{{Tourism in Asia}}

[[Category:Tourism in Japan| ]]