Japan’s Immigration Services Agency recently unveiled preliminary statistics for foreign arrivals in 2025, revealing a remarkable total of 42.43 million visitors, which marks a 15% increase from the previous year, establishing a new record for the second consecutive year.

On the other hand, inbound arrivals from mainland China saw a drastic decline in December 2025, plummeting to 280,000—nearly half of the arrivals recorded in the same month of the previous year. This decline has been attributed to advisories from the Chinese government recommending caution regarding travel to Japan.

Throughout most of 2025, arrivals from mainland China fluctuated between 500,000 and 800,000 per month until they dipped to 450,000 in November and fell further in December, equating to a 47% reduction year-over-year.

For the entire year, arrivals from mainland China totaled 7.22 million, reflecting a 32% rise compared to the previous year. In terms of arrivals by country and region, mainland China ranked second, following South Korea, which welcomed 9.23 million visitors (+7%), while Taiwan and the United States registered 6.39 million (+12%) and 3.24 million (+22%) entries, respectively.

The overall count of arrivals includes both short-term visitors to Japan as well as foreign nationals who received mid- to long-term residence approval. Notably, short-term stays contributed to 38.46 million of the total arrivals, or 98%. The number of students and technical intern trainees was reported at 180,000 and 160,000, respectively.

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