On October 15, Japan’s Tourism Agency announced that inbound visitor spending rose 11.1% year on year to JPY 2.131 trillion in the July–September quarter. Although per-visitor spending growth slowed, the increase in arrivals offset the weaker growth.
Cumulatively from January to September, inbound arrivals surpassed 30 million at the fastest pace on record. Sales of high-end goods showed signs of fatigue, prompting concerns that inbound consumption is prioritizing quantity over quality.
By market in Q3 (July–September), spending from mainland China, Taiwan, and the United States all rose year on year.
Hong Kong’s spending totaled JPY 113.9 billion, down from JPY 166.4 billion a year earlier. South Korea also recorded a decline. Hong Kong’s drop was mainly due to an estimated ~20% year-on-year fall in visitors in Q3, impacted by a widely shared “Japan earthquake” rumor in July and typhoon-related flight cancellations in September.
For January–September, total inbound spending reached a record JPY 6.9156 trillion. Growth slowed from +17.0% year on year in April–June to a milder pace in July–September.
By country and region in September, mainland China led with 775,500 visitors, up 18.9% year-on-year, supported by more scheduled flights and charter services between China and Japan. South Korea followed with 670,500 visitors (up 2.1%).
