The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced on January 21 that the number of foreign visitors to Japan in December 2025 totaled 3.6177 million, of which 330,400 were from China, representing a 45.3% year-on-year decline.
This marked the first decrease in Chinese visitors to Japan in three years and 11 months, since January 2022, when inbound travel was still heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The drop was attributed to a travel advisory issued by the Chinese government urging caution about travel to Japan, following Taiwan-related remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Despite the fall in Chinese arrivals, total inbound visitors hit a record high for December. Gains from other markets more than offset the decline from China. Driven by the Christmas season and year-end holidays, arrivals from the United States, Canada, and Southeast Asia all rose.
Visitors from Malaysia surged 40.4% year-on-year to 100,600, while arrivals from South Korea increased 12.3% to 974,200—both setting new monthly records. Visitor numbers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and France also reached record highs for December.
