Record Numbers of Tourists Are Visiting Japan Amid Weak Yen

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:50 PM ET, Fri July 19, 2024

With the value of the Yen at a 38-year low compared to the dollar, Japan has become a tourism hotspot.

The country set a record high for monthly visitation levels in June with foreign visitors for business and leisure reaching 3.14 million. That’s an uptick from the previous record set in March when the figure was 3.01 million.

The June figure is also an increase over the 3.04 million foreign visitors in May, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) that has been reported by Reuters.

When looking at Japan's visitation figures for the first half of the year, the total number of arrivals is 17.78 million, which is also a record for a half-year period for the country.

If the brisk level of visitation continues through year’s end, Japan will easily surpass its 2019 record high for annual visitation, which was 31.9 million.

Visitors to the country are also spending plenty of money. Estimates peg visitor spending at about 8 trillion yen for the year, which is about $50 billion.

Amid this news, Japan’s leaders have expressed concerns about “overtourism,” a challenge that plagues many other popular destinations around the world. Reuters reported that tourism is on pace to become Japan’s second-biggest export sector this year, surpassed only by the auto industry and electronic components.

The hordes of tourists have led to crowded trails and significant littering problems at Mt. Fuji, the country’s sacred mountain. In repose, admission fees have been instituted, as well as limits on the number of hikers allowed.

With the yen at a nearly four-decade low, Japan has become a very budget-friendly destination choice for travelers. Visitors from 18 regions have set records for arrivals to the country, according to data from JNTO. The most significant number of visitors to Japan are coming from Taiwan and the U.S.

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