Tourists are Spending More in Japan Than Ever

Tourism to Japan is almost back to its 2019 levels — but spending is through the roof, with travelers shelling out more than ever. Find out what’s driving people to give Japan their hard-earned moolah.

By Jay Allen

Travel to Japan is almost back in full swing. And consumers aren’t being shy with their yen: according to official statistics, tourists are spending more in Japan than they were even in 2019.

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Kamata Hakensha in Taito City. (Picture: Kamata Web site)

Tourism worldwide ground to a halt in 2019. Japan, which remained cautious while the rest of the world re-opened, finally unlocked its doors in October of 2022.

For the first three months, inbound tourism was slow to rebound. But it picked up pace this year, with inbound tourists to Japan hitting over 60% of their 2019 totals by March.

Today, tourism is back to 96% of its 2019 totals. If the trend continues, Japan could not only see a full recovery but even exceed its 2019 levels.