Japan sets February record for inbound tourists with nearly 3.5 million visitors

The number of visitors to Japan in February rose 6.4 per cent from a year earlier to set a new record for the month, government data showed on March 18, despite a drop-off in Chinese tourists amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.



Inbound visitors totalled 3.46 million that month, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) said, while arrivals from China fell 45 per cent to 396,400.



JNTO said the numbers were partly helped by the Lunar New Year holiday falling in February in 2026, compared with in late January in 2025.



At the Kawazu Sakura Festival in eastern Japan, known for its early-blooming cherry blossoms that begin flowering in early February, the decline in Chinese tourists was notable, said the town’s tourism association director Hoshi Mori.



Still, the festival drew about 630,000 visitors, its highest attendance since 2022, thanks to an increase in domestic tourists and those from Taiwan.



South Korea remained the top source of visitors in February, with the number rising 28 per cent to 1.08 million.