Japan’s tourism spending grows 3.2% as arrivals decline
Taiwan became the largest source of visitor expenditure, while spending by travelers from China fell 39.8% in the third quarter.
Overseas travelers spent an estimated ¥2.21 trillion in Japan during July-September, a 3.2% increase from a year earlier, Japan Tourism Agency figures showed. Arrivals fell 4.8% over the same period.
Higher expenditure per visitor accompanied the increase. Excluding cruise passengers, average spending reached ¥233,677, up 6.1%. Accommodation represented 35.2% of expenditure, with shopping taking 27.7% and food and beverages 22.9%.
Taiwan moved ahead of China as the biggest source of tourism spending. Expenditure by Taiwanese visitors increased 26.2% to ¥381.8 billion, or 17.3% of the total. Chinese visitors spent ¥358.3 billion, a decline of 39.8%, although their average expenditure rose 22.1% to ¥294,560.
Separate figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) put September arrivals at 3.10 million, down 5% year on year after August’s 9.6% decline. Japan received 30.73 million overseas visitors during the first nine months of 2026, a decrease of 2.9%.
Chinese arrivals dropped 44.5% in September to 430,800. For January-September, they fell 55.5% to 3.34 million. JNTO cited repeated Chinese government warnings against visiting Japan and reduced flight services between the countries as factors behind the downturn.
September arrivals from South Korea increased 25.6% to 842,300, supported by the Chuseok holiday and greater airline capacity, while Taiwan’s rose 13% to 595,600. Seven markets, including South Korea, Mexico and the Middle East, set September arrival records.
Outbound travel by Japanese nationals also increased. September departures rose 6.3% to 1.48 million, bringing the January-September total to 11.21 million, up 3.2%.
