Japan’s Foreign Visitor Count from Jan.-Nov. 2024 Breaks Previous Whole-Year Record; South Korea and China are Sources of Largest Numbers

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Foreign visitors are seen at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in Kyoto.

The total number of foreign visitors to Japan from January to November 2024 was 33,379,900, setting a new record for annual visitors, even before accounting for those arriving in December.

The previous record was 31,882,049 visitors, set in 2019.

Breaking down the data by country and region, the largest number of visitors, 7,950,300, came from South Korea, 49.0% than visited from that country in 2019. China was next, with 6,376,900 visitors, a 28.2% decrease. East Asia, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, accounted for about 70% of the total.