Foreign visitors to Japan rise 16.9% in Aug. led by China, S. Korea

Children interact with foreign tourists at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai venue in Osaka’s Konohana Ward, Aug. 22, 2025. (Mainichi/Satoko Suizu)

TOKYO (Kyodo) — The number of foreign visitors to Japan in August grew 16.9 percent from a year earlier to 3.4 million, a record for the month, on the back of increased flights from Asian countries, government estimates showed Wednesday.

Travel from Hong Kong and South Korea recovered after a drop the previous month on a rumor on social media that Japan would suffer a devastating natural disaster in July.

By country and region, China topped the list with 1 million visitors, up 36.5 percent, followed by South Korea at 660,900, up 8.0 percent, and Taiwan at 620,700, a 10 percent increase, helped by increased flights, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Hong Kong logged an 8.3 percent decline in August, improving from a 36.9 percent plunge the previous month, the organization said.

In the first eight months of the year, Japan’s visitor arrivals soared 18.2 percent from a year earlier to 28.4 million.