NAVITIME Japan, a Japanese navigation app provider, revealed that the highest growth rate in international visitors to Japan was seen in Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture, in the summer of 2025, based on GPS data and demographic questionnaires on ‘Japan Travel by NAVITIME,’ a navigation app for foreign visitors to Japan.
The cities in the Sanin area, the South Kyushu area and Okinawa Prefecture were ranked in the top 10.
The growth rate of Sakaiminato City in the period from June to August 2025 was 2.83 times compared to a year earlier, followed by Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, with the growth rate of 2.72 times. The third was NIichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture with the growth rate of 2.58 times
Urazoe City with 2.36 times, Najyo City with 2.12 times and Kita Nakagusuku Village with 1.97 times in Okinawa Prefecture were ranked in the top 10.
報道資料より
NAVITIME analyzed from the data that visitors to Sakaiminato City visited the animator Shigeru Mizuki-related spots and the fish market. The movie of ‘Gegege no Kitaro,’ the manga created by Mizuki, was released in Taiwan and Hong Kong in 2024.
In addition, Sakaiminato City was preferred because of direct flights to Yonago Airport in Sakaiminato City from South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
AloJapan.com