By Hoang Vu  November 23, 2025 | 11:38 pm PT
Foreign tourists wearing Japanese traditional kimono pose for a photograph near Sensoji temple at Asakusa district in Tokyo, Japan, March 10, 2025. Photo by Reuters
Japan, voted “world’s most favorite destination” this year by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, received a record 159,300 Russians between January and October, surpassing its pre-Covid peak in 2019.
The surge reflects Russian travellers seeking alternatives to Europe and other Western destinations, which have become harder to reach due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, The Moscow Times reported.
In 2019, the year before the onset of Covid-19, Japan received 120,000 Russian tourists, a record all-time figure.
Japan’s reputation as a premier travel destination with world-class attractions, combined with its visa waivers for Russian nationals, has contributed to the influx of arrivals, insiders said.
In the first 10 months of this year Japan welcomed 35.5 million foreign tourists and the figure is expected to exceed 40 million for the first time ever in 2025, Kyodo News Agency reported.
Mainland China remained the largest source of visitors to Japan in the first 10 months of this year, at about 8.2 million, up 40.7% year on year and accounting for some 20% of the total.
AloJapan.com