Japan’s push for more international travellers to explore its regions as part of a plan to combat overcrowding in major hubs and more widely disseminate tourism’s economic benefits is bearing fruit.
A survey of accommodation nationwide by the Japan Tourism Agency shows 39 of the country’s 47 prefectures welcomed more inbound visitors on overnight stays in 2025 than they did pre-pandemic.
By total number of overnight stays, the top performer was Tokyo, with 60.1 million, followed by Osaka (24.5 million), Kyoto (18.3 million), Hokkaido (13.3 million) and Okinawa (9.2 million), but rural prefectures were among those that experienced the most growth.
With 580,000 overnight stays, Ehime came first, up 168.8 per cent compared to 2019, largely due to campaigns targeting golfers in South Korea who can fly direct from both Seoul and Busan to prefectural capital Matsuyama, from where there are 16 courses within an hour’s drive.
Ishikawa, which has benefited from improved connectivity following the expansion of the Hokuriku Shinkansen into the area, was up 117.6 per cent on 2019, secured second place, succeeded by Fukuoka (up 97.6 per cent), Miyagi (up 59.0 per cent) and Niigata (up 76.7 per cent).
“Japan is highly regarded as a travel destination globally, and the inbound tourism market continues to diversify. Some regional areas are also seeing rapid growth in inbound visitor arrivals as a result of long-standing efforts,” said Japan National Tourism Organization president Atsumi Gamo.
Overnight stays by international visitors, which reached a record 179.9 million in 2025, are vital for Japan’s hotel and ryokan inn sector, accounting for 27.2 per cent of all overnight stays last year.
