Japan is focusing on India as a major growth market for tourism following a record number of arrivals from the country in 2024, driven by increased air connectivity, streamlined visa processes, and the depreciation of the yen against the Indian rupee.

The uptick in Indian visitors, for both leisure and business travel, is expected to continue through 2025, supported by promotion from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), more direct flights, and expanded code-sharing arrangements.

However, trade experts note that the market’s full potential may remain unrealised without a greater availability of Indian cuisine in Japan, citing a shortage of chefs and authentic options, particularly for vegetarians.

Indian visitors to Japan reached 233,000 in 2024, marking a 40 per cent year-on-year increase. The growth was supported by expanded air services, including the Bengaluru to Haneda and Bengaluru to Narita routes, both increased to five flights weekly, along with a daily service between Haneda and Delhi.

In 2025, code-sharing is playing a growing role in broadening access to Japan for a larger share of India’s population. Japan Airlines’ codeshare partnership with IndiGo, launched in December 2024, covers 18 domestic routes in India that connect to Japan Airlines-operated flights to and from Delhi and Bengaluru.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Air India expanded their code-sharing agreement in March 2025 to include seven domestic routes in India and six within Japan, covering services to Itami (Osaka), Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Okinawa and Hokkaido.

Katsuya Goto, executive vice president of alliances and international affairs at ANA, described the move as “a significant step in our ongoing efforts to provide a superior travel experience for customers flying between Japan and India”.

“We’re creating a stronger bridge between our two nations,” added Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial officer of Air India.

In its promotions, the JNTO Delhi office is working “to position Japan as the most coveted getaway for Indian experiential travellers”, said Ryo Bunno, executive director of JNTO Delhi.

The organisation is targeting families and couples in their late 20s to 40s with an annual disposable income of at least four million yen (US$27,545), focusing on tourism content centred on Japan’s nature, traditional culture, and performing arts.

JNTO’s efforts also include providing online resources to help Indian visitors “enjoy their meals with peace of mind”, but experts say more needs to be done on the ground.

“Indian food is more widely available than before, and awareness among hospitality providers is growing,” shared Nitin Sachdeva, CEO of India-based Venture Marketing, a specialist in tourism and hospitality.

“But truly authentic Indian cuisine – especially for corporate groups seeking a familiar food experiences – is still limited. While Indian restaurants exist in major Japanese cities, there’s still a gap when it comes to delivering diverse regional Indian food in hotels, conference venues, or incentive programmes,” he added.

David Rakhit, owner of Ady, a fusion Indian/Japanese restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza district, agreed, noting that outside Tokyo and Osaka, there is a “relative scarcity” of restaurants serving dishes for strict vegetarians or followers of the Jain religion.

Ady has seen a “significant uptick” in customers from India this year, which Rakhit attributes to its large kitchen that allows it to cater to groups of up to 75 (seated) and 100 (standing).

Utilising Indian restaurants for events, hiring Indian chefs at international chain hotels and training Japan’s private sector on Indian market nuances are among the ways Japan can better accommodate the culinary needs of Indian travellers, opined Sachdeva.

By doing so, Japan can attract more of the Indian market, one of the world’s fastest-growing outbound travel markets, which is projected to be worth US$55.4 billion by 2034, according to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry.