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Japan welcomed a record 21.5 million tourists in the first six months of this year, marking a significant 21% increase compared to the same period last year.
The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) confirmed on Wednesday that this is the fastest pace ever to surpass 20 million visitors within six months.
June alone saw a 7.6% jump, bringing the monthly total to a record 3.4 million tourists, partly attributed to increased demand during school holidays.
This growth was largely fuelled by a rise in visitors from countries like China, South Korea, Singapore, India, the United States, and Germany.
However, the number of travellers from Hong Kong plummeted by 33.4%.
The JNTO cited widespread online rumours in Hong Kong warning of a major earthquake in Japan, with some posts even referencing a Japanese manga comic that allegedly predicts a large natural disaster in July 2025.
Japanese authorities have repeatedly debunked these rumours as false. Hong Kong residents made nearly 2.7 million trips to Japan in 2024.
The Japanese government aims to nearly double annual tourist numbers to 60 million by 2030, with efforts to distribute visitors more evenly across the country to avoid overcrowding in popular spots like those known for cherry blossoms or autumn foliage.
Despite these ambitions, concerns about overtourism are growing among residents in areas like Kyoto, similar to issues faced in global tourist hotspots like Venice.
