Leisure White Paper 2026, released by Japan Productivity Center, finds that the Japan’s leisure market scale was up 3.9% year on year to 78.1 trillion yen in 2025, even 8.1% more than the 2019 level before COVID-19. 

The value of in-person, experiential activities, such as live music and sports events, has risen, while consumer spending has been further bolstered by ‘oshi-katsu (fan activity)’ and initiatives leveraging intellectual property (IP) from areas like gaming and anime.

In terms of participation in leisure activities, ‘domestic tourism (including trips to escape the heat or cold, or visits to hot springs)’ remained the most popular activity for the fourth consecutive year, despite a decline of 700,000 participants to 46.1 million. Ranking second was ‘dining out (excluding routine, everyday meals),’ which saw an increase of 3.7 million participants, reaching 38.2 million. This was followed by ‘watching videos’ (35.2 million), ‘listening to music’ (33.5 million), and ‘watching movies’ (excluding television broadcasts; 32.6 million). Among the top 20 leisure activities, eight saw an increase in participation, with notable growth in areas such as dining out and watching movies.

Music concerts reached an all-time high, while attendance at sporting events grew by 3.3%.

In 2025, all four leisure categories, sports, hobbies/creative pursuits, entertainment, and tourism/excursions, surpassed both the previous year’s figures and pre-pandemic levels.

The tourism and excursions sector grew by 4.0% year-on-year to approximately 12.9 trillion yen, representing an 11.8% increase compared to 2019. Driven by travel demand linked to the Osaka-Kansai Expo and a robust influx of inbound tourists, the hotel, amusement park, and theme park sectors saw growth. Conversely, due in part to rising prices, the growth in domestic travel remained limited, and ryokan sector experienced a decline.

The hobby and creative sector, encompassing areas such as music and film, reached a scale of approximately 7.9 trillion yen, an increase of 0.9% over the previous year. Music concerts reached their largest scale to date, while the film and performing arts sectors also saw double-digit growth.

The sports sector also continued its recovery, growing by 1.3% year-on-year. Notably, revenue from spectator sports rose by 3.3%. It was reported that annual attendance reached a record high; this growth is attributed to the evolution of the ‘spectator sports’ business model, including the enhancement of the overall experience at arena venues.

In the active sports and fitness category, fitness clubs grew by 5.5% and golf driving ranges by 6.5%. The fitness sector has seen an expansion into smaller-scale facilities and those tailored to specific needs, while the growth of golf driving ranges has been bolstered by the rise of indoor facilities. Meanwhile, revenue for full-scale golf courses remained flat, with the industry now facing the challenge of addressing the impacts of extreme heat and heavy rainfall.

Over 40% of Young People Engage in ‘Oshi-katsu,’ and IP-Based Expansion Drives Consumption

‘Oshi-katsu,’the act of supporting a favorite idol, character, or public figure, has become a key driver of consumption, fueling spending on items such as live music performances and animated films.

The entertainment sector as a whole saw a 4.6% year-on-year increase. This growth is attributed largely to the video game and game software market, which benefited from the arrival of new-generation hardware and the popularity of established IP. Video games, in particular, experienced a 38.8% surge, marking a high growth rate within the broader market.

A special survey was conducted regarding the state of ‘oshi-katsu’ in 2025. The results indicate that 23.6% of the total population engages in such activities. By age group, the figures exceed 40% for younger demographics: 47.7% for those in their teens and 45.0% for those in their twenties. Participation rates for other age groups were 28.3% for those in their thirties, 25.2% for those in their forties, and 20.0% for those in their fifties. By gender, 29.1% of women engage in these activities, compared to 18.0% of men.

It should be noted that the market size figures presented in this white paper are nominal values and do not account for price fluctuations (i.e., they are not adjusted for inflation). The market expansion in 2025 is attributed not only to an increase in attendance and overall consumption but also to rising unit prices for tickets and services.