News
Spending in Japan by international visitors amounted to 2.2 trillion yen for Q3 of 2026, 3.2% more than a year earlier
Spending by international visitors for the third quarter of 2026 (July to September) increased by 3.2% year on year to 2.2 trillion yen. By nationality, the top was France at 423,021 yen per person.
Japanese international travelers were up 6.3% to 1.48 million in September 2026
The number of Japanese international travelers in September 2026 was up 6.3% year on year to 1,481,900, YOY growth for the first time in the past three months.
International arrivals in Japan in September 2026 were down 5.0% to 3.1 million, YOY reduction for two consecutive months
The number of international arrivals in Japan in September 2026 decreased by 5.0% year on year to 3,103,700, yerar-on-year reduction for two consecutive months.
A local bank in Okayama Prefecture enters in the tourism industry, developing local experiences for luxury inbound travelers
The Chugoku Bank, a local bank in Okayama Prefecture, has started to establish a business framework to develop and sell high-valued tourism experiences in the Kurashiki area.
ANA and JR West link their apps for foreign visitors, enabling smooth process from search to payment for JR West railways
‘Travel CUBE,’ an ANA MaaS platform service, and ‘JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION,’ a JR West online booking service for foreigners, are linked for railway bookings by users.
Exploration cruise ‘HK Expeditions’ plans to enhance its investment to the potential Japanese market
HX Expeditions, a long-established provider of polar expedition cruises, talked about now and future in the Japanese market, expecting annual growth of 50% to 100% over the next three to five years.
US Condé Nast Traveler readers chose Japan as the most attractive destination in the world for four years in a row
Japan was chosen as the most attractive destination in the world for four years in row in ‘The Reader’s Choice Awards’ of US edition Condé Nast Traveler.
ANA and JAL will raise fuel surcharges from November 2026 again, charging 62,000 yen on US routes
ANA and JAL will raise their fuel surcharges for the international flight tickets from November 1 to December 31 2026.
‘Conveyor belt sushi bus’ is available in Tokyo, offering tour in Tokyo and all-you-can-eat for 70 minutes
‘SUSHI BUS,’ a service that allows passengers to enjoy conveyor-belt sushi while gazing at Tokyo's cityscape from a double-decker bus, is available.
Mitsui Ocean Cruises is trying to raise the share of inbound travelers to 30% through multi-agencies in foreign countries
Mitsui Ocean Cruises began operating ‘MITSUI OCEAN SAKURA.' They aim to raise the ratio of inbound passengers across the two ships to as much as 30%.
Japan National Tourism Organization recommends five prefectures for foreign visitors to visit in 2027
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) recommends five prefectures for foreign visitors to visit in 2027: Nara, Kagawa, Shimane, Niigata and Kanagawa.
‘Hotel Plaza Osaka’ in Osaka ranks first among popular hotels for foreign visitors based on reviews, with five hotels in Tokyo making the top 10
‘Hotel Plaza Osaka’ in Osaka Prefecture took the number one spot nationwide in 'Ranking of Popular Hotels and Ryokans for Inbound Tourists,' based on an analysis of Google Maps reviews.
The best time to see the autumn leaves will be late October in Nikko and Late November in Kyoto
Weathernews reported the best times to see the autumn leaves in major tourist destinations, expecting to be around October 23 in Nikko of Tochigi Prefecture and around November 24 in Arashiyama of Kyoto Prefecture.
The TrustYou analysis on 3.17 million reviews for hotels in Japan show that 13% refer to housekeeping
The TrustYou 'Cleanliness Benchmark Report 2026' finds that 424,731 (approximately 13%) referred to housekeeping (guest room cleaning).
Japan National Tourism Organization launches a special webpage for Japan-based cruise travels to raise awareness of them
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has launched a dedicated webpage to introduces overseas audiences to basic ship details and features of onboard facilities like cabins and restaurants.
JTB and Taiwan-based travel tech work together to establish a cross-border digital base for local activities in Japan
JTB, Good Fellows JTB and Taiwan-based Fontrip Technology Japan are collaborating in accelerating cross-border tourism. ‘TOHOKU FunPASS,’ a digital sightseeing pass for the Tohoku region, was launched.
Rakuten Travel Xchange connects Japan with the world in distributing hotel inventories
Rakuten Travel Xchange distributes the world’s hotel inventories through global OTAs and whole sellers as well as Rakuten Travel and Rakuten STAY inventories in Japan. CEO James Park talked about its innovative B2B distribution.
Tourism EXPO Japan 2026 welcomed 183,270 visitors in total, more than the last EXPO in Tokyo
Tourism EXPO Japan 2026, held for four days from September 24 to 27 2026, welcomed 183,270 visitors in total. Tourism EXPO Japan 2027 will be held at Tokyo Big Sight for four days from September 23 to 26 2027.
Japan National Tourism Organization signs MOU with Emirates to increase travelers from Middle East to Japan
JNTO and Emirates have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at further promoting tourism exchange between Japan and the Middle East.
JAL starts selling NDC international air tickets via Amadeus for 26 countries and regions
JAL is launching the global rollout of NDC (New Distribution Capability) contents for international air tickets via the Amadeus Travel Platform.
