Japan received around 3.69 million foreign visitors in April 2026, a 5.5% decline compared to the same month last year, despite the figure being the highest monthly total so far this year [1, 2, 3]. Chinese tourist numbers plunged nearly 57% to approximately 330,700 visitors, marking the fifth straight month of decline amid worsening diplomatic ties and travel restrictions [1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. From January to April 2026, the number of Chinese visitors fell 55.1% year-on-year to about 1.404 million, down sharply from 3.13 million in early 2025 [4, 5, 6, 7].
The drop in Chinese visitors followed comments in November 2025 by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who suggested possible Japanese military intervention if China attacks Taiwan, sparking anger in China and prompting official travel warnings, airline route cuts, and tour cancellations [1, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Middle East unrest since late February 2026, including US and Israeli attacks on Iran, also disrupted key airline routes, reducing flights and raising ticket prices for travelers from the Middle East and Europe. Visitors from the Middle East fell 21.4%, while arrivals from the UK dropped 13.8% year-on-year in April 2026 [2, 3, 7].
Despite these declines, visitors from many other countries hit record highs. South Korean visitors increased 21.7% to about 878,600, and Taiwanese tourists rose 19.7% to 643,500 in April 2026 [8]. France, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, India, the US, and Russia each set new monthly visitor records [8]. The Japan National Tourism Organization cited the Easter holidays and the cherry blossom season as key factors behind the surge in visitors from East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Australia in late March and early April [4].
The total number of foreign visitors to Japan from January to April 2026 passed 14 million, marking the second consecutive year above this threshold [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. This reflects stronger travel demand from regions other than China and the Middle East.
Japan will continue to monitor incoming tourism trends amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and route disruptions. The next major data update for May 2026 visitor figures is expected in early June.
