Foreign Guest Nights Top Prepandemic Levels in 39 Japan Prefectures

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Overnight stays by foreign visitors in Japan reached an estimated 179.92 million in 2025, up 55.6 pct from the prepandemic level in 2019, with 39 of the country’s 47 prefectures recording levels above those seen before the COVID-19 crisis, a Japan Tourism Agency survey has found. The study covered hotels and “ryokan” Japanese-style inns across the country, collecting data on monthly guest numbers and room occupancy rates. Ehime Prefecture, western Japan, posted the highest growth rate, with the number of foreign guest nights standing at 580,000 in 2025, up 2.7-fold from 2019. It was followed by Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan, with 2.14 million overnight stays, up 2.2 times, and Tokyo with 60.12 million, up 2.0-fold. On the other hand, Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, saw the largest decrease, down 30.0 pct from 2019. The western prefecture of Shiga and the southwestern prefecture of Miyazaki followed, with drops of 27.3 pct and 19.4 pct, respectively. In fiscal 2023, Ehime began promoting golf tourism, capitalizing on the sport’s growing popularity in South Korea during the pandemic. In South Korea, winters are very cold, and golf fees are expensive. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the total number of South Korean guests staying overnight in the prefecture in 2025 was 204,000, about six times the 2019 level. “Visitors to Japan who have been to the country several times are used to going to Tokyo and Kyoto and therefore tend to choose regional cities for a more relaxing experience,” an official of the Ehime prefectural government said. In Ehime, there are as many as 16 golf courses within an hour’s drive of Matsuyama Airport. These courses “offer convenient access to tourist spots, allowing visitors to enjoy sightseeing after playing golf,” the official added. Ishikawa was already well known among foreigners for Kenrokuen in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa, one of Japan’s three most famous gardens, as well as its historic townscapes. In 2015, the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line was extended to Kanazawa, further improving access to the region. A prefectural official said the increase in visitors “may reflect the recovery of tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing popularity among foreign travelers of routes that include destinations along the Sea of Japan coast.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]