Where foreign guests are growing fastest in Japan

Reading the numbers

• Growth is broad but uneven. Nationwide, foreign guest nights in the last 12 months were +49% vs 2019 (−4% vs a year earlier). 8 of 47 prefectures are still below 2019: Saga (−30%), Shiga (−22%), Shizuoka (−19%), Miyazaki (−19%), Nara (−13%), Chiba (−13%), Kagoshima (−12%), Mie (−5%).
• Chinese guests fell sharply in 2026. In January–June 2026, nights by guests from China were −52% on a year earlier, roughly halved, while Korea (+8%) and Taiwan (+18%) kept growing and the US (±0%) and Australia (−2%) held level. Part of any 2026 year-on-year change can come from the survey redesign, but a fall this large is not a statistical artefact.
• Shizuoka is down because of China. Foreign nights in Shizuoka are −19% vs 2019. In 2019 China accounted for about 71% of its foreign guests (large facilities, Mt Fuji / Golden Route tours); now 29%, and Chinese nights there are −68% vs 2019. Where Chinese guests were a large share in 2019, totals are more sensitive to swings in Chinese travel; check the nationality mix on each prefecture page.
• Western and Taiwanese/Korean demand drives the winners. US nights are +136% and Australian +106% vs 2019 nationwide. Prefectures whose guests come mostly from the US, Australia, Taiwan and Korea (Kyoto, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Nagano, Ishikawa, Hokkaido, Kyushu) have grown most.
• Percentages flatter small bases. Ehime or Fukushima can double from a low 2019 base; Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hokkaido add far more guests in absolute terms. Use both rankings. And these are guest statistics, not property returns.

Fastest growth in foreign guests vs 2019 (%)

Foreign guest nights in the last 12 months (Jul 2025–Jun 2026) compared with calendar 2019, all facilities.

Most foreign guest nights added vs 2019

Lowest growth (still below or near 2019)

Japan: foreign guests by nationality

Large facilities only (see notes), so shares rather than totals are the meaningful figure. "Jan–Jun" compares the first half of the latest year with the same months a year earlier.

Where each nationality is growing

Prefectures ranked by growth vs 2019 for each nationality, among prefectures with at least 10,000 nights in the last 12 months and 1,000 in 2019 (large facilities). * = the survey flags at least one month as less precise (standard error of 30% or more).

United States

Nationwide: 17.2m nights in the last 12 months, +136% vs 2019; Jan–Jun 2026 vs a year earlier: ±0%. Where they stay most: Tokyo (8.3m), Kyoto (2.3m), Osaka (2.0m).

Australia

Nationwide: 6.3m nights in the last 12 months, +106% vs 2019; Jan–Jun 2026 vs a year earlier: −2%. Where they stay most: Tokyo (2.6m), Osaka (979k), Kyoto (737k).

Taiwan

Nationwide: 21.7m nights in the last 12 months, +61% vs 2019; Jan–Jun 2026 vs a year earlier: +18%. Where they stay most: Tokyo (4.0m), Hokkaido (2.6m), Osaka (2.3m).

South Korea

Nationwide: 18.5m nights in the last 12 months, +90% vs 2019; Jan–Jun 2026 vs a year earlier: +8%. Where they stay most: Tokyo (3.6m), Osaka (3.2m), Fukuoka (2.8m).

Hong Kong

Nationwide: 6.5m nights in the last 12 months, −7% vs 2019; Jan–Jun 2026 vs a year earlier: −3%. Where they stay most: Tokyo (1.5m), Osaka (861k), Fukuoka (792k).

China

Nationwide: 22.1m nights in the last 12 months, −26% vs 2019; Jan–Jun 2026 vs a year earlier: −52%. Where they stay most: Tokyo (7.0m), Osaka (4.2m), Kyoto (2.2m).

Singapore

Nationwide: 4.1m nights in the last 12 months, +65% vs 2019; Jan–Jun 2026 vs a year earlier: −1%. Where they stay most: Tokyo (1.5m), Osaka (552k), Hokkaido (541k).

Occupancy by prefecture and type: Japan ryokan & hotel occupancy by prefecture. Prefecture pages: Ehime · Gifu · Gunma · Hokkaido · Ishikawa · Kagawa · Kanagawa · Kyoto · Miyagi · Nagano · Oita · Okinawa · Shizuoka.

Notes on the data

• From January 2026 the survey stratifies facilities by number of rooms instead of number of employees. Year-on-year changes for 2026 may partly reflect this redesign (Japan Tourism Agency note).
• Nationality breakdowns cover large facilities only: 10+ employees up to 2025, 20+ rooms from 2026. They do not add up to total foreign guest nights, so we show them as shares.
• Nationality categories grew from 21 to 24 in 2026 (Nordic countries, Middle East and Mexico split out of "Other"), so "Other" is not comparable across years.
• Some nationality figures for small prefectures carry the survey's asterisk (standard error 30% or more); treat them as indicative.
• 2026 figures are 2nd preliminary values; final 2026 figures are due on 30 June 2027 and may differ slightly.
• Municipal figures are the raw totals of facilities that responded (not grossed up to all facilities), so guest numbers are a lower bound; occupancy is for responding facilities only. Small towns swing more.
• Occupancy is guest-room occupancy (rooms sold ÷ rooms available) as published by the survey. Our "12 months" figure is the simple average of the last 12 monthly rates (Jul 2025–Jun 2026), and "vs 2019" compares it with the 2019 average. Foreign guest nights are person-nights (延べ宿泊者数) across all facilities.
• Ryokan (旅館) and the other types follow the survey's own classification by the facility's main business (ryokan, resort hotel, business hotel, city hotel, simple lodging such as guesthouses, hostels and minshuku).

We are not a real estate broker and we do not value property or businesses. We introduce you to licensed Japanese brokers (宅地建物取引業者), who handle all property explanations, valuations and negotiations. Area occupancy and guest statistics describe the market, not any individual property: they are not a forecast of a property's revenue and not investment advice. Ask for the property's own audited figures.