TOKYO -- Consumption by inbound tourists to Japan, supported by returning Chinese visitors, boosted the country's department store sales in 2024, which increased by 6.8% to 5.77 trillion yen ($37 billion) from the previous year, according to the Japan Department Stores Association data.
Annual sales surpassed the pre-COVID figure for the first time, up 3.6% from the 2019 figure.
