Tourist spending in Japan this year has already set a record

Nine-month tally hits nearly $40bn, led by Chinese, Taiwanese and South Koreans

Tourists visit Nishiki Market in Kyoto. The number of foreign visitors to Japan and their spending during the first nine months of the year both topped the 2023 total. (Photo by Hiromasa Matsuura)

HIROFUMI KANAOKA, Nikkei staff writer

October 17, 2024 00:44 JST

TOKYO -- Spending by foreign visitors to Japan reached 5.86 trillion yen ($39.1 billion) yen for the first nine months of the year, topping 2023's record full-year tally of 5.31 trillion yen with three months to go, new government data shows.

Spending in the July-September quarter alone came to 1.95 trillion yen, up from 1.38 trillion yen a year earlier, according to a Wednesday release by the Japan Tourism Agency, which broke down the quarter's spending by nationality and category.