Japan tourist arrivals up 21.5%, but Hong Kong numbers drop amid disaster rumours

Tourist arrivals in Japan rose by 21.5% year-on-year, setting a new record in May with 3.69 million visitors, the majority of whom came from South Korea and China.

The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) released the May visitor statistics on Wednesday (June 18), noting a slight decline from April, which saw 3.91 million arrivals. 

Overall, the number of visitors from January is estimated at around 18 million, and the total is expected to reach 40 million by the end of this year.

When broken down by region, South Korea recorded the highest number of arrivals, with 825,800 visitors, an 11.8% increase from last year. This growth was attributed to new flight routes, such as one between South Korea and Obihiro in Hokkaido. 

China followed with 789,900 visitors, a significant 44.8% rise from the previous year.However, the number of visitors from Hong Kong dropped by 11.2%, to just 193,100. Hong Kong was the only region in the JNTO data to show a year-on-year decrease. 

The decline is believed to be linked to widespread rumours, particularly on social media, suggesting that Japan may soon face a major disaster. This has led some people to hesitate before travelling to Japan, even though in April, the number of visitors from Hong Kong had increased by 42.9%.

Kansai Airport data reveals that, as of June, more than 62 flights from Hong Kong to Kansai Airport had been cancelled, representing 10% of flights on that route. 

In addition, Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture, located in the northeast of Japan, reported that two airlines had already started reducing or cancelling flights from Hong Kong since May, with expectations that this trend will continue until October.Naoya Haraikawa, commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, announced on Wednesday that the agency would continue to closely monitor trends, including those from regions outside Hong Kong, and would provide further updates if necessary.

The JNTO office in Hong Kong also posted a message on its social media, urging people to rely on information from institutions backed by scientific evidence.

If the number of visitors surpasses 40 million this year, it will set a new record for Japan. However, global economic concerns, particularly regarding potential economic downturns due to US President Donald Trump's tariff policies, make future projections difficult.

Currently, the exchange rate is 144 yen to 1 US dollar (approximately 4.43 yen to 1 Thai baht). Additionally, sales of duty-free goods in department stores are also showing signs of decline.

Yayoi Sakanaka, senior economist at Mizuho Research & Technologies, commented that the growth in tourist numbers to Japan is likely to slow down due to a shortage of hotels in cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, as well as the increased value of the yen, making Japan less attractive to some tourists.

(2025/06/19-00:00)