Chinese tourists are driving a recent surge in inbound travel to Japan, with arrivals now exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels, though their travel habits are shifting noticeably.

Previously, Chinese tourism in Japan was defined by large group tours and shopping sprees known as "bakugai." Nowadays, however, more travelers are seeking immersive experiences related to Japanese cuisine, culture and scenery, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

A total of 3.13 million Chinese travelers visited Japan in the first four months of this year, topping the 2.89 million recorded during the same period in 2019.

While the number of visitors from China was slow to rebound after the pandemic, arrivals have steadily increased since the Chinese government lifted its ban on group tours to Japan in 2023, reaching 2.42 million that year and 6.98 million in 2024.

Growth has continued into 2025, with year-on-year increases of 135.7 percent in January, 57.3 percent in February, 46.2 percent in March and 43.4 percent in April.

The shift in travel preferences is partly driven by Chinese travelers in their 30s and 40s, many of whom have visited Japan before, now choosing family trips with their children over group tours.

The JNTO is working to better target that market, including opening an account on a popular Chinese social media platform last fall.

Meanwhile, visitor numbers from Hong Kong, which are tallied separately from mainland China, increased 30.8 percent in January from the previous year but declined 5 percent in February and 9.9 percent in March.

A Japanese manga predicting a major disaster in Japan this July is believed to have discouraged travel. Posts about the manga "The Future I Saw" went viral after some claimed that its artist, Ryo Tatsuki, also predicted the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, among other events.

Nevertheless, April saw a strong rebound, marking a 42.9 percent increase from the previous year. At a press conference earlier this month, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa dismissed the concerns, saying, "I believe they currently have no real impact."

© KYODO