South Koreans on track to visit Japan 10 million times this year for the first time

About 7.42 million visits logged through August; annual 10 million mark seen as likely

Weak yen and dense direct-flight network make Japan feel like a domestic destination

Koreans hold undisputed top spot as Chinese group tours dry up

Frequent short stays outperform European-style long trips in lifetime spending

Accommodation tax hikes doing little to cool demand

A giant warrior-doll lantern known as Nebuta, a fixture of the Aomori festival in the Tohoku region [Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization]

South Korean tourists are on course to visit Japan more than 10 million times this year — a record that would mark the first time the annual figure has crossed that threshold. Analysts say the combination of expanding flight routes and a persistently weak yen has turned a trip to Japan into something as routine for South Koreans as domestic travel.

Trend in South Korean visitors to Japan (2019–August 2026) [Generated by ChatGPT]

South Koreans made 850,500 visits to Japan in August, up 28.7 percent from 660,917 in the same month last year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. That is the highest August figure since JNTO began keeping records. South Koreans accounted for about 27.4 percent of all foreign visitors to Japan that month — more than one in four.

The cumulative picture is equally striking. South Koreans made 7.42 million visits to Japan from January through August, a 21.2 percent increase from 6.12 million in the same period last year. If monthly arrivals average at least 645,000 from September onward, the annual total will reach 10 million. Last year's tally of 9.46 million already broke the 9 million mark for the first time; the 10 million barrier could fall just one year later.

"The overall number of foreign visitors to Japan fell about 10 percent in August as deteriorating China-Japan relations kept Chinese group tours away, but South Korean visitors have maintained solid growth," a JNTO official said. "We consider it highly likely that South Korean annual visitors will surpass 10 million this year, and depending on conditions, 11 million is also within sight."

A night view of Tokyo [Japan National Tourism Organization]

The surge in South Korean visitors has prompted Japan to rethink its marketing strategy. Japanese authorities have classified South Korea as a "mature market" with already sufficient demand and have cut back on general promotional spending. Instead, they are directing resources toward MICE (meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions) business and high-spending tourists. South Koreans spend less per visit than travelers from long-haul markets, but their repeat-visit rate is high enough that their cumulative contribution to tourism spending is substantial.

"Europeans stay nine or ten nights on a single trip, while South Koreans average 3.6 nights — but South Koreans return two to four times a year, so their total lifetime spending is far higher," the JNTO official said. "The high frequency of repeat visits is the core competitive strength of the South Korean market, even with shorter stays."

Dotonbori in Osaka [Japan National Tourism Organization]

The scale of demand is equally visible in regional accommodation data. According to Japan's Tourism Agency accommodation survey for 2025, Tokyo recorded the highest number of overnight stays by South Koreans among all prefectures at 3.676 million, followed by Fukuoka Prefecture — the gateway to Kyushu — at 2.883 million and Osaka Prefecture at 2.835 million. Adding Hokkaido (2.375 million) and Okinawa Prefecture (1.153 million), the top five regions together accounted for more than 70 percent of all South Korean overnight stays across Japan. The overnight-stay figure is a cumulative person-night count calculated by multiplying the number of guests by the number of nights stayed.

South Korean visitors have also pushed well beyond the major cities into smaller regional towns. The seven prefectures of Kyushu recorded a combined 12.016 million foreign overnight stays, of which South Koreans accounted for 4.302 million. More than one in three foreign overnight guests in Kyushu (35.8 percent) were South Korean — more than three times the national average of 11.5 percent. South Koreans exceeded 30 percent of foreign overnight stays in all seven Kyushu prefectures, including Oita (38.9 percent), Fukuoka (36.8 percent), Kagoshima (34.3 percent) and Saga (34.2 percent).

South Korean visitors are also a prominent presence in smaller regional areas. In the four prefectures of Shikoku, South Koreans accounted for 416,000 of 1.716 million total foreign overnight stays — roughly one in four (24.2 percent). Ehime Prefecture led all 47 of Japan's prefectures with South Koreans making up 42.4 percent of its foreign overnight guests, while Kagawa (17.6 percent) and Tokushima (23.1 percent) also posted high shares. The pattern points to South Korean travel spreading evenly across Japan's regional cities and towns, well beyond Tokyo and Osaka.

Street food stalls in Kyushu [Fukuoka City]

Beyond the weak yen and familiar food culture, the sheer density of direct air connections is cited as a decisive factor behind South Koreans' strong preference for Japan. More than 30 airports across Japan now receive direct flights from South Korea, and every one of Kyushu's seven prefectures is served by a direct route. Getting to many parts of Japan is, in effect, more convenient than traveling to domestic regional destinations, observers say.

Some Japanese local governments have recently introduced or raised accommodation taxes, adding to travel costs, but the impact on demand has so far been limited. The travel industry expects the preference for Japan to persist through the autumn and winter season, with the Chuseok holiday serving as a starting point.

"Japan bookings accounted for nearly 40 percent of all reservations this Chuseok, partly because the holiday period was relatively short this year and the weak yen added to the appeal," said Kim Dong-il, a manager at Kyowon Tour. "With strong accessibility and price competitiveness, demand for Japan travel will continue for now."

terry@heraldcorp.com