Taiwanese Love Japan: Taiwanese Tourists Rank Second in Japan's First-Half Foreign Visitor Numbers

Japan saw 21.08 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2026, a slight decrease from the previous year. The decline is largely attributed to a significant drop in Chinese tourists following political statements. Chinese visitor numbers fell by 56.4% compared to the same period last year, with a 57.3% decrease in June alone, indicating the lingering impact of China's travel advisories against Japan.

In contrast, tourism from other countries remained robust, boosted by a weaker yen. South Korea led with 5.67 million visitors, a 18.6% increase. Taiwan followed with 3.97 million visitors, up 20.9%, and the United States saw a 7.1% rise to 1.82 million.

Japan aims to attract 60 million annual visitors by 2030. Last year, the country recorded a record 42.68 million tourists. The tourism sector also achieved a record high in spending during the second quarter, reaching 2.51 trillion yen (approximately $491.9 billion NTD). This growth occurred despite a 48.8% decrease in spending by Chinese tourists, as spending from other regions increased.