Tokyo Sep 2025: 3.88M Foreign Overnight Stays — China Leads, USA #2
Tokyo recorded 3.88M foreign overnight stays in September 2025 (+8.9% YoY). China led with 662K stays, followed by USA (592K) and South Korea (255K).
· HotelInsight Research · Market Intelligence
Tags: Tokyo, Japan, Overnight Stays, JNTO, Tourism
- Tokyo recorded 3.88M foreign overnight stays in September 2025, +8.9% year-on-year — reflecting continued momentum across global source markets.
- USA ranked #2 at 592K (+12.6% YoY) — maintaining strong Western long-haul presence as September marks the US Labor Day travel period.
- "Others" markets collectively ranked #1 at 708K — suggesting the broadening of Tokyo's source market base beyond named nationalities, including Middle Eastern, African, and smaller Asian markets.
- Western long-haul markets — USA, UK, Australia, Canada — were key drivers of broad-based growth as the weak JPY sustained Japan's price competitiveness.
Tokyo Foreign Overnight Stays: September 2025
Tokyo prefecture recorded 3.88M foreign overnight stays in September 2025, a +8.9% year-on-year increase from 3.56M in September 2024. September's +8.9% YoY growth masks the EXPO 2025 Osaka diversion effect, which is beginning to pull Singapore and Hong Kong demand away from Tokyo.
China Leads 662K Stays as EXPO Effect Begins Pulling Regional Visitors to Osaka
September 2025 saw 3.88M Tokyo foreign overnight stays, a +8.9% YoY improvement from 3.56M in September 2024. The post-summer normalization brings a more balanced demand picture across source markets as school resumes and business travel picks up.
China's 662K stays (17.1% share, -1.6% YoY) maintained top-3 ranking, essentially flat YoY as the structural boycott headwinds and the EXPO 2025 Osaka pull began affecting regional itinerary planning.
The "Others" aggregate (708K) at rank #1 by volume is notable — when the collective "Others" outranks named nationalities, it indicates significant demand from emerging or non-traditional markets. This likely reflects growing inbound from India (already a top-10 market in June-August), Middle Eastern GCC markets, and Latin American travelers.
South Korea's 255K stays (-10.9% YoY) continued the boycott-driven decline pattern seen since Q1 2025. South Korea typically represents a strong September market for Japan (autumn leaf season marketing begins), making this YoY decline particularly telling.
Singapore (75K, -12.2% YoY) and Hong Kong (96K, -29.8% YoY) both posted sharp declines, consistent with EXPO 2025 Osaka pulling regional short-haul demand away from Tokyo-centric itineraries.
Revenue Management Implications
September's shift toward a broader source market base requires diversified OTA distribution strategies. Hotels should not rely solely on Agoda/Expedia for regional Asia traffic; coverage of ndia-specific platforms and Arabic-language OTAs becomes increasingly valuable. Business travel picks up in September — hybrid leisure-business ('bleisure') packages aligned with Japan's conference calendar offer incremental RevPAR opportunities.
Source Market Snapshot — September 2025
| Market | Stays | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| China | 662K | -1.6% |
| USA | 592K | +12.6% |
| South Korea | 255K | -10.9% |
| Taiwan | 244K | -16.1% |
| Australia | 226K | -0.2% |
| UK | 150K | +29.7% |
| Germany | 118K | +33.6% |
| Canada | 115K | +16.8% |
FAQ
Q: How many foreign visitors stayed overnight in Tokyo in September 2025?
A: Tokyo prefecture recorded 3.88M foreign overnight stays in September 2025, a +8.9% change from September 2024.
Q: Which country sent the most tourists to Tokyo in September 2025?
A: China led with 662K overnight stays (17.1% of total), followed by USA (592K) and South Korea (255K).
Q: How does September 2025 compare to September 2024?
A: Total Tokyo foreign overnight stays increased +8.9% YoY, from 3.56M to 3.88M. September's +8.9% YoY growth masks the EXPO 2025 Osaka diversion effect, which is beginning to pull Singapore and Hong Kong demand away from Tokyo.