Top destinations for inbound tourists are heavily concentrated in just seven of Japan’s 47 prefectures, including Kyoto and Hokkaido, which collectively accounted for 72 of the country’s top 100 spots, a survey showed Saturday.
Twenty-five prefectures, including some along the Sea of Japan coast, saw none of their locations rank in the top 100, as foreign visitors flocked to internationally recognized destinations such as Kyoto’s historic temples and Hokkaido’s ski resorts, according to a joint survey on people’s movements in 2025 by data analysis firm Unerry Inc. and Kyodo News.
As Japan enjoys an inbound tourism boom amid a weak yen, the outcome underscores that economic benefits are unevenly distributed across regions while concerns are growing that overtourism in heavily visited areas could strain natural and cultural assets and disrupt the lives of local people.
“It is an urgent task to intensify regional dispersion of foreign visitors,” an official of the Japan Association of Travel Agents said.
The survey used smartphone app location data to examine foreign visitor traffic across about 25,000 districts nationwide, excluding areas around airports.
The 100 spots were dispersed across 22 prefectures. Kyoto had the highest number of top 100 spots at 17, followed by Hokkaido at 16 and Kanagawa at 11.
Yamanashi, Osaka, Okinawa and Tokyo had between six and eight spots each.
By site, the Niseko ski resort area in Hokkaido came in first, while the area around Kiyomizu temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto, ranked 12th.
Other spots boasting high concentrations of foreign visitors included the Hakone hot spring resort area in Kanagawa and the Fuji Five Lakes, located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, Japan’s tallest peak.
The Ginzan Onsen area, a hot spring resort in Yamagata, was the only one of the six prefectures in the northeastern region of Tohoku to make the top 100, coming in fourth. The resort gained fame on social media as a pilgrimage site for fans of Japan’s popular Demon Slayer manga and anime series.
Naoshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea that has attracted tourists with its art museums, was the only spot to make the list from the Shikoku region of western Japan, ranking at 13th.
Data compiled by the Japan Tourism Agency showed that Tokyo as well as Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido and Okinawa prefectures accounted for 69.7 percent of total stays by foreign guests at accommodation facilities in 2025, while 31 prefectures accounted for less than 1 percent.
Tokyo saw the most foreign guest stays at accommodation facilities in 2025 with 59.59 million, out of a total of about 177.87 million stays, according to preliminary figures.
By spending, Tokyo came in first as well, with foreign visitors spending about 3.29 trillion yen ($21 billion), while Shimane Prefecture finished last at 2.25 billion yen.
The number of foreign visitors to Japan has been rapidly recovering after a plunge during the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching a record 42.68 million in 2025, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
The government aims to increase inbound visitor numbers to 60 million and their annual spending to 15 trillion yen by 2030.
© KYODO
