A Summary of General Information on Tourists Visiting Tokyo
This page presents a cross-sectional summary of general information from the six surveys published on this site.
It is a central place to review information for a comprehensive understanding of the tourism trends among domestic and foreign visitors to Tokyo. Tourism business operators and local governments are welcome to use this information for your marketing activities.
For detailed information regarding each dataset, please refer to the respective survey pages and raw data.
Tourist Destinations,
Timing, and Numbers
(Monthly)
Total number of visitors at tourist facilities
◆ For detailed figures, please refer to the summary table.
[Izu Islands]
Monthly number of tourists
◆ For detailed figures, please refer to the summary table.
[Ogasawara Islands]
Monthly number of tourists
Analysis
Destinations
Many people, both Japanese and non-Japanese, visit the Shinjuku, Chiyoda, Shibuya, and Minato wards. Focusing on foreign tourists, Shibuya is relatively more popular than it is among Japanese tourists, and visits to the Chuo and Taito wards are also high. This could be due to the presence of popular tourist destinations for foreigners, such as Shibuya, Ginza, and Asakusa.
Timing
We can see an increase in Japanese visitors from July to September, coinciding with long holiday periods such as summer vacation. Meanwhile, looking at 2024, foreign visitors increased rapidly from July onward and have since remained at a consistently high level. Although the Izu and Ogasawara Islands are not distinguished by nationality, visitor numbers rise in July–August and in March, likely reflecting travel during summer vacation and spring break.
Surveys used for illustrative purposes
- Survey on the Number of Visitors at Tourism Spots, etc.
- https://data.tourism.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/data/jittai-irekomi/
- Survey on the Number of Visitors to Tokyo Using Mobile Data
- https://data.tourism.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/data/mobile/
- Survey on the Status of Inbound Tourists on the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands
- https://data.tourism.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/data/tosho-irekomi/
Tourist Length of Stay
and Expenditure
Analysis
Length of Stay
Figures for Japanese residents exclude day trips; however, overall the largest segment consists of day-trippers (see the “Tourist Spot Parameter Survey” for details). For those staying overnight for sightseeing, the most common length of stay is one night, and in the Tokyo Islands, such as the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, there tends to be an increase in visitors staying two nights or more. Among foreign visitors, stays of three nights or more are common; in particular, when the purpose is visiting friends/relatives or study abroad, a large share of them stay for seven nights or more. In addition, foreign visitors in their 20s show a relatively high share of longer stays.
Expenditure
Across all domestic travelers, including day-trippers, spending is highest on transportation, followed by accommodation and dining. Overall expenditure by foreign tourists is higher than that of Japanese tourists, and they allocate a relatively larger share to accommodation, shopping, other expenses, and dining.
Surveys used for illustrative purposes
- Tourist Spot Parameter Survey
- https://data.tourism.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/data/jittai-para/
- Survey on Behavioral Characteristics of Foreign Tourists by Country/Region
- https://data.tourism.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/data/kunibetsu/
Reason for Visit
Analysis
Tokyo residents most frequently cite “food,” “tourist spots (cultural/urban),” and “shopping” as attractions they would recommend to foreign visitors. Residents tend to encourage enjoying Tokyo’s cuisine and visiting cultural landmarks and urban districts.
By contrast, foreign visitors often highlight Tokyo’s safety, cleanliness/hygiene, and the kindness of its people. At the same time, “good food” is a commonly recognized appeal for both groups.
Surveys used for illustrative purposes
- Survey on Awareness of Tourism Among Tokyo Citizens
- https://data.tourism.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/data/ishiki/
- Survey on Behavioral Characteristics of Foreign Tourists by Country/Region
- https://data.tourism.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/data/kunibetsu/
Summary
These are some generic tourism trends of domestic and foreign visitors to Tokyo discovered by combining the results of six surveys that are available on this website. While this section has primarily focused on presenting the overall results of the data, for a more in-depth understanding with essential insights which take into account the other available results, we recommend applying filters to the graphs and visiting the individual survey pages.
We encourage tourism business operators and local governments to read through the other surveys available that are in line with your goals.