Chinese vacationers splash the money in Japan as weak yen drives journey surge

When Ding Xiaohan, a software program engineer from Shanghai, took her 18-year-old son to Japan for a weeklong vacation this summer time, she didn’t maintain again.

The 47-year-old spent freely as they explored the prosperous neighbourhood close to the Tokyo Tower and the tea-producing metropolis of Shizuoka, forking out on sushi lunches, barbecue dinners and dolls modelled on iconic Studio Ghibli anime characters.

“Japanese food and merchandise are different, higher quality – like if you buy clothing it’s more comfortable,” Ding mentioned. “I don’t think Japan is too expensive.”

Chinese tourism to Japan is hovering this 12 months as a weaker yen attracts middle-class and rich households seeking to splash out on high-end branded items and cultural experiences – from expensive wellness packages to stays in conventional ryokan visitor homes.

More than 6.7 million visits by Chinese travellers to Japan had been recorded throughout the first eight months of 2025, up from 4.6 million over the identical interval final 12 months, information from the Japan National Tourism Organisation confirmed.

The statistics don’t cowl vacationers’ revenue ranges, however wealthier individuals rank prominently among the many current arrivals, based on Shiroto Obata, who works within the physique’s analysis and advertising and marketing group.