Japan might have had a drop in the number of international tourists in the first half of 2026, but there was one thing that had not decreased, and that is expenditure. In spite of low arrival numbers, tourists left more money behind during this period than they did in the same period last year, which suggests that sometimes quality matters more than quantity.
One of the most shocking discoveries was the changes in the expenditure chart. For years Chinese travelers held the leading position in terms of expenditure in Japan, but this time that position was taken by the U.S. foreigners, who spent an incredible March ¥384.8 billion between April and June 2026 which exceeded the amount spent by travelers from Taiwan, who left ¥363.9 billion.
At the same time, China suffered significant changes in its tourism expenditure. The money spent on traveling to Japan by the Chinese citizens decreased by almost 49%, which gave way for other markets to increase their role in Japan`s tourism market.
But the list does not end with the top ten entries. There are other new travel markets entering the scene, in particular, Indonesia, whose visitor spending has racked up more than 40% increase; India and Malaysia are also enjoying some impressive hikes in their figures. However, in this case, Russia recorded the fastest growth with the amount spent by tourists increasing by more than 60%, even if the total figure is small.
To what use is all that money put? It is of little surprise that accommodation is responsible for the greatest percentage of tourist spending. Accommodation makes up approximately 37% of tourists’ overall expenditures for the period in question. Following accommodation, tourists tend to spend the most on shopping and food and drink.
Transportation costs made up a rather small part of the overall expenses, while entertainment and recreation had only a minor contribution to total spending. Nevertheless, these aspects remain significant as they attract visitors to spend more time at particular places and discover areas outside the populous cities in Japan.
What may seem to be the most surprising finding, however, was not which country spent the most in total, but who has spent the most money per traveler. Surprisingly, it was not either the U.S.A., the China, or a European country. It was the Mexicans who spent most of all.
According to statistics, a Mexican tourist has spent on average around ¥514,925 during the trip, which makes them the biggest spenders among tourists per person. Who’s on second place in this measure? The cost spent per traveler by a Mexican tourist is more than double of the global average value of ¥244,457 per traveler and makes them the only people besides Mexicans who have spent more than ¥500,000.
Moreover, it is an interesting fact, that such high expenses were not because of business trips. Most Mexicans traveled just for leisure, thus it can be assumed that a Mexican tourist is ready to spend a big amount for valuable experiences, shopping, eating, and a long time of rest in Japan.
The travel habits of tourists also vary significantly depending on their origin. Among other things, visitors from Europe and North America tend to stay longer, which results in greater overall expenditure. On the other hand, travelers from countries such as South Korea will likely take shorter trips, which translates into lower average expenditure despite their relatively high arrival numbers.
As travel trends change, new perspectives emerge in Japan’s tourism industry. Instead of concentrating exclusively on tourist numbers, tourism developers place more specific emphasis on the markets in terms of economic output. The financial contribution of a seemingly small group of tourists who spend large amounts of money can be greater than that of a much bigger group of visitors.
As the trends in international tourism evolve, Japan continues to uncover new opportunities for its tourism. Traditional markets remain important, but new visitors from countries such as Indonesia and India, as well as particularly wealthy Mexican tourists, will probably contribute significantly to the successful development of tourism in Japan.
