Exploring both cities and rural areas is becoming a new highlight of travel to Japan. Three Perspectives on Promoting Inbound Travel to Regional Areas

The Japan Brand Survey is a proprietary commercial marketing research initiative launched by Dentsu Inc. in 2011. Its purpose is to understand the perceptions and actual behaviors of people living overseas regarding the Japan brand in general, covering areas such as inbound tourism, regional revitalization, the food sector, Japanese products, and lifestyles. Now in its 15th year, the Japan Brand Survey 2025 features the largest dataset to date, covering 20 countries and regions ( Survey Overview ), over 80 brands, and more than 10 themes.

Part 1 , we provided a broad overview of the survey results, focusing on tourism and a sustainable future.

In this second installment, we focus on “regional tourism,” highlighting the importance of “regional areas” in realizing sustainable tourism. We will present the perspectives of overseas residents revealed by the survey and discuss key considerations for attracting more visitors. We hope this will serve as a useful reference for tourism operators and local governments nationwide working to attract international visitors to Japan.

"Regional Itineraries" Are an Essential Piece for Sustainable Inbound Tourism

In 2024, the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a record high of 36.87 million. This figure surpasses the previous record of 31.88 million set in 2019 before the pandemic and represents more than a tenfold increase from the 3.34 million recorded 30 years ago in 1995.In 2025, the first half of the year (January–June) saw a record high of approximately 21.51 million visitors, and the trend suggests the annual total is on track to reach 40 million.

However, a closer look at the breakdown reveals a significant regional imbalance in visitor distribution. Data released by the Japan Tourism Agency shows the number of international visitors by prefecture for 2024.Tokyo ranked first with 14.46 million visitors, followed by Osaka Prefecture with 12.88 million and Chiba Prefecture with 10.64 million, showing a clear concentration in urban areas. In contrast, the bottom of the list was comprised of Shimane Prefecture with 43,000 visitors, Fukui Prefecture with 52,000, and Kochi Prefecture with 71,000.

This excessive concentration of visitors is having a significant impact on local communities. While “overtourism” has long been recognized as a social issue, the excessive concentration of tourists is causing “environmental impacts” such as severe traffic congestion and increased waste, as well as “economic impacts” such as rising prices at hotels and restaurants.

In response to this situation, the Japan Tourism Agency announced in 2023 a “ Package of Measures to Prevent and Curb Overtourism " in 2023, with "promoting tourism to regional areas" as one of its key pillars.

In addition to revitalizing regional economies, and with the number of international visitors to Japan projected to exceed 40 million in 2025, “regional "regional travel" has become an indispensable piece of the nation’s overall tourism promotion strategy.

Over 90% Satisfaction & Intention to Return! Traveling “Across Regional Areas” is the True Essence of Japan

The Japan Brand Survey 2025 reveals differences in regional visitation trends by country and highlights the value of “regional travel” from the user’s perspective.

A survey asking overseas residents with experience visiting Japan whether they had visited “only urban areas (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya),” “only regional areas,” or “both” during their most recent trip revealed significant variation across countries and regions. For example, even within East Asia, approximately 70% of South Korean travelers visited “only urban areas,” while approximately 50% of travelers from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong visited “regional areas.”

Among visitors to Japan who traveled to regional areas, satisfaction with regional tourism stood at 96.2%, and 93.4% expressed a desire to visit again, clearly demonstrating high satisfaction and a strong intention to return. This trend was consistent across all surveyed countries and regions. These figures suggest that encouraging travel to regional areas is a win-win initiative that not only promotes sustainable tourism in Japan but also leads to a highly satisfying travel experience from the visitors’ perspective.

On the other hand, it remains a challenge that among overseas residents, “awareness” and “intention to visit” regarding regional areas are clearly lower compared to urban areas. By prefecture, “Tokyo” overwhelmingly leads the others in terms of “awareness,” “experience,” and “intention,” followed by “Hokkaido,” “Osaka Prefecture,” and “Kyoto Prefecture,” which also stand out significantly from other prefectures.

The Japan Brand Survey 2025 also gathered data on major cities. “Sapporo,” “Osaka,” and “Kyoto” boast exceptionally high levels of awareness, experience, and intent. In terms of awareness, “Fukushima,” “Yokohama,” and “Hiroshima” tend to be relatively high, but there is little difference in experience and intent.

So, when you decide, “Let’s attract attention to our region to boost tourism!” you may often find yourself wondering what steps to take to reach diverse overseas markets. Furthermore, it is likely that your budget is relatively limited compared to that of urban municipalities and tourism operators. Therefore, in this article, we will utilize official statistics and the Japan Brand Survey to introduce three key perspectives to keep in mind when .

Key Perspectives on “Routes, Seasons, and Content” to Promote “Regional Travel”

Key perspectives to consider when attracting international visitors to regional areas include:

“Route (What are the physical routes through which international visitors can reach regional areas?)”
“Season (When do visitors particularly want to come?)”
"Content (What attractions or experiences are international visitors most likely to seek out?)"

We believe these three perspectives are key.
　
First, let’s look at the “Route” perspective. The biggest difference between regional areas and urban centers lies in “accessibility from overseas”—in other words, “transportation capacity for international visitors.”

There are 97 airports in Japan. Looking at the number of international scheduled flights for the summer of 2025 (as announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) by airport, Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) account for approximately 50%, Kansai International Airport for 25.5%, Chubu Centrair International Airport for 5.8%, Fukuoka Airport for 8.4%, and other regional airports for 12.1%.

While there are many airports nationwide that do not operate international flights, it is clear that the entry points through which international visitors first enter Japan are somewhat limited. The first thing regional tourist destinations should consider is the perspective of “which airports and surrounding areas” they should target to attract international visitors. For example, tourist destinations in Kyushu need to consider attracting visitors not only from the nearest airport with international flights but also from Fukuoka Airport.

Furthermore, it is helpful to understand “which countries and regions visitors to Japan are coming from” for each airport. The Immigration Statistics , published by the Ministry of Justice, allow for an analysis of visitors by country or region for each airport.

For instance, while nearly 40% of visitors to Haneda Airport come from the United States and Europe, 70% of visitors to Narita Airport come from Asia. Furthermore, over half of the visitors to Fukuoka Airport come from South Korea, clearly demonstrating distinct regional trends.

Based on this, in Kyushu, for instance, developing promotional campaigns and reception systems with South Korean tourists in mind would likely serve as a foundation.

I believe that the visitors arriving at the nearest major airport form the basis of the target market, and considering the land transportation network and capacity—such as buses, trains, and the Shinkansen—from there provides a perspective for analyzing target countries and regions in rural areas.

Next, let’s look at the seasonal perspective. Regarding experiences of interest for travel to Japan, “eating Japanese cuisine” ranks first, “natural scenic spots” second, and “experiencing the four seasons” third.

The table above also reveals country- and region-specific characteristics. Interest in Japanese cuisine is high across the board, including in Europe, the U.S., and Australia, while seasonal experiences are particularly popular in Southeast Asia, where climates differ significantly. Since Japanese cuisine and natural scenic spots are closely tied to “seasons” and “seasonal produce,” it is also important to identify the “seasons” that will attract visitors to Japan.

The season that overseas residents most want to visit Japan for is the “cherry blossom season,” with the top reason for visiting being “to enjoy scenery unique to that season.” On the other hand, regarding the timing of visits following the cherry blossom season, interest tends to vary by country and region: Western countries show high interest in the “summer vacation season,” while Southeast Asia and Taiwan show high interest in the “snow season.”Focusing on target audiences and attractions with seasonal awareness will likely be a key perspective for attracting visitors to regional areas.

Finally, let’s consider the perspective of “content.” As mentioned earlier, the results showed high interest in “natural scenic spots” and “seasonal experiences” regarding visits to Japan, but let’s take a closer look at interest in “nature experiences.”

As shown in Figure 9, following “cherry blossom viewing,” “hot spring bathing” and “nature walks” are popular, along with “autumn foliage viewing,” “fireworks festivals,” “stargazing,” and “fruit picking.” There appears to be room for activities related to mountains, oceans, and rivers to gain more attention.

Japan is characterized by a natural environment where forests cover two-thirds of the land, with numerous mountains and abundant rivers. However, refining experiences that leverage these features appears to be a nationwide challenge. In recent years, the value of less crowded areas and lesser-known scenic spots has been increasing, so why not take another look at natural scenic spots in rural areas?

Reference: What Are the "Japan Brands" Shining in Regional Areas? 3+1 Strategies to Attract Inbound Tourists to Regional Areas

“Journeys Between Cities and the Regions” Build Sustainable Inbound Tourism

In this article, we have focused on “regional tourism in Japan,” examining its potential for sustainable tourism and visitor satisfaction, as well as three key perspectives for attracting more visitors to regional areas, based on official statistics and survey results. Amid concerns about overtourism, the decentralization of inbound tourism across regions and seasons will remain a major theme moving forward. Furthermore, since satisfaction levels and the intention to revisit are high among international visitors who travel to regional areas, this becomes a crucial factor in securing repeat visitors to Japan.

I believe that the promotion of tourism—not limited to “regional tourism”—must be carried out with consideration for local residents, as advocated by the Japan Tourism Agency, under the principle that a region should be “a good place to live and a good place to visit.” However, within this context, the current domestic momentum for promoting “regional tourism” through public-private partnerships can be viewed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help even more people fall in love with their own regions.

As the Japan Brand Project Team, we are committed to contributing to the sustainable promotion of regional tourism, not limited to the “Route, Season, and Content” perspective discussed here.

[Contact Information]
Dentsu Inc. Japan Brand Project Team
japanbrand@dentsu.co.jp

Japan Brand Survey Hub Page
https://www.dentsu.co.jp/knowledge/japan_brand/ 　

[Purpose of the Dentsu Inc. Brand Survey]
Launched in 2011 following the Great East Japan Earthquake, when Japanese agricultural and marine products as well as inbound tourism suffered reputational damage, this is Dentsu Inc.’s proprietary commercial marketing research initiative designed to understand how products and services originating in Japan are perceived globally.The Japan Brand Survey regularly assesses overseas consumers’ perceptions and actual behaviors regarding the Japan brand as a whole, covering areas such as overseas travel, inbound tourism, culture, regional revitalization, Japanese food, Japanese products, and lifestyle. By visualizing evolving consumer sentiments and the challenges and potential of the Japan brand, the survey contributes to increasingly complex corporate activities while also promoting cross-cultural understanding within Japanese society.

[Dentsu Inc. Brand Survey 2025: Survey Overview]
・Target Areas: 20 countries and regions (United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea)
・Eligibility Criteria: Men and women aged 20–59 (middle-income bracket and above) *2
・Sample Size: 12,400 (Breakdown: 1,600 each from the U.S. and Mainland China; 1,200 from India; 800 each from South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.K.; 400 each from other countries and regions) *3
・Survey Method: Online survey
・Survey Period: May 20–June 22, 2025
・Research Organizations: Dentsu Inc. (Principal Investigator), Video Research Ltd. (Implementation Partner)

[Notes and Disclaimers]
*1: The target areas in Mainland China are primarily Tier 1 cities; in India, they are Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru; in Australia, the Sydney metropolitan area; and in Southeast Asia, they are primarily limited to metropolitan areas.
*2: Definition of the middle-income class: Criteria were established for each country based on average income figures from OECD statistics and other sources, as well as social class classifications (SEC).
*3: Samples were collected using an equal allocation method by gender and age group in each country and region, and the data was weighted to reflect the population distribution.
*4: Since the composition ratios in this survey are rounded to the second decimal place (or to the first decimal place where displayed as whole numbers), the total may not add up to 100%.
*5: With a few exceptions, the names of countries and regions used in the charts and tables for this survey follow the international standard ISO country codes (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2).
United States/US, Canada/CA, Australia/AU, United Kingdom/UK, Germany/DE, France/FR, Italy/IT, Spain/ES, Saudi Arabia/SA, India/IN, Indonesia/ID, Singapore/SG, Malaysia/MY, Philippines/PH, Thailand/TH, Vietnam/VN, Mainland China/CN, Hong Kong/HK, Taiwan/TW, South Korea/KR
*6: The names of countries and regions used in this survey report and on our website are based on the long-standing views of the Japanese government, as well as Japanese social norms and business practices.
*7: The names of countries and regions used in this survey are for statistical or analytical convenience only and do not imply any political stance or opinion.
*8: The maps used in this survey (world map and map of Japan) have been partially modified and cropped to fit the analysis content and page layout, and therefore may not accurately reflect national borders or territorial boundaries.
*9: As a commercial marketing research study aimed at understanding the lifestyle habits and brand preferences of general consumers, this survey has been conducted consistently since its inception through commissioned fieldwork partners, in strict compliance with local laws, regulations, and public order and morals.Regarding surveys in China, we conduct them through fieldwork contractors who have obtained the necessary foreign-related survey permits as required by Chinese authorities; we do not conduct market research activities within China ourselves. Furthermore, we monitor and review our operational procedures as necessary in light of trends such as changes in laws and regulations.
*10: The response data collected in this survey is obtained, managed, and processed lawfully in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of each target market. The data we receive consists solely of aggregated data that has been anonymized in a manner that does not identify specific individuals and cannot be restored; it does not contain any personal information.