Rankings · Ranking · official data
The busiest and quietest months in Japan
Which months bring the most visitors to Japan, which nationalities come when, and how 2026 compares with 2025 — all from JNTO’s monthly arrivals.
Last checked · Sources
In short
April was the busiest month of 2025 with 3,909,128 arrivals and February the quietest with 3,258,491 — but the quietest month still had 83% of the busiest month’s visitors. Japan no longer has a real off-season; the crowds just change nationality: January is the peak for Australia; February is the peak for Vietnam; April is the peak for United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Europe (total).
Arrivals by month
| Month | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2026 vs 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2,688,478 | 3,781,629 | 3,597,881 | -4.9% | |
| February | 2,788,224 | 3,258,491 | 3,466,848 | +6.4% | |
| March | 3,081,781 | 3,497,755 | 3,619,159 | +3.5% | |
| April | 3,043,003 | 3,909,128 | 3,692,364 | -5.5% | |
| May | 3,040,294 | 3,693,587 | 3,560,256 | -3.6% | |
| June | 3,140,642 | 3,377,985 | 3,148,754 | -6.8% | |
| July | 3,292,602 | 3,437,118 | 3,442,100 | +0.1% | |
| August | 2,933,381 | 3,428,406 | 3,098,900 | -9.6% | |
| September | 2,872,487 | 3,267,228 | – | – | |
| October | 3,312,193 | 3,896,524 | – | – | |
| November | 3,187,175 | 3,517,659 | – | – | |
| December | 3,489,888 | 3,617,791 | – | – |
Source: JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), Visitor arrivals statistics (Visitor arrivals by nationality/month (2003-2026), row "Total"). Period: 2024-01 to 2026-08. Unit: persons.
Busiest and quietest month by market
| Market | Visitors 2025 | Busiest month | Arrivals | Quietest month | Arrivals | Quietest ÷ busiest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 9,459,711 | December | 974,239 | August | 660,917 | 68% |
| China | 9,095,931 | August | 1,018,747 | December | 330,435 | 32% |
| Taiwan | 6,763,424 | August | 620,753 | February | 507,346 | 82% |
| United States | 3,306,820 | June | 345,150 | January | 182,556 | 53% |
| Europe (total) | 3,168,344 | April | 404,616 | January | 112,872 | 28% |
| Hong Kong | 2,517,399 | December | 291,133 | September | 149,472 | 51% |
| Thailand | 1,233,103 | December | 174,009 | August | 35,499 | 20% |
| Australia | 1,058,396 | January | 140,185 | August | 41,250 | 29% |
| Philippines | 885,023 | December | 115,557 | August | 44,209 | 38% |
| Singapore | 726,251 | December | 140,646 | August | 20,512 | 15% |
| Canada | 688,019 | October | 73,667 | June | 41,588 | 56% |
| Vietnam | 678,594 | February | 73,813 | December | 43,696 | 59% |
| Indonesia | 640,577 | December | 81,678 | August | 31,419 | 38% |
| Malaysia | 636,575 | December | 100,582 | July | 18,112 | 18% |
| United Kingdom | 535,004 | April | 69,496 | January | 26,378 | 38% |
| France | 457,566 | October | 58,242 | January | 16,515 | 28% |
| Germany | 429,479 | April | 57,188 | January | 12,737 | 22% |
| India | 315,062 | May | 43,040 | February | 12,955 | 30% |
| Italy | 309,377 | April | 45,592 | January | 8,792 | 19% |
| Spain | 245,576 | August | 31,990 | January | 7,401 | 23% |
| New Zealand | 136,875 | April | 15,485 | August | 6,946 | 45% |
Source: JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), Visitor arrivals statistics (Visitor arrivals by nationality/month (2003-2026), sheet 2025). Period: 2025-01 to 2025-12. Unit: persons.
What the numbers say
In 2025 the months ranked Apr (3.9 million), Oct (3.9 million), Jan (3.8 million) and May (3.7 million) at the top and Jun (3.4 million), Sep (3.3 million) and Feb (3.3 million) at the bottom. The spread between the busiest and quietest month was only 17%.
April is cherry-blossom season across most of the main island, which explains the peak; the late-April–early-May Golden Week holidays add domestic crowds on top. February is cold, short and comes right after the New Year holidays, which is why it is the cheapest month for flights and hotels in most of Japan — except in the ski resorts and during the Sapporo Snow Festival.
Each market has its own calendar. January: Australia. February: Vietnam. April: United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Europe (total). May: India. June: United States. August: China, Taiwan and Spain. October: Canada and France. December: South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Australians arrive for the ski season, Europeans and North Americans for spring and autumn, and visitors from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia around their own school holidays and Lunar New Year.
The quietest months by market: January: United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Europe (total). February: Taiwan and India. June: Canada. July: Malaysia. August: South Korea, Thailand, Australia, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand. September: Hong Kong. December: China and Vietnam. If you want to avoid your own compatriots, this table tells you when.
For 2026 so far, 3 of the 8 months reported were up on 2025: Jan (-5%), Feb (+6%), Mar (+3%), Apr (-6%), May (-4%), Jun (-7%), Jul (+0%) and Aug (-10%).
Arrivals are only half of the crowd picture. Japanese domestic travel peaks in Golden Week (late April to early May), Obon (mid-August) and the New Year holidays, and those are the dates when trains, hotels and popular temples are fullest regardless of foreign arrivals. See the public holiday calendar before fixing your dates.
How to read the figures
Monthly arrivals are JNTO counts of foreign nationals entering Japan, excluding foreign residents. The latest two months are estimates and are revised when final data is published. Figures by market cover the 22 largest markets JNTO reports monthly.
A month with 3.5 million arrivals is a month with about 3.5 million extra people in the country at some point, but most stay 5–10 nights, so the number in the country at once is smaller.
Frequently asked questions
What is the busiest month to visit Japan?
April, with 3,909,128 foreign arrivals in 2025. October and January were next. Cherry blossom and the Golden Week holidays make late March to early May the peak.
What is the quietest month in Japan for tourists?
February (3,258,491 arrivals in 2025), followed by September and June. Even the quietest month had 83% of the peak month’s visitors.
When do Australians go to Japan?
Arrivals from Australia peaked in January 2025 (140,185) and were lowest in August (41,250): the ski season and the Australian summer holidays drive the pattern.
Sources
Official and primary sources used for this page. Checked October 6, 2026.
- JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), Visitor arrivals statistics – Visitor arrivals by nationality/month (2003-2026), row "Total" — 2024-01 to 2026-08
- JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) – Japan tourism statistics — monthly visitor arrivals by market
- Japan Tourism Agency – Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan — 2025 annual results (final), published 2026
To cite or link to this page: The busiest and quietest months in Japan — Japan Pocket Guide, https://japanpocketguide.com/rankings/busiest-months/