Domestic demand helps offset 60% drop in Chinese visitors to Japan's Yamanashi Pref.

In the first half of 2026, Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan welcomed 4.322 million accommodation guests, a 100,000 increase compared to the previous year, according to data released by the prefectural government. This figure marked the fifth consecutive year of record-setting guest numbers for the January-June period. Despite a 60% decline in Chinese visitor numbers due to strained Japan-China relations, the decrease was counterbalanced by a significant rise in Japanese travelers.

Overnight guests in the first half of the year rose by 2.5% from the previous year, with Japanese visitors accounting for 3.111 million of the total - a record high and a 14.2% increase.

The tourism, culture, and sports department attributed the rise in domestic travelers to rising prices in Japan, suggesting that people may have opted for Yamanashi, near the Tokyo metropolitan area, to mitigate travel costs. Meanwhile, foreign visitor numbers dropped by 20.3% to 1.121 million, with Chinese tourists contributing the largest share at 100,560 visitors, a 60% decline from the previous year.

Visitors from Taiwan led the foreign market with a 12.1% increase, followed by Thailand, China, Hong Kong, and the United States, all recording year-on-year growth. Notably, India saw a substantial surge of 221.2%, with visitor numbers rising to 12,190. South Korea also reported an 187% increase to 43,650 visitors.

While the prefecture remains optimistic about the future, accommodation operators expressed concerns about the declining Chinese tourist numbers. A hotel manager in Fujikawaguchiko stated that while inbound tourism had declined, Japanese visitors and tourists from other countries had increased, but the lack of staff and limited capacity prevented them from accommodating more guests.

Another hotel operator, previously hosting Chinese tour groups, acknowledged a significant drop in sales, yet welcomed the rise in domestic travelers and visitors from other nations. They emphasized the importance of cultivating stable markets, including domestic travelers and consistent visitors from countries unaffected by political developments.