Japan Sees Record Surge in Foreign Arrivals in 2024

In a remarkable development, Japan's Immigration Services Agency announced that the number of foreign nationals entering the country reached a historic high of 36.78 million in 2024. This figure reflects a substantial increase of 42.4 percent compared to the previous year, amounting to around 10.95 million more arrivals than in 2023.

Of the foreign arrivals, an overwhelming 98.1 percent, or approximately 33.36 million individuals, were categorized under "Temporary Visitor" status, which also represents a 44.2 percent rise from 2023. The agency pointed out that the increase can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the country's weak yen.

When breaking down the statistics by nationality, South Korea topped the list with 8.63 million new arrivals, a rise of 26.7 percent. This was followed by Taiwan and China, with 5.69 million and 5.49 million arrivals, reflecting increases of 39.8 percent and a staggering 174.6 percent, respectively.

In terms of residence status, the next largest group was composed of "College Students," totaling approximately 170,000, which is a 19.7 percent increase from last year. Conversely, the number of individuals classified under "Technical Intern Training" was around 150,000, marking a decline of 19.2 percent from the previous year.