A 2025 survey analyzed foreign visitor traffic using smartphone data from about 25,000 districts (excluding airports) to map top destinations across 22 prefectures.

Kyoto leads in top locations with 17 spots, followed by Hokkaido with 16 and Kanagawa with 11, while Yamanashi, Osaka, Okinawa, and Tokyo each host six to eight sites.

A large share of top locations are concentrated in a handful of prefectures, and 25 prefectures have no locations in the top 100, signaling uneven regional benefits and potential risks of overtourism.

The 25,000-location dataset (excluding areas around airports) shows top spots spread across 22 prefectures, led by Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Kanagawa, with several others in the six-to-eight range.

Experts warn the data underscores the need to disperse foreign visitors regionally to balance economic gains with protecting local livelihoods and resources.

The concentration of tourism raises concerns about overtourism and unequal regional benefits, prompting calls to disperse visitors more evenly.

In 2025, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Okinawa accounted for nearly 70% of foreign guest stays, while 31 prefectures combined for less than 1% each, with Tokyo alone at roughly 59.6 million stays and 3.29 trillion yen spent.

Japan posted a record 42.68 million foreign visitors in 2025 as tourism rebounds after COVID-19, with a government goal of 60 million visitors and 15 trillion yen in spending by 2030.

To reach the 2030 target, officials emphasize broader regional dispersion to reduce concentration in a few hotspots.

The inbound surge in 2025 comes with concerns about overtourism and regional disparities as the country aims for sustained growth.

Total foreign guest stays reached about 177.87 million in 2025, with Tokyo leading; Shimane recorded the lowest spending at 2.25 billion yen.

A 2025 joint survey shows top tourist spots are highly concentrated in seven prefectures, led by Kyoto and Hokkaido, which together account for 72 of the top 100 destinations.