1.3 million Hongkongers visit Japan in first half of 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels

Japanese minister in charge of World Expo 2025 promotes event on visit to city amid concerns of overtourism because of weak yen

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International visitors throng Mitama Matsuri, one of Tokyo’s largest summer events. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:45pm, 21 Jul 2024Updated: 11:22pm, 21 Jul 2024

Almost 1.3 million Hongkongers have travelled to Japan in the first six months of the year, up on the pre-pandemic 2019 figure, a senior Japanese official has told the Post as the country experiences a tourist boom spurred by the weak yen.

Hanako Jimi, Japan’s minister for regional revitalisation who is also in charge of Osaka’s World Expo 2025, added Hong Kong was a major target for promotion of the six-month event which starts April and that she hoped it would attract more visitors from the financial hub.

“One of the major reasons is that Hong Kong people love Japan and are very friendly [towards us],” Jimi told the Post after a public event as she wrapped up her two-day trip to the city.

She said the number of visitors from Hong Kong to Japan had been on the rise and that the whole year figures were also on track to exceed 2019’s total.

The country logged more than 2.29 million Hong Kong visitors in 2019 and 2.11 million Hongkongers visited Japan last year when the city reopened its borders after three years of pandemic restrictions.

Hanako Jimi (in white kimono), Japan’s minister in charge of the World Expo 2025, promotes the event at the Hong Kong Book Fair in Wan Chai. Photo: May Tse

Jimi added the country welcomed 1.28 million visitors from Hong Kong in the first six months of 2024, a 16 per cent increase on the same period in 2019.