“Japan Welcomed Nearly 600,000 Singaporean Visitors in 2023 “

SINGAPORE: Japan remains an incredibly popular destination for Singaporeans, with nearly 600,000 Singaporean citizens visiting the country in 2023, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). This figure includes transit passengers and foreign nationals temporarily residing in Japan, such as international students and expatriates.

Given that Singapore’s citizen population stands at approximately 3.61 million, this means that roughly one in six Singaporeans visited Japan last year. This surge in Singaporean visitors surpassed figures from larger countries like Malaysia (415,712) and Indonesia (429,382), underscoring Japan’s appeal.

Though Japan continues to attract international travelers, the influx has sparked concerns over “overtourism” in popular areas like Kyoto and Mount Fuji, where crowd control has become necessary. A recent move by local authorities involved blocking views of Mount Fuji from a popular convenience store due to littering and rule-breaking by tourists.

The yen’s relative weakness has also boosted Japan’s appeal, giving Singaporeans more spending power when traveling. While there may be efforts to strengthen the yen, Japan is expected to remain a favored destination among Singaporeans for the foreseeable future.