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Tohoku lags as Japan tourism boom leaves northern region behind

In 2025, 42.7 million foreign visitors came to Japan overall, but only 2.57 million stayed overnight in Tohoku’s six prefectures.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Asia

Japan’s tourism surge has drawn record crowds to major hubs like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, but Tohoku, the northern region of Honshu, is still struggling to attract foreign visitors, according to economy coverage from SCMP Economy.

SCMP Economy cites statistics from the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organisation showing that of Japan’s record 42.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, just 2.57 million, about 6.0%, spent a night in the six prefectures that make up Tohoku, including Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima.

More than a decade after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, experts quoted by SCMP Economy say the main challenge is no longer fear, but limited familiarity among international travelers.

They point to a lack of widely known attractions across the region, transportation that can be difficult for non-Japanese speakers, and shortages of tourist information, even as the drawbacks may appeal to travelers seeking to avoid crowding in other destinations.

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