Japan is experiencing an unprecedented tourism boom. According to official data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), international visitor arrivals from January to November 2025 reached 39,065,600—surpassing the previous all-time annual record of 36.87 million set in 2024.
The Numbers: A Record-Breaking Year
The growth has been consistent throughout 2025. January saw 3,781,200 foreign visitors (the highest monthly total on record), and October welcomed 3,896,300 visitors—a 17.6% increase over 2024.
Key source markets in October 2025:
- South Korea: 867,200 visitors
- China: 715,700 visitors
- Taiwan: 595,900 visitors
- United States: 345,100 visitors (June data)
What This Means for Tokyo Restaurants
Approximately 70% of foreign visitors to Japan in 2024 traveled to the three major metropolitan areas, with Greater Tokyo being the most visited destination. With Tokyo maintaining a visit rate of 51.5%, that translates to roughly 20 million international visitors in 2025.
For restaurants in Tokyo, this represents a massive opportunity—but only if you can communicate with these visitors. A 2024 survey found that 83.2% of foreign tourists cited eating Japanese food as their most anticipated activity. Yet language barriers remain the biggest challenge.
The Language Barrier: A Major Friction Point
According to recent tourism surveys, 15.2% of foreign tourists found it challenging to communicate with employees at restaurants who only spoke Japanese. From the restaurant side, the numbers are even more striking:
- 60.2% of restaurant operators cited difficulty overcoming the language barrier as the reason they don't want more inbound tourists
- 29% said making menus in multiple languages is difficult
- Customer service, inquiry response, and multilingual support for online reservations are the top language-related challenges
The Solution: Multilingual Menus That Scale
A 2018 Ministry of Agriculture survey found that restaurants catering to non-Japanese speakers primarily did so through translated menus and pictures, with upwards of 90% providing English translations. However, managing printed multilingual menus is expensive and inflexible.
Digital QR menus solve this problem by:
- Allowing instant language switching without reprinting menus when you add items or change prices
- Supporting multiple languages (English, Chinese, Korean, etc.) from a single QR code
- Providing a better mobile experience than zooming in on PDF menus
- Reducing staff workload—guests can browse, translate, and understand the menu without assistance
Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond
With major international sporting events like the World Athletics Championships and the Deaflympics driving even more tourism to Tokyo, the growth trajectory shows no signs of slowing. Restaurants that can serve international visitors efficiently and effectively will be positioned to capture a significant share of this expanding market.
The question isn't whether your restaurant will encounter foreign guests—it's whether you'll be ready when they arrive.
Sources
- JNTO Official Tourism Statistics
- JTB Tourism Research & Consulting: Japan-bound Statistics
- Nippon.com: International Visitors to Japan Hit 20 Million in First Half of 2025
- TableCheck: Japan's Restaurant Industry Revival
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