Japan Off-PeakBlog
Analyses of Japan's official travel data: when and where to go, and what changes year to year. Every number is our own count, with sources.
The months when both foreign and Japanese travellers stay away, prefecture by prefecture
2026-10-06
In 37 of Japan's 47 prefectures there is at least one month when both foreign and Japanese hotel guests fall below 90% of the yearly average. January leads, but June is the surprise.
Ryokan were about half as full as city hotels in 2025: occupancy by prefecture and month
2026-10-06
Across Japan, ryokan were 38.2% occupied in 2025 against 74.1% for city hotels, and no prefecture's ryokan beat its city hotels. Here is when each type is fullest and emptiest.
Who fills Japan's ski regions in winter? Nationality data for Hokkaido, Nagano and Niigata
2026-10-06
Australians made up 21.6% of foreign hotel nights in Nagano in January 2025, but only 6.9% in Hokkaido, where visitors from mainland China, South Korea and Taiwan dominate. Niigata's winter is led by Taiwan.
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