Asian country named 'most attractive in the world' for four consecutive years.

The Lawson convenience store, with its view of Mount Fuji in the background, is a popular photo spot for tourists in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan . Photo: Vinny Anugraha/Pexels .

On October 6th, Condé Nast Traveler magazine announced the results of its annual 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, US edition. Japan continues to lead in the category of The Best Countries in the World , marking its fourth consecutive year in this position. In the UK edition, also announced on the same day, Japan ranked second.

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) assessed the results as showing the appeal of this destination to American tourists, and reflecting the development in tourism exchange between the two countries. This year, Japan is launching a campaign to promote Japan-U.S. tourism exchange 2026.

According to JNTO, the consistently positive reviews not only demonstrate the attractiveness of Japan's tourism resources but also reflect visitors' satisfaction with the hospitality and safety standards in Japan. The agency expects that the widely publicized results of the poll will continue to attract attention and boost demand for travel to Japan.

In the future, JNTO will continue to promote the unique nature, culture, and cuisine of local areas, aiming to attract tourists to regions outside major tourist centers and develop sustainable tourism.

Japan welcomed over 3 million international visitors in August, a 9.6% decrease compared to the same period last year. For the first eight months of the year, the number of visitors reached approximately 27.63 million, a 2.7% decrease.

Chinese tourists saw the sharpest decline among major markets, falling to 418,000, a 59% decrease compared to the same period last year. Conversely, South Korea continued to be the largest source market with 850,500 visitors, followed by Taiwan (China) with 666,000 and Hong Kong (China) with 247,300.

JNTO stated that demand for travel to Japan remained strong in many East Asian, European, North American, and Australian markets during the summer holiday season. However, the number of visitors from some markets decreased due to the typical slowdown in summer travel to Japan in Southeast Asia. Additionally, reduced and canceled flights due to typhoons also impacted visitor numbers.

Previously, Japan had projected a record 42.7 million international visitors in 2025.

Tourists walk along the path leading to Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan, on January 13, 2025. Photo: Paul Miller.