Japan's Duty-Free Sales Decline Amid Decrease in Tourist Numbers

Japan's major department stores experienced a decline in duty-free sales in January, highlighting the impact of reduced tourist numbers. According to Jin10, Takashimaya reported a 19% drop in duty-free sales, while J Front Retailing noted a decrease of approximately 17% in duty-free sales at its Daimaru and Matsuzakaya stores, limiting overall sales growth to 0.7%. Japan aims to attract 60 million inbound tourists by 2030, generating 15 trillion yen in tourism revenue. The government and tourism industry are working to diversify sources of visitors and income. Their goal is to increase foreign tourists' average spending by 9% to 250,000 yen and more than double the total number of overnight stays in Japan's regional areas to 130 million. Additionally, Japan seeks to balance tourism growth with local community interests, while curbing the phenomenon of 'overtourism' that can negatively affect residents' quality of life.