International Visitor Survey
Last Update : 2025/1/31
Overview of the International Visitor Survey (IVS)
IVS estimates consumption by international visitors to Japan.
1. Purpose of IVS
IVS is aimed at obtaining baseline information for designing and evaluating measures to attract foreign tourists by assessing trends in consumption by international visitors to Japan. IVS is made up of three quarterly surveys for different purposes:
A: National Survey: Designed to characterize international visitors to Japan as a whole by their attributes as well as by what they did and how – and how much – they spent in Japan.
B1: Regional Survey: Designed to characterize international visitors to each prefecture in Japan by their attributes as well as by what they did and how – and how much – they spent in Japan.
B2: Cruise Survey: Designed to characterize international visitors to Japan with landing permission for cruise ship tourists by their attributes as well as by what they did and how – and how much – they spent in Japan.
A: National Survey: Designed to characterize international visitors to Japan as a whole by their attributes as well as by what they did and how – and how much – they spent in Japan.
B1: Regional Survey: Designed to characterize international visitors to each prefecture in Japan by their attributes as well as by what they did and how – and how much – they spent in Japan.
B2: Cruise Survey: Designed to characterize international visitors to Japan with landing permission for cruise ship tourists by their attributes as well as by what they did and how – and how much – they spent in Japan.
2. Target of IVS
1. Surveyees
International visitors to Japan who are leaving the country excluding transit passengers, crew members, and those who have stayed in Japan for a year or more.
2. Sample Size
IVS is conducted with targeted number of samples set at 32,910 in total for each quarter (6,900 samples for A: National Survey; 24,620 samples for B1: Regional Survey; and 1390 samples for B2: Cruise Survey) (an annual total of 131,640 samples).
International visitors to Japan who are leaving the country excluding transit passengers, crew members, and those who have stayed in Japan for a year or more.
2. Sample Size
IVS is conducted with targeted number of samples set at 32,910 in total for each quarter (6,900 samples for A: National Survey; 24,620 samples for B1: Regional Survey; and 1390 samples for B2: Cruise Survey) (an annual total of 131,640 samples).
3. Major survey items
The respondents’ attributes (nationality, gender, age, etc.), purpose of visit to Japan, the amount of consumption, etc.
*IVS comes with an opinion survey of international visitors to Japan that focuses on, among other things, the level of satisfaction with their visits to Japan.
*IVS comes with an opinion survey of international visitors to Japan that focuses on, among other things, the level of satisfaction with their visits to Japan.
4. When IVS Results Are Released
First and secondary preliminary results are released at the end of the first and fourth months following the survey period, respectively. Final annual aggregates are out at the end of March the following year.
5. Method of IVS
1. Survey Spots
A1 National Survey: 17 air/sea ports (New Chitose Airport, Hakodate Airport, Sendai Airport, Tokyo International Airport, Narita International Airport, Shizuoka Airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport, Komatsu Airport, Kansai International Airport, Hiroshima Airport, Takamatsu Airport, Fukuoka Airport, Kagoshima Airport, Naha Airport, Kanmon Port (Shimonoseki), Hakata Port, Izuhara Port)
B1 Regional Survey: 25 air/sea ports (New Chitose Airport, Hakodate Airport, Aomori Airport, Sendai Airport, Ibaraki Airport, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport), Narita International Airport, Toyama Airport, Komatsu Airport, Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport, Kansai International Airport, Okayama Airport, Hiroshima Airport, Yonago Airport, Takamatsu Airport, Fukuoka Airport, Saga Airport, Miyazaki Airport, Kagoshima Airport, Naha Airport, Sakai Port, Kanmon (Shimonoseki) Port, Hakata Port, Izuhara Port)
B2 Cruise Survey: Three seaports (Hakata Port, Nagasaki Port, Naha Port)
2. Survey Periods
Quarterly (January-March, April-June, July-September, October-December)
* IVS started in the April-June quarter of 2010.
3. Survey Implementation
In IVS, surveyors approach international visitors to Japan who are in the departure lobbies at the air/sea ports and about to return to their home country. They ask these visitors to reply to a set of questions while showing a tablet- or paper-based questionnaire in an interview style (in which the answers are recorded by the interviewer).
4. The Flow of IVS
Japan Tourism Agency <--> Contractor (private or otherwise) <--> Surveyors <--> Surveyees
Implementation System and Flow of Compilation Work
* The 2018 IVS was contracted out to Survey Research Center Co., Ltd.
* IVS: Outline and Notes (from January-March 2018)
* Frequently Asked Questions
A1 National Survey: 17 air/sea ports (New Chitose Airport, Hakodate Airport, Sendai Airport, Tokyo International Airport, Narita International Airport, Shizuoka Airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport, Komatsu Airport, Kansai International Airport, Hiroshima Airport, Takamatsu Airport, Fukuoka Airport, Kagoshima Airport, Naha Airport, Kanmon Port (Shimonoseki), Hakata Port, Izuhara Port)
B1 Regional Survey: 25 air/sea ports (New Chitose Airport, Hakodate Airport, Aomori Airport, Sendai Airport, Ibaraki Airport, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport), Narita International Airport, Toyama Airport, Komatsu Airport, Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport, Kansai International Airport, Okayama Airport, Hiroshima Airport, Yonago Airport, Takamatsu Airport, Fukuoka Airport, Saga Airport, Miyazaki Airport, Kagoshima Airport, Naha Airport, Sakai Port, Kanmon (Shimonoseki) Port, Hakata Port, Izuhara Port)
B2 Cruise Survey: Three seaports (Hakata Port, Nagasaki Port, Naha Port)
2. Survey Periods
Quarterly (January-March, April-June, July-September, October-December)
* IVS started in the April-June quarter of 2010.
3. Survey Implementation
In IVS, surveyors approach international visitors to Japan who are in the departure lobbies at the air/sea ports and about to return to their home country. They ask these visitors to reply to a set of questions while showing a tablet- or paper-based questionnaire in an interview style (in which the answers are recorded by the interviewer).
4. The Flow of IVS
Japan Tourism Agency <--> Contractor (private or otherwise) <--> Surveyors <--> Surveyees
Implementation System and Flow of Compilation Work
* The 2018 IVS was contracted out to Survey Research Center Co., Ltd.
* IVS: Outline and Notes (from January-March 2018)
* Frequently Asked Questions
Result and Analyses of the Survey
- January 2012 to March 2012
[Excel:958KB]
- pril 2012 to June 2012
[Excel:973KB]
- July 2012 to September 2012
[Excel:963KB]
- October 2012 to December 2012
[Excel:965KB]
- January~December 2012
[Excel:1.6MB]
- January 2013 to March 2013
[Excel:957KB]
- April 2013 to June 2013
[Excel:969KB]
- July 2013 to September 2013
[Excel:980KB]
- October 2013 to December 2013
[Excel:969KB]
- January~December 2013
[Excel:1.6MB]
- January 2014 to March 2014
[Excel:1.5MB]
- April 2014 to June 2014
[Excel:1.5MB]
- July 2014 to September 2014
[Excel:1.5MB]
- October 2014 to December 2014
[Excel:1.5MB]
- January~December 2014
[Excel:2.3MB]
- January 2015 to March 2015
[Excel:2.1MB]
- April 2015 to June 2015
[Excel:2.1MB]
- July 2015 to September 2015
[Excel:2.1MB]
- October 2015 to December 2015
[Excel:2.1MB]
- January~December 2015
[Excel:3.0MB]
- January 2016 to March 2016
[Excel:2.1MB]
- April 2016 to June 2016
[Excel:2.2MB]
- July 2016 to September 2016
[Excel:2.2MB]
- October2016 ~ December 2016
[Excel:2.1MB]
- January~December 2016
[Excel:3.0MB]
- January 2017 to March 2017
[Excel:2.1MB]
- April 2017 to June 2017
[Excel:2.1MB]
- July 2017 to September 2017
[Excel:2.2MB]
- October 2017 to December 2017
[Excel:2.2MB]
- January~December 2017
[Excel:2.9MB]
- January 2018 to March 2018 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:793KB]
- January 2018 to March 2018 (The 2nd Preliminary)
[Excel:3.6MB]
- April 2018 to June 2018 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:788KB]
- April 2018 to June 2018 (The 2nd Preliminary)
[Excel:3.6MB]
- July 2018 to September 2018 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:799KB]
- July 2018 to September 2018 (The 2nd Preliminary)
[Excel:3.6MB]
- October 2018 to December 2018(The First Preliminary)
[Excel:802KB]
- October 2018 to December 2018(Final Estimate)
[Excel:3.6MB]
- January~December 2018
[Excel:4.2MB]
- January 2019 to March 2019 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:760KB]
- January 2019 to March 2019 (Final Estimate)
[Excel:3.6MB]
- April 2019 to June 2019 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:1.4MB]
- April 2019 to June 2019 (Final Estimate)
[Excel:3.6MB]
- July 2019 to September 2019 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:1.5MB]
- July 2019 to September 2019 (Final Estimate)
[Excel:3.6MB]
- October 2019 to December 2019 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:1.5MB]
- October 2019 to December 2019 (Final Estimate)
[Excel:3.6MB]
- January~December 2019
[Excel:4.2MB]
- January 2020 to March 2020 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:1.6MB]
- January 2020 to March 2020 (Final Estimate)
[Excel:3.9MB]
- October 2021 to December 2021 (The First Preliminary (estimated))
[Excel:1.5MB]
- October 2021 to December 2021 (The 2nd Preliminary (estimated))
[Excel:1.5MB]
- January 2022 to March 2022 (The First Preliminary (estimated))
[Excel:1.5MB]
- January 2022 to March 2022 (The 2nd Preliminary (estimated))
[Excel:1.5MB]
- April 2022 to June 2022 (The First Preliminary (estimated))
[Excel:3.5MB]
- April 2022 to June 2022 (The 2nd Preliminary (estimated))
[Excel:3.8MB]
- July 2022 to September 2022 (The First Preliminary (estimated))
[Excel:3.8MB]
- July 2022 to September 2022 (The 2nd Preliminary (estimated))
[Excel:3.8MB]
- October 2022 to December 2022 (The First Preliminary)
[Excel:1.5MB]
Statistics/White Paper