Today I Learned: More Filipinos are Visiting Japan, But There are Changes in the Visa Processing System

Nearly a million Filipinos flew to Japan last year, but there are some changes to the visa processing system for those planning to go there this year. 

Data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) say that a total of 818,666 Filipinos visited Japan in 2024, rising 31.56 percent versus the number the year before.

JNTO said the uptick in Filipino arrivals began in the autumn season in October 2024 at 80,244. It then peaked in December during the holiday season with 108,500, up 37.2 percent from the 79,107 in December 2023. An overwhelming majority—about 80 percent—of Filipino visitors are tourists, although the number also includes travelers who flew to Japan for business, studies, and others. 

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The number makes the Philippines the second top source of visitor arrivals in Japan in 2024, just behind Thailand with over one million. According to JNTO, a record 36.9 million international visitors came to Japan in 2024, up 47.1 percent versus 2023 and up five million than the previous record of 31.9 million set in 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

New Japan visa system

Meanwhile, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines has advised Filipinos planning their Japan trip about changes in the consular examination system. The Embassy now recommends travelers to apply for their visas at least two months before their intended arrival.

“The number of visa applications to visit Japan has been increasing at an unprecedented rate especially after the Covid-19 pandemic,” the Embassy said on its website. “Taking this into consideration and in order to further revitalize people-to-people exchange between Japan and the Philippines, we are preparing to transition to a new examination system (visa center system) to maintain the quality and enhance the efficiency of visa processing.

“With the transition to the above new system, examination of visa applications for tourism purposes which normally took five working days, might now take several weeks—period longer than the standard processing time,” it added. “Therefore, applicants are recommended to apply at least two months prior to the date of travel.” The advisory applies to travelers applying for multiple-entry visas for tourism, business, or visiting relatives, etc.

More direct flights

In addition to the country relaxing visa rules for Filipino travelers, there has also been an increase in direct flights from the Philippines to Japan in recent years, which could help explain the surging number of visitors from the Philippines. Last week, Cebu Pacific announced thrice-weekly nonstop flights between Manila and Sapporo, Japan’s winter capital. It is the carrier’s fifth route to Japan after Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, with flights departing from Manila, Cebu, and Clark.

The country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines, also flies direct from Manila or Cebu to Tokyo, from Manila or Cebu to Osaka, from Manila to Fukuoka or Nagoya.