Japanese Tourists Spend Less On Food

Skift reports that foreign visitors to Japan spend a surprising amount of money on shopping, according to a recent study. Visitors spend an average of $493 for shopping during their trip compared to the $317 spent on food and $129 spent on amusement activities.

The study was conducted by the Japan Tourism Agency by surveying visitors. They found that more than half of the visitors spent an average of $90 on items sold in souvenir shops alone. They attribute this to Japanese culture, known for its omiyage, or gift giving to friends and family. There are a high number of souvenir shops available.

The second most popular category was food, alcohol, and tobacco. The foreigners that purchased the most in this category were Russians (average of $233), Chinese ($149), and Australian ($173). Although food is the second most popular category, the difference between the amount spent on average shopping versus eating is surprising.

Western clothing, bags, and shoes were the fourth most popular category on this list, averaging at a rate of 29.8%. The lead visitors in this category were Honk Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. Folk crafts and Japanese clothing were also popular.