Summary
Hokkaido Transport Bureau reported 10.821 million total overnight guests and 4.34 million foreign overnight guests in Hokkaido during Q1 2026, third among prefectures nationwide.
The Hokkaido Transport Bureau published preliminary Q1 2026 accommodation statistics on July 1, 2026, reporting 10.821 million total overnight guests in Hokkaido during January to March 2026. That figure is 6.8 percent below Q1 2025 and 8.6 percent above Q1 2024, and places Hokkaido third among Japan’s prefectures.
What happened
The bureau published preliminary tabulations for Q1 2026 based on the Japan Tourism Agency’s Accommodation Travel Statistics Survey. Foreign overnight guest counts fell 7.1 percent from Q1 2025 to 4.340 million, though this remains 36.3 percent above the same period in 2024. Hokkaido also ranked third nationwide for foreign overnight guests, and the foreign share of total overnight stays reached 78.3 percent, well above the national average of 61.4 percent.
Why it matters
Winter overnight arrivals are one of Hokkaido’s most closely watched tourism indicators, driven by ski resorts and winter sightseeing across the prefecture. The Q1 2026 figures show a moderation from the record Q1 2025 season, but confirm that Hokkaido remains one of Japan’s top destinations for foreign visitors during the winter months.
Key details
- Total overnight guests: 10.821 million, third nationwide.
- Change vs. Q1 2025: Down 6.8 percent.
- Change vs. Q1 2024: Up 8.6 percent.
- Foreign overnight guests: 4.340 million, third nationwide.
- Change vs. Q1 2025: Down 7.1 percent.
- Change vs. Q1 2024: Up 36.3 percent.
- Top three foreign source countries by market share: Taiwan 21.8 percent, South Korea 17.7 percent, China 16.3 percent.
- Foreign share of total overnight stays: 78.3 percent in Hokkaido, versus 61.4 percent nationwide.
For international readers
Hokkaido’s foreign-guest share is one of the highest among Japan’s prefectures, reflecting the prefecture’s role as a marquee winter destination. Q1 2026 figures suggest a normalization from the exceptional 2025 peak while still confirming Hokkaido’s strong international demand.
Source: Hokkaido Transport Bureau press release. Underlying survey: Japan Tourism Agency Accommodation Travel Statistics Survey.
Source Details
| Source | Hokkaido Transport Bureau |
|---|---|
| Original Title | 北海道における宿泊旅行者の結果をまとめました（令和8年1-3月期（暫定値）） |
| Original Published | 2026-07-01 |
| Region | Hokkaido |
| Target Reader | general |
| Review Status | reviewed |
| Risk Level | normal |
| Original Source | Hokkaido Transport Bureau |
Editor Note
本統計は暫定値です。確定値は数か月後に公表されるため、確定版が出た時点で該当箇所を更新してください。令和6年・令和7年の従業者規模区分変更があるため、対前年比較の解釈に注意する旨も本文で触れています。