The weakening of the yen against the shekel has made prices in Japan very attractive for Israelis, observes Eshet Tours VP Shirley Cohen-Orkaby. "Although flights are not cheap," she says, "the vacation in Japan itself is certainly affordable."
Israelis are voting with their feet. "The peak of the tourist season in Japan (for Israelis) is in April, the cherry blossoms there and the Passover holiday here, and for that month we see an increase of 88% between 2024 and 2025."
Cohen-Orkaby believes Israeli tourism will continue even if the shekel-yen exchange rate changes. "Israeli demand for tourism in Japan is based on other factors: direct flights, culture, personal safety, the absence of anti-Semitism, and the combination of tradition and progress."
Broader policy aspects also impact tourism
This also relates to broader policy aspects.
In 2023, the Japanese government launched a plan to position the country as a tourist destination, with the aim of reaching 60 million tourists annually by the end of the decade, generating $100 billion.
In the first ten months of 2025, 35.5 million tourists entered Japan, and in October alone, the number was 3.9 million- an increase of 17.6% compared with October 2024.
Tensions with China may also come into play.
In October 2025, Chinese tourists accounted for about 18% of Japan's total tourist arrivals. In November, amid escalating tensions between Japan and China, China issued a travel warning for Japan, and if this continues, Japanese tourism could suffer significant damage. It is therefore expected that the government will accelerate the assistance it provides to the industry, and that this support will be reflected in the number of tourists visiting the country.
Why hasn't this happened until now?
"Japan has always been a desirable destination," notes Cohen-Orkaby, "but it was very expensive, and it was awkward to get to. Today, with the opening of direct flights and the reduction in prices in terms of the Israeli currency, a vacation there is much more accessible."