In early 2025, Henley Passport Index, a prestigious organization that tracks and ranks the strength of passports of countries around the world, announced its annual ranking, attracting global attention. Accordingly, Singapore continues to affirm its leading position, holding the title of the most powerful passport in the world.
Meanwhile, Japan, a country known for its stability and development, has excellently won the second place in this prestigious ranking. The Japanese passport, a symbol of trust and prestige, gives its citizens an extremely wide freedom of travel. With a passport in hand, Japanese people can easily explore and experience the beauty of 190 countries and territories around the planet, an impressive number demonstrating the superior strength of the Japanese passport in the international arena.
35% of Japanese respondents said they do not want to travel anymore, especially overseas.
Despite possessing one of the most powerful passports in the world, opening doors to countless countries and territories, Japanese people show a surprising indifference towards international travel. This creates an interesting paradox that has attracted the attention of experts and global media.
According to a report released on February 20 by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of December 2024, the total number of Japanese citizens who own valid passports is only 21.6 million. This number, while impressive at first glance, when compared to Japan's total population, accounts for a modest 17.5%. This means that, in a country with a developed economy and a high standard of living, the majority of people do not have the need to own a passport, an essential tool for international travel.
To understand this trend, we need to look back. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of Japanese people with a valid passport was 25%. This significant drop from 25% to 17.5% shows a clear change in Japanese people's attitudes towards international travel.
Japanese people choose domestic tourism instead of going abroad.
Atsushi Suzuki, a 34-year-old Tokyo resident who works for an international NGO, is among those who have yet to renew their passports after their old ones expired during the pandemic. Suzuki said he "will have to renew my passport sooner or later because I have to go abroad for work," but said he has no plans to travel internationally. He last traveled abroad to Thailand in 2012, when he was a student.
Now, if Suzuki wants to go on vacation, he prefers to go nearby and use a car. "I have a dog, so it's more convenient to go nearby," he said. His favorite destinations are Hakone or Yamanashi. The weak yen compared to many other currencies is one of the reasons Suzuki doesn't want to go anywhere because he fears it will be expensive.
Tetsu Nakamura, a professor at Tamagawa University in Japan and an expert in psychology and travel behavior, said the results were not surprising. "In 2019, even before the pandemic, Japanese people who traveled abroad at least once a year accounted for only about 10% of the population," he added.
Despite possessing the most powerful passport in the world, Japanese people are "afraid" to go abroad.
Professor Nakamura himself conducted a study in 2016. In the study, there was a group he called "passives", that is, people who said they wanted to travel abroad but actually wouldn't go; and a group of "declinators", that is, people who showed no interest in traveling abroad and definitely wouldn't go.
When planning a trip abroad, one of the most important expenses for travelers is airfare. With the Japanese yen sliding to its lowest level since 1998, combined with years of stagnant wage growth for most Japanese workers, the financial burden has become a major barrier for those looking to explore the world.
However, by 2025, analysts estimate that only about 14.1 million Japanese people will use passports to travel abroad.
With incomes becoming tighter, the ability to afford luxury trips is also decreasing. Japanese people, especially the young, are gradually turning to more economical options. Instead of venturing abroad, they find joy in enjoying relaxing moments at home, or exploring familiar destinations within their own country.
This shift is not simply a response to the difficult economic situation, but also reflects a change in the lifestyle and interests of young Japanese people. According to analyst Toriumi, "Young people today find online entertainment, immersing themselves in the world of games on their smartphones, more exciting and comfortable than facing the risks and inconveniences of overseas travel."
According to the latest data from the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of Japanese tourists traveling abroad fell 86.2% in 2022, to about 2.7 million people compared to 20 million in 2019.
