(Aired February 5, 2026)

As the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan reaches record highs, the sheer volume of visitors is changing the landscape of Tokyo.

On the 5th, a long line had formed in front of Shibuya Station.

To find out what they were there for, we went to the front and saw foreign tourists taking commemorative photos with Hachiko.

The foreign tourists said things like, "It was my dream to take a picture with Hachiko," "We're lining up to take a picture with Hachiko. Hachiko is very famous," "We came to see the Hachiko statue," and "I always told my daughter the story of Hachiko."

In 2025, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan exceeded 40 million for the first time in history, reaching a record high of 42,683,600.

Inbound tourism spending also reached a record high of approximately 9.4559 trillion yen.

What is it about Japan that foreign tourists find so appealing?

When we spoke to people on the street, we heard comments like, "We're planning to go to Kyoto and Hiroshima. We want to eat sushi," "Yesterday we went to see Tokyo Tower. You can see the city lights, it's really beautiful. I love udon," "Katsudon is really delicious," and "I want to go see Mount Fuji."

In this episode, the program discovered a surprising place in Harajuku where the number of foreign tourists is rapidly increasing.

That place is the eyewear chain store "Zoff."

More than half of the customers choosing glasses in the store are foreigners.

A couple from California, USA, said, "We've been watching YouTube for a while, and everyone says that buying Japanese glasses is great. So we included it in our travel plans."

Two women from Australia said, "We came because we saw it on TikTok. Glasses are expensive in Australia, and you have to wait a long time. They're expensive, and you wait an incredibly long time. In Australia, you wait two to three weeks."

While glasses take two to three weeks to be made in Australia, here they can be completed in as little as 30 minutes.

"They're so light! I can see everything!" The customer seemed very satisfied with both the speed and the finished product.

A couple from Brazil also purchased glasses.

The man said, "I knew Japanese lenses were world-famous," and regarding the fit, he commented, "Nice, good glasses. The quality is top-notch." He seemed very pleased and immediately put on the glasses and left the store.

Zoff has seen a roughly 180% increase in foreign customers compared to the previous year.

Based on this, they are enhancing their services for foreign customers, including overseas shipping and tax-free shopping.

Zoff Public Relations Representative, Miho Yamada:

They have increased the number of staff who can speak foreign languages, and their automated measuring devices support various languages. They offer support in English, Chinese, French, and other languages.

In addition to consuming goods, foreign tourists are highly interested in Japanese "food."

And that's not just sushi, tempura, and ramen.

The most popular item is "onigiri," a Japanese soul food made by filling rice with plenty of ingredients and shaping it into a fluffy ball.

Keiko Kurihara, Onigiri Togoshiya Shibuya Dogenzaka branch:
On some days, all the tables here are filled with foreigners. Japanese customers sometimes say, "I thought I was abroad!"

To accommodate the increasing number of foreign customers, the restaurant has added English translations to its menus and notices.

While the restaurant's most popular fillings have always been egg yolk, minced meat, and salmon, they've added spicy options like "Spicy Tuna Mayo" and "Spicy Pork Miso Soup" for foreigners, which have proven popular.

On the other hand, there are times when dealing with foreigners is challenging.

Keiko Kurihara, Onigiri Togoshiya Shibuya Dogenzaka branch:
Surprisingly, many customers don't understand the difference between onigiri and sushi, and they often ask, "Do you have wasabi?" or "Do you have ginger?" I'm often asked this question, so I usually answer something like, "It's onigiri, rice ball is not sushi."

With the further increase in foreign tourists, the landscape of Tokyo is likely to change even more.