Destinations · Region guide
Chugoku: 5 prefectures
Chugoku is one of Japan’s eight regions: 5 prefectures — Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi. This is a short overview with the official numbers; the full region guide is being written.
Last checked · Sources
Chugoku 中国 is made up of 5 prefectures: Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi. Open each one for its guide; the table below shows how many foreign visitors each prefecture received in 2025, which is the quickest way to see which are the popular stops and which are still quiet.
In 2025 the prefectures of Chugoku recorded about 2.5 million foreign visits between them (a visitor who went to two prefectures counts in both). Hiroshima alone accounted for 67% of that, with Okayama and Yamaguchi next, while Shimane had the fewest at 58,000.
The prefectures of Chugoku
- Tottori 鳥取県 Capital: Tottori.
- Shimane 島根県 Capital: Matsue.
- Okayama 岡山県 Capital: Okayama.
- Hiroshima 広島県 Capital: Hiroshima.
- Yamaguchi 山口県 Capital: Yamaguchi.
Foreign visitors by prefecture in Chugoku
| # | Prefecture | Foreign visitors | Spend per visitor (yen) | Avg nights | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hiroshima | 1,687,000 | 49,000 | 2.5 | |
| 2 | Okayama | 423,000 | 54,000 | 4.0 | |
| 3 | Yamaguchi | 218,000 | 43,000 | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Tottori | 130,000 | 46,000 | 2.3 | |
| 5 | Shimane | 58,000 | 39,000 | 3.7 |
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan, 2025 annual (final), summary report (regional survey) (都道府県別 訪問者数・消費単価・旅行消費額・平均泊数（地域調査）). Period: 2025-01 to 2025-12. Unit: visitors_10k = 10,000 persons; spend_per_person_10k_yen = 10,000 yen; spend_100m_yen = 100 million yen; nights = average nights.
Climate in Chugoku: Tottori month by month
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snowfall | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8°C (47°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 201 mm (7.9 in) | 55 cm | 69 |
| Feb | 9°C (48°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 154 mm (6.1 in) | 49 cm | 84 |
| Mar | 13°C (56°F) | 3°C (38°F) | 144 mm (5.7 in) | 11 cm | 131 |
| Apr | 19°C (66°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 102 mm (4.0 in) | 0 cm | 177 |
| May | 24°C (75°F) | 13°C (55°F) | 123 mm (4.8 in) | 0 cm | 201 |
| Jun | 27°C (80°F) | 18°C (64°F) | 146 mm (5.7 in) | 0 cm | 154 |
| Jul | 31°C (88°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 189 mm (7.4 in) | 0 cm | 166 |
| Aug | 33°C (91°F) | 23°C (74°F) | 129 mm (5.1 in) | 0 cm | 204 |
| Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 19°C (66°F) | 225 mm (8.9 in) | 0 cm | 143 |
| Oct | 22°C (72°F) | 13°C (55°F) | 154 mm (6.0 in) | 0 cm | 146 |
| Nov | 17°C (62°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 146 mm (5.7 in) | 0 cm | 111 |
| Dec | 11°C (52°F) | 3°C (38°F) | 218 mm (8.6 in) | 27 cm | 83 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency, climatological normals (1991–2020) (station page). Snowfall is the monthly total of fresh snow.
Weather varies a lot within a region; each prefecture page has its own monthly table.
Other regions of Japan
- Hokkaido Hokkaido region · capital Sapporo
- Tohoku Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima
- Kanto Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa
- Chubu Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka and Aichi
- Kansai Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama
- Shikoku Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime and Kochi
- Kyushu & Okinawa Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa
Sources
Official and primary sources used for this page. Checked October 8, 2026.
- Japan Tourism Agency, Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan, 2025 annual (final), summary report (regional survey) – 都道府県別 訪問者数・消費単価・旅行消費額・平均泊数（地域調査） — 2025-01 to 2025-12
- Japan Meteorological Agency, climatological normals (1991–2020) — monthly climatological normals 1991–2020
To cite or link to this page: Chugoku: 5 prefectures — Japan Pocket Guide, https://japanpocketguide.com/regions/chugoku/