How to say "tourist" in Japanese

• ツーリストCommon
  nounThe loanword, taken straight from 'tourist'; it means someone travelling for sightseeing or leisure and is a direct choice when you simply want to say 'tourist'.
• 観光客かんこうきゃくCommon
  nounThe default word for a tourist in the sightseeing sense: someone visiting a place to see the sights. For 'tourist' in most ordinary contexts, this is the word to reach for.
  地元じもとの店みせは観光客かんこうきゃく相手あいてに順調じゅんちょうな商売しょうばいをしている。↗

  Local shops do good business with tourists.
• 旅人たびびとCommon
  nounEssentially 'traveller' or 'wayfarer': a person on a journey, with a literary, poetic feel. It can be translated 'tourist', but it does not specifically mean a sightseer, so it is seldom the word you want.
  その男おとこは旅人たびびとからお金かねを奪うばった。↗

  The man robbed the traveler of his money.
• 旅客りょかくJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounReally 'passenger': a person travelling by some means of transport, found mostly in transport and official contexts. It can be glossed 'tourist', but it is seldom the word you want for a tourist.
• 客きゃくJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounA general word for a customer, client, shopper or spectator. It does not in itself mean a tourist, so it is rarely the word you want when translating 'tourist'.
  春先はるさきだから客きゃくもあまりいませんでした。↗

  It was early spring, so there weren't many customers.

For a sightseeing tourist use 観光客, with 「ツーリスト」 as the direct loanword; 旅人 is a literary 'traveller', 旅客 a transport 'passenger', and 客 a 'customer', so those three seldom translate 'tourist'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ツーリストtourist
• 観光客かんこうきゃくtourist
• 旅人たびびとtraveller
• 行楽客こうらくきゃくtourist
• 旅行客りょこうきゃくtourist
• 来遊者らいゆうしゃvisitor
• 漫遊客まんゆうきゃくsightseer
• 遊覧客ゆうらんきゃくsightseer
• 旅客りょかくtraveller
• 客きゃくcustomer
• お客様おきゃくさまcustomer
• お客さんおきゃくさんcustomer