Tour of Japan was formed as the successor of the Kokusai Cycle Road Race which began in 1982. In 1996, Tour of Japan began as a UCI category 2-5 stage race, and became category 2–4 in 1997. It was downgraded to category 2–5 in 2002. As the UCI race system was reformed in 2005, it was included in the
UCI Asia Tour as a category 2.2 event. It became a category 2.1 event in 2013. The race has only been cancelled three times in its history. The 2003 edition was canceled for concern over the
2002–2004 SARS outbreak, and the 2011 edition was canceled because of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 edition was held as a class 2.2 event and a three-day stage race with all domestic teams, exempted by the UCI from the mandatory invitation of foreign teams under Japan's international travel restrictions. The 2022 edition was held as a four-stages, class 2.2 event. It restored the eight-stages class 2.1 form in 2023. The 2024 edition was held as the eight-stages, class 2.2 event. ==Past winners==