TOKYO, Aug 20 (Kyodo/APP): The number of foreign visitors to Japan in July rose 4.4 percent from a year earlier to 3.4 million, a record for the month, government estimates showed Wednesday, as other nations were in their school holiday season.
Recently, Japan has become a major travel destination on the back of the popularity of its culture, such as anime, and the yen’s depreciation.
By country and region, China topped the list with 974,500 visitors, up 25.5 percent from the previous year, followed by South Korea with 678,600, a 10.4 percent decrease, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
It added 15 markets, including the United States, France and Indonesia, set new visitor records for July.
The organization said in a statement that it will pursue the promotion of strategic inbound tourism while closely analyzing market trends, as the government has set targets for travel spending and regional overnight stays.