Visitors to Japan top 20m for 2nd straight year

September 21, 2017

TOKYO- The estimated number of visitors to Japan this year exceeded 20 million on Friday, surpassing the threshold for the second straight year, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Akihiko Tamura said Wednesday.

The 20-million mark, which was reached about six weeks earlier than last year, was achieved due chiefly to sharp growth in the number of tourists from mainland China, South Korea and Hong Kong on increases in the number of flights operated by low-cost carriers.

If the current pace continues, the overall number of visitors to Japan in 2017 is seen totaling some 28 million.

In January-August, the cumulative foreign visitor figure jumped 17.8 percent from a year earlier to 18,916,200, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.

Visits to Japan by not only LLC flights but cruise ships increased, the organization observed.

The number of visitors from mainland China rose 8.9 percent to 4,882,200, followed by those from South Korea, at 4,660,800, up 41.7 percent.

In August alone, a record 2,477,500 foreigners, up 20.9 percent year on year, came to the country. Of the total, tourists from mainland China made up 819,700, up 21.1 percent, rewriting an all-time high for any month thanks to relaxed visa requirements. Jiji Press