NIPPON




 

The monthly number of foreign visitors to Japan hit a record high in April amid the cherry blossom season, a Japan National Tourism Organization report showed Wednesday.

The number of inbound visitors is estimated to have risen 28.5 pct from a year before to 3,908,900 in April, topping 3.9 million for the first time for a single month.

Demand for travel to Japan, especially from China, Hong Kong, the United States and Australia, surged as cherry blossoms bloomed in many parts of the country. The reporting month also included Easter holidays.

By country or region, the number of visitors from mainland China jumped 43.4 pct to 765,100, followed by 721,600 visitors from South Korea, up 9.1 pct, 537,600 from Taiwan, up 16.9 pct, and 327,500 from the United States, up 43.1 pct.

The record monthly figure "seems to be attributed to brisk demand in China for visiting Japan and an increase in the number of flights," Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa said at a press conference.